Man Utd: Ferguson ally reveals two big-name stars causing ‘shortcomings’, as Ajax comparison made
Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Casemiro of Man Utd
Former Manchester United first team coach Rene Meulensteen has told Erik ten Hag that Casemiro and Raphael Varane are causing problems for his team, while also making a worrying comparison with Ajax.
Man Utd have endured a tricky start to the 2023-24 season, as they sit 10th in the Premier League after winning four and losing four of their eight league games. The Red Devils have also lost both of their Champions League group matches, to Bayern and Galatasaray respectively.
There were some rumours Ten Hag might be sacked if Man Utd lost three home outings in a row, following the 1-0 league defeat to Crystal Palace and the surprise 3-2 loss against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
And Man Utd supporters will have been fearing the worst when Brentford took the lead against them in the 26th minute through Mathias Jensen. Luckily for Ten Hag, his decision to bring Scott McTominay on in the 87th minute worked as the midfielder bagged two injury-time goals to hand Man Utd a dramatic win.
While Man Utd – and McTominay in particular – showed spirit to pick up all three points from that clash, the performance was still worrying. If Man Utd do not buck their ideas up, then they will have no chance of catching up with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool towards the top of the Prem.
Meulensteen, who spent six years working under Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd, has now given his verdict on Ten Hag’s side. Meulensteen has stated that both Casemiro and Varane are struggling to keep up with the pace and power of the Prem.
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The 59-year-old added that unless Ten Hag brings in several new players, he will not be able to replicate the success he had at Ajax.
“United have certain shortcomings,” he said during an interview with ESPN in the Netherlands.
Two Man Utd stars receive criticism
“He [Varane] cannot handle the pace. The Premier League is dynamic. Everything goes at 100 kilometres per hour. That is the big problem in midfield. They have no energy and that is how the defence gets into trouble.
“He [Ten Hag] wants to put a lot of pressure on, with a lot of intensity. Just like at Ajax. But he doesn’t have the players for that. The players don’t have the mentality to constantly put pressure on.
“Casemiro, for example, can’t handle it at all. Ten Hag has a certain conviction about how he wants to play. But he has to find ways to get there.”
Casemiro and Varane, who both won multiple Champions Leagues during their time at Real Madrid, are two of the biggest names in the Man Utd squad and they will therefore be looking to end this criticism with some high-quality performances once they return to action after the international break.
Varane missed the Brentford game with a ‘minor issue’, according to Ten Hag, but he is expected to be back fit for Man Utd’s next match against Sheffield United on October 21.
Meanwhile, one of Arsenal’s best players was sad when a move to Man Utd did not materialise, according to a coach.
