Paul Ince picked out four Manchester United players he believes have been performing well below the club’s standards.
Speaking on the United Stand, Ince named Jadon Sancho, Fred, Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as his quartet of stuttering stars.
Ralf Rangnick’s squad as a whole has taken plenty of flak from the outside world following their abysmal 1-0 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
They had just got over the criticism hurled their way after the 1-1 draw with Newcastle United before heading straight back into the lion’s den.
The fact United’s best performer against Wolves was the almost forgotten figure of Phil Jones speaks volumes about the state of the side.
It must have been a gut-wrenching experience for those watching on from the Old Trafford stands – unless they were sporting an Old Gold shirt.
Rangnick must take some blame for the side’s shoddy showing, yet those tasked with instigating the plan can’t escape condemnation.
The Red Devils don’t look like a unit built for the current campaign – or any of those in the near future.
Ince goes in on Manchester United
“(Cristiano) Ronaldo’s got a year left, he’s not the future. Nor is (Edinson) Cavani. (Paul) Pogba could be gone. Bruno (Fernandes) could go,” Ince proclaimed.
“You look at the players that are playing now. Fred isn’t good enough, we know that. McTominay isn’t good enough, we know that. Wan-Bissaka has lost all his confidence, he’s not the right choice. Sancho looks miles off it.
“If you bring a new manager in, you’ve got to change 80% of the team and still try to keep up to Liverpool, (Manchester) City and Chelsea’s standards. We’ve got a long, long way to go. I can’t see Rangnick being in charge next year.”
Troubles at Old Trafford
Although Ince is generally accurate in his disapproval, the fact he has called out McTominay seems harsh.
After the Burnley match the former Red Devils and England midfielder was putting the Scotland international up for United’s captaincy.
If anything, McTominay remains one of the more consistent performers in Rangnick’s camp. Fred still divides opinion among fans, while the charm seems to have faded with Wan-Bissaka. Sancho’s struggles, meanwhile, are well documented.
There are others Ince could have picked on perhaps? Marcus Rashford hasn’t looked the same since his shoulder surgery, while Harry Maguire is enduring a season to forget.
Mason Greenwood, meanwhile, hasn’t scored in the Premier League for almost three months.
The list goes on and it will continue to grow unless Rangnick can halt the downwards spiral.
Otherwise, United could be in an even worse position than the one Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left them in.
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