It’s a big week, apparently, for some at Manchester United. The transfer window will soon close and there are a number of players in the squad who are rumoured to be leaving.

I was part of the Class of 92. I had ten games in the first team, and played more reserve games than I can remember. It was too many, I remember that. But living in Manchester, enjoying the lifestyle, and all the trappings of being a United player, sometimes you can forget about your serious objectives as a footballer. I’ve talked about this a lot in my book that is coming out in the New Year but the point is that I was sleep walking and in the comfort zone.

I know some things have been said and written about me in the last year and how much I did at United. The most important person, Sir Alex Ferguson, offered me another contract to stay at the club. I knew Everton were interested and as soon as I heard that, I knew I needed to go and test myself.

Howard Kendall was a great manager and I knew I would have a good challenge and a good opportunity at Goodison. I could have stayed there in the comfort zone at United but I had to get out if I wanted to prove myself. I would always give the same advice to young players if they’re not in the first team by the age of 20 or 21.

The problem you have at United now is the same problem as there is elsewhere in football. The money is so great that the incentive has changed. They can sit at United with that pay-packet and the spotlight and feel like they’re part of it.

I look at what United have done, or tried to do, under Ole. You can never criticise him for wanting to bring back the feel of the Sir Alex era. But Sir Alex was a one-off for a reason. He also had the experience and the credentials before him on his CV. 

I don’t know if we will be able to get players out of the club because they’re in that safe place. Failure has been rewarded – I definitely played in the wrong era! Crazy contracts have been handed out over a period of time and there are so many players at the club who United can’t even give away.

Because of that I think it would be tough to justify a situation where Ole brings in the younger players and gives them a chance. There’s so much deadwood but they have to be given those chances in the team. Because it hasn’t happened there are players like Mengi and Hannibal who might normally get a taste here and there who are now just doing good things in the U23 but, in the case of Mengi for example, there are three or four average senior defenders in front of him. It’s difficult for them to adapt to the greater physical demand of the first team and then you see them briefly and they’re gone again – Tatith Chong, for example.

But those senior players don’t see a responsibility to the younger ones, they just stay at the club as content as they are to see out the contract and probably get a new one. Apparently Andreas Pereira is making a move. Hopefully more will have the same ambition for themselves.

I do continue to look at Ole and worry that because he didn’t have the CV like Sir Alex it was a bit of the old ‘jobs for the boys’, but then again, I also feel sorry for him (as much as you can feel sorry for someone on the salary he’s getting) because he got United back into the Champions League and he’s been sold out and let down big time. Yes, you look at the worries about the style of play or system – at times it does look just like a bunch of individuals – but everything is undermined by where the club’s priorities obviously lie at the minute.

I can’t wait for the end of the window just for the speculation to be over. I should be writing about Jadon Sancho and a new defender and how well they’ve settled into life at United. 

Instead we’re talking about the same old players and we’re saying the same old things about them. Maybe they should take the responsibility to prove themselves as players and move on. It’s unlikely they can turn things around for them at Old Trafford – and staying longer than you should is only likely to cause resentment.