It's been a tough debut season for Ruben Amorim
It's been a tough debut season for Ruben Amorim
Gordon Strachan believes too many Manchester United players are FAKING IT at Old Trafford.
Strachan, the former United winger who also played under Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, insists that Ruben Amorim has a squad that likes to talk the talk but are unable to walk the walk.
And he has called on co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to bring in new signings who have the “resilience, humility and drive” to make the Reds great again when he plots a summer rebuild.
Strachan, 68, who spent five years in Manchester during a playing career that also took him to Dundee, Leeds and Coventry and realised 50 caps for Scotland, said: “I think there's been a lot of players at Man United over the last five or six years who are just floating along.
[
Man Utd snubbed FIVE managers to appoint boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe says was mistake](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-jim-ratcliffe-moyes-34868280)
[
Ruben Amorim demands two things from Man Utd stars for Ruud van Nistelrooy reunion](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/man-utd-leicester-van-nistelrooy-34867355)
“In fact, they've got the badge on their tracksuit, the logo - and that’s enough. They’re playing off the history of heroes from the past, enjoying being Man United players off the pitch, and having real problems being a Man Utd player on it.
“People say, get younger players in. But they have got a couple of good younger players - and they've not done so well.
“What they need is the 23 or 24-year-olds who have played at big clubs, who want to get better, and play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. They need to have resilience, humility and drive.”
Strachan, in an interview with makthavare.se also believes that Amorim must shoulder some of the blame for his team’s inconsistencies after failing to adjust his playing philosophy to the players he inherited from Erik ten Hag in November.
The former Sporting Lisbon coach was successful in Portugal employing a three-man central defence. But United’s players have been unable to adapt to the new system.
It's been far from a good season for the Red Devils
It's been far from a good season for the Red Devils
Strachan said: “No, no, no, United have not improved under Amorim. It’s okay sticking to your principles - but it’s not working. I’ve got to say that players are playing in positions they’re not used to.
“Amorim looks like a great fella trying to do the right thing, but they've not got players who are used to this system and they're not comfortable.
“Defenders like (Mathijs) De Ligt and (Harry) Maguire, if they have a full-back alongside them, then they don't get dragged out into wide positions.
“(Victor) Lindelof deals with it okay. (Lisandro) Martinez wasn't too bad at it because he could get about the place, but I don’t think this is a system that De Ligt looks or feels comfortable.”
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.