Scapegoat emerging at Manchester United after pressure from within

It’s understood several of Manchester United’s senior players are “unconvinced” by first-team coach Kieran McKenna.

The club’s dreadful start to the season has seen them score just nine goals in eight games, whilst conceding eight which has left them significantly off the pace in the Premier League.

Pressure has surfaced from every angle with the squad, manager and Ed Woodward feeling the brunt from fans and pundits alike, but reports over the last few weeks have pointed the finger at McKenna.

McKenna, 33, has taken charge of training sessions since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was handed the United reins and The Metro claims some of United’s first-team players have been critical of his coaching and are unsure he has the experience required.

The article claims United’s senior men “feel unprepared” and that there has not been enough work done to develop the team’s attacking style of play.

A few weeks ago the Daily Mail claimed a similar notion that McKenna was not up to the job and that United were under-cooked in their attacking know how.

The Daily Mirror meanwhile have revealed concerns from Woodward about Solskjaer’s tactical knowledge and that his post-match comments after the Newcastle defeat have ‘not gone down well within the dressing-room’.

Solskjaer labelled his coaches “excellent” when he was appointed manager in May and referred to McKenna’s depth of coaching experience, despite being just 33.

The Northern Irishman had a successful spell with the U18s and was promoted to the first team by Jose Mourinho, with Solskjaer happy to keep him on in the summer.

After working with the likes of Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong in the academy it’s understood Solskjaer saw McKenna as a good bridge for the youngsters looking to get into the first-team squad.