Noel Whelan criticised Manchester United stars for their recent performances, pinning the blame on their shambolic defence.
Manchester United is not a happy place at the moment after some terrible results. The heavy loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford seems to have switched everyone’s attention towards their defensive stats, which are simply awful. In their last three games, they have conceded 11 goals.
The Red Devils rank 18th in clean sheets kept in the Premier League this season while they are fourth from bottom for goals conceded. The other stats displayed in the tweet below provide a clear picture of their shambolic backline. While the defence got its fair share of the blame, the forward line was criticised too after issues with their pressing.
With tough fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester City coming up, the fanbase seems worried about more bad results. While the blame for terrible performances has put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under tremendous pressure, Noel Whelan insists the club’s ‘superstar’ players should take some responsibility.
Whelan went on to express his opinion regarding the state of Manchester United to Football Insider. The former Leeds United star suggested the club have failed to progress since Alex Ferguson left way back in 2013.
? Manchester United's defensive stats this season are SHOCKING ?
PL rank:
? Goals conceded – 16th
? Clean sheets – 18th
? Tackles – 20th pic.twitter.com/9bMZAL6oeq— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 24, 2021
Whelan said, “As the manager, you will always have to take responsibility because that’s what managers do. But when you look at the bigger picture, is it always the manager’s fault? No, it’s not. Like Harry Maguire said, they have to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror.
“They need to ask themselves if they are doing enough for themselves, for the club, for the fans. These last three weeks have been embarrassing for Man United – they look shambolic at the moment. The stats say everything – the work rate, the running, closing down, they don’t lie. You never saw this under Fergie. They haven’t progressed.
“They’ve brought in these world-class, so-called superstars, but they haven’t gone anywhere. These are individuals who are not working hard enough for the club and the manager.”
Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend before they face Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League. The following weekend, the Red Devils will be involved in the Manchester derby. Poor results in these fixtures could spell further trouble for Solskjaer.
