Neville repeats popular mantra in assessing Solskjaer’s struggles

Gary Neville Ole Gunnar Solskajer TEAMtalk

Gary Neville believes a lack of leaders is costing Man Utd dear this season and has repeated the famous Alan Hansen phrase: “You can’t win anything with kids.”

The former BBC pundit once used the famous phrase on Match of the Day in the mid-1990s in response to Sir Alex Ferguson trusting a number of youngsters in his side.

The Class of ’92, including the likes of Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, helped United become one of the best teams in Europe for many years, making Hansen look a little foolish.

However, Neville says there is a large element of truth in what Hansen said at the time, with the likes of Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane helping the youth to glory.

 

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Current United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given youngsters Scott McTominay, Mason Greenwood and Andreas Pereira a bigger role in the first team this campaign – but Neville thinks the lack of leaders means they won’t win anything.

“I pointed out on Sunday [during a 2-0 defeat at West Ham] at the £900m that has been spent in the last seven or eight years, and there’s nothing left of it really,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“There are the bones of a squad, some young players from the academy that haven’t cost that money. Potentially David de Gea, who is struggling. There’s Harry Maguire but there’s a lot more rebuilding to do.

“I’ve said many times that Alan Hansen was right, you don’t win anything with kids.

 

 

 

“The Class of ’92 didn’t win that Premier League title. We had Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Brian McClair and Peter Schmeichel. We had world-class performers and two of the best centre-backs ever.

“Keane was the most inspirational captain and leader, Cantona was world-class, Schmeichel was the best in the world and Denis Irwin was brilliant. They pulled us through it. If the Class of ’92 had gone into this team, we would have had no chance.”