Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has retaliated to criticisms aimed towards him stating that he is not ‘quick enough’ on the field. The German was clearly unimpressed with the kind of criticism being levelled at him and also felt that assessments regarding his performances have been unfair.
The 2014 World Cup winner joined Manchester United in the summer transfer window for a reported fee of £6.5 million. He has gone on to make 15 appearances for the Red Devils in the Premier League and has scored one goal in the process.
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The 31-year-old was quite vocal when answering to his critics and said that he is playing on almost the same level as he did in the Wold Cup last year.
“I am not impressed by the criticism that has been brought up over me via the media,” he said.
“I am currently playing on a level that is comparable to that during the World Cup in 2014.”
“'Old man's football' - that is an expression that was used back then, too. After the World Cup final those voices went silent.”
The German added that being quick does not always mean being a good sprinter, rather making swift decisions on the field also contributes to quickness. Schweinsteiger also feels that he had a good year if not perfect, and his performances with the Manchester-based club have been ‘okay’ as well.
"I will never be able to compete with Usain Bolt. But being slow or being quick on the pitch has not solely something to do with making sprints,” he said.
"It's also about being quick in your head. And that's something where I am fully up to it. And physically, I am not the slowest either.”
"For me, it is important what I am being told face to face. Every one or two words will be made bigger than they actually are. It was a good year for me, but not a perfect year. My performances in Manchester were really okay."
Schweinsteiger to miss United’s trip to Stoke
Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal had recently raised questions on the German workhorse after United’s Champions League loss against Wolfsburg, saying that he did not play at the same level like in his Bayern days. The Dutch tactician substituted Schweinsteiger in the second half of a crucial Champions League tie which United lost and bowed out of the competition.
“Bastian Schweinsteiger is a human being and he wants to play at the highest level and certainly in Germany to show his qualities, but I cannot say that he was the Schweinsteiger from my period in Munich today.”
The midfielder is currently serving a three-match ban which he was handed for elbowing West Ham United’s Winson Reid. He has already served the ban for two matches and will be out for United’s trip to Stoke on Boxing Day, before being re-available for the team selection, as the Red Devils welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on December 28.
