We were sitting with a couple of die hard Manchester United fans during the Burnley game on Wednesday evening. These are guys who see football as life and death and they bleed with their team – suffice to say they haven’t been great fun to be around over the last 18 months!
But even they had to see the funny side of Manchester United’s calamitous defence on Wednesday. Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans have been the main generators of mirth with some hilarious examples of how not to defend. Please will someone put a youtube video together to illustrate their combined, unforced errors this season – it would certainly make for a long lowlights package.
And when United’s entire defence missed the ball that came into the box at the start of the second half, before Danny Ings let them off the hook by skying his shot, we were falling off our chairs. Becauase, quite simply, amateurs could do better than this.
Louis van Gaal comes across as polite and amiable. But every top coach has a ruthless streak and we are certain that these misdemeanours will be punished at the end of the season. Because Manchester United aren’t going to win anything with Evans, Jones and company in this form.
Manchester United also look as if they could do with some more investment in pace up top, the defence must surely be the priority for this summer.
We like Shaw on the left and Paddy McNair looks as if he could continue his tutelage at right back. Rafa still has a chance to be a success at United. But the team needs a couple of really top quality centre backs. Bring them in and Manchester United would not only be more solid at the back but offer better distribution out of defence – another key element of the current problems.
Virtually every United player is playing for their future right now – particularly those in defence.
