Manchester United icon Paul Scholes believes Liverpool are odds-on to beat his former side when they meet in a heavyweight clash on Monday.

The former midfielder has criticised the Red Devils for lacking an identity under Jose Mourinho, while he has also raised eyebrows by suggesting the club weren’t ruthless enough during the transfer window.

Consequently, Scholes believes it is Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool who are the likelier to pick up a win. The Reds currently sit fourth on the table while United are three points aback in seventh.

‘If you were betting, you would be betting on Liverpool,’ Scholes told BBC Sport.

‘He [Mourinho] was not ruthless enough in the off season,’ the former England star added. ‘There is so much confusion about who should play.’

United spent heavily in the transfer windows as they brought in a host of stars including the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and world-record signing Paul Pogba.

‘What I saw of Mourinho at Chelsea, he had 13 or 14 players who played every week. He never rested players, even in the League Cup or whatever competition he was in.

‘With United it is still a settling-in period – it is going to take a bit of time for them to knit together and see what they are about. Is there an identity to the team yet? I don’t think there is,’ he added.

Scholes concluded by claiming that unlike Mourinho, Klopp has established an identity within the Liverpool side and that they have already produced some excellent results against top quality opposition.