Rinse and repeat. Manchester United don’t seem to change, whether it’s Erik ten Hag in the dugout or Jose Mourinho.
That was proven on Saturday when Manchester United produced another abject display to deservedly lose 2-1 to Fulham.
From attack to defence, everyone seems to be getting stick for their performances and Steve Nicol sounded fed up by what he is still seeing from Harry Maguire.
The former European Cup winner claimed that the £189k-a-week England defender ‘doesn’t get a game for anybody that’s any good’, as he told ESPN.
There was talk of the 30-year-old leaving in the summer when Erik ten Hag stripped him of the captain’s armband, but he still remains at Old Trafford, even though nothing seems to be changing.
Manchester United can dream all they want about securing a top-four finish, the fact of the matter is, they are nowhere near that level as they keep proving week in and week out.
Whether it’s under this current manager, or the previous ones, certain players have been a constant theme among them all and Harry Maguire is certainly one of them.
Harry Maguire’s performances for Manchester United
“I don’t know where to start, to be quite honest,” said Nicol. “I am actually worried about the mental health of ten Hag.
“If he, for one second, actually thinks that (post-match comments after Fulham about Man United showing character), then Man United are in big trouble because that is complete and utter nonsense.
“The backline, Harry Maguire doesn’t get a game for anybody that’s any good. The middle of the park is invisible.”
Manchester United can’t defend
Whether you blame the manager, the lazy forward line, the non-existent midfield, the fragile defence, the tactically inept manager, the waste of money recruitment or those ever-popular Glazers.
The fact of the matter is that Manchester United can’t defend and nothing will change from now until May.
Either outscoring teams or pure individual performances will get them over the line, and if they somehow can still get maximum points with a clean sheet, then there has to be an element of luck involved.
Either way, it won’t result in a top-four finish this season, and with many things changing behind the scenes, it will be interesting to see what the feeling is towards ten Hag if things continue the way they are.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
