Manchester United’s capitulation at Anfield was heartbreaking for me as a former player.
I hoped that the players would at least show some fight after the criticism they’ve been receiving, their poor performances and particularly with the memory of the defeat at Old Trafford to this team still too fresh in everyone’s mind.
What we got was a disgrace of a performance.
There are a couple of high profile examples of players who put in notably poor shifts and what more is there to say about them? It’s clear big changes are needed and that much was said by Ralf Rangnick in his post-match press conference. It might be fair to say that the changing of systems and team selection hasn’t always helped but there was nowhere left for anyone to hide last night.
Can we feel confident about the direction of the club? The man coming in is Erik Ten Hag, and he has insisted he wants the final say.
Which is all well and good – but United have been gearing up for a major issue since Ole was dismissed. Some good candidates were available to succeed him and the only thing that seemed clear is that there was little thought that went into who they could get to replace him.
What did they want? Was it their plan to hire a relatively unknown manager with no track record of success? It amazes me how this seems to be the case for many positions in the club – and this is meant to be Manchester United we’re talking about! You’re meant to prove yourself elsewhere; instead United have been hiring people who not many people know. It just goes to show the club still feel way behind other clubs in terms of planning, and yet here we are at the start of a new cycle hoping that Ten Hag will finally be a wise choice. We’ll wait and see.
As for the players, well… there’s a lot of talent in that squad but there’s no desire. Do we need reminding how United became one of the very top clubs in the world?
One week United scrape a result, the next they get an embarrassment, the selections seem to be decided by coin toss – players called back into the side or brought on with no rhyme or reason, a complete abandon of the ethos of football which should always be at the forefront of Manchester United. It has been utter chaos for six months.
I genuinely hope Ten Hag is allowed to oversee the clear out that is needed, that he is given the chance to sweep this changing room of all the driftwood of players who think they’re Manchester United stars.
Performances have been as inconsistent as the team selections and in some instances I can excuse the players – if they’re not knowing if they will play from one week to the next there is a doubt which will naturally show. Even with all this I still can’t believe that I’ve been watching a Manchester United team that has no desire – a club with such a rich tradition where so many magical players have played their football.
This season and last night proved that we’re a few years behind the other top teams. A lot of hard work is needed to catch up.
