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Scholes plea for patience

PAUL Scholes says he's not been surprised by United's stuttering start to their Premier League title defence.

The Reds summer spending spree sparked talk of an unprecedented quadruple coming to Old Trafford this season.

Instead, the champions have just two points from three games and Scholes is the only player to have scored.

United entertain Spurs on Sunday and could be without injured Rio Ferdinand and Edwin Van Dar Sar in addition to Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Gary Neville and Real Madrid bound, Gabriel Heinze.

"We have signed four new players in the summer and it is just going to take a little bit of time for them to settle," insists Scholes. "I know supporters expect everyone to gel straight away but it is not that simple. They are coming to a new club, finding new houses and meeting new people, which cannot be the easiest thing in the world.

"You only have to look at someone like Didier Drogba.

"It took him a year to settle in at Chelsea but since then he has been fantastic.

"And there are many more examples like that," adds Scholes who became United's highest Premier League scorer with his goal at Portsmouth.

Indeed, the 32-year-old has been shortlisted for a place in the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.

Scholes needs four more goals for a Premier League century.