Paul Scholes has backed Manchester United to cement a top four place in the Premier League as long as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer resists the temptation to rotate his team over the course of the next six matches.
A thumping win over Brighton in midweek saw the gap to Chelsea reduced to just two points after Frank Lampard’s side slumped to a shock 3-2 defeat at West Ham.
The burgeoning midfield partnership between Paul Pogba and January recruit Bruno Fernandes has helped Solskjaer’s side extend an unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 matches.
United will be overwhelming favourites to record another convincing victory at home against relegation strugglers Bournemouth at Old Trafford, but Scholes insists Solskjaer does not boast a strong enough squad to take anything for granted during the run-in.
He told the BBC: ‘I think they will (finish in the top four). They are going to have to win every game to do it but you look at the fixtures they are very winnable.
‘If Ole can keep this team fit ,the first XI that played the other night, I don’t see a reason why not.
‘I don’t think the squad is massively strong where he can leave players out and afford to give people a rest for the FA Cup or the Europa League as it was.
‘He needs to play his best team from now until the end of the season I think they’ll have a great chance.’
The emergence of Mason Greenwood, who opened the scoring against Brighton, has also been a key factor in United’s recent resurgence and Scholes believes the ‘ridiculous’ youngster is now firmly ahead of Dan James in Solskjaer’s pecking order.
He added: ‘He’s a major talent. Growing up in the youth team he was an out and out centre forward really. He never played in the wide areas. But United seem to have three or four of these players who you’re not sure if he’s a centre forward or a wide player but you have to say when he plays on the right-hand side he looks a real threat.
‘Look, I know Dan James has done really well for his first season, he’s done brilliant but when Mason Greenwood comes into that right-hand side the trickery the skills he’s got, you feel he’s going to score a goal every single time.
‘He’s a real talent, he’ll develop, he’s 18 years old which is ridiculous. H’s got plenty of time on his hands but what we are seeing now he looks like he’s going to be a real top player.’
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