Former star accuses Man Utd squad of lacking ‘identities’ in stinging attack

Manchester United TEAMtalk

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker insists that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s flops need to deliver some home truths in the dressing room.

The Red Devils have endured a woeful start to the season, with Tottenham thrashing them 6-1 ahead of the international break to pile the pressure on Solskjaer.

That heavy defeat came off the back of a previous home loss to Crystal Palace. United were also fortunate to win at Brighton.

Those performances led to former captain Roy Keane claiming that “too many bluffers” will see Solskjaer sacked.

And former England defender Parker feels the current group lack the “identities” needed to call each other out when times get tough.

“You look at those results and the players have lost their way now, you can see it,” said Parker.

“Cannot forgive them for that. You are looking for them to add that little bit of self-motivation and pride.

“That bit of pride to say: ‘we are not going to go on and concede that many’.

“There should have been a lot more fight. Football has changed, there was a lot more self-motivated players in my time than there is now.

“United are missing players with identities, who have come into the club from places where they have had to dig deep and they have come in looking to achieve and win things.

 

 

“When you look at someone like Bruno Fernandes, he wants to prove a point. He has come from a massive club, a very famous club in Portugal. He’s come to United looking to prove himself again, and you cannot knock that.

“But maybe some of the players they are getting in, a few of them are content, happy to be there, and think that it is an easy ride.

“That is the big difference. When I joined United a few players were keeping an eye on me to see what I was going to do. Was I just content to be there or did I want to join them and help them, to make their life easier in winning trophies?

 


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United now a ‘buy buy’ club

“At this moment in time, I am looking at Manchester United, and they have become a ‘buy buy’ club. However, a lot of the work has to be done on the training field, but with the right people.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Manchester United TEAMtalk

“You have to voice an opinion at individuals. Are you going to accept if you have made a mistake? I am going to turn around and tell the home truth, maybe at half-time or after a game.

“How are you going to deal with that? Are you going to try to prove me wrong or are you going to sulk, blank me and go to talk to your agent?

“Or are you going to have the character to accept what you have or have not done. Then go out and prove me wrong in the second half or in the next game?

“Building a team by how much individuals cost doesn’t always guarantee anything. That is because it is just about finding players who talk to each other.”

 

Parker is supporting Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker campaign.

 

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