November 2nd 2024.
Legendary footballer Graeme Souness has recently expressed his disappointment towards Manchester United's owners for their decision to spend a whopping £130m on three players who, in his opinion, are not up to par for a club of such caliber in the Premier League.
As one of the most successful teams in Premier League history, Manchester United is currently going through a rough patch, sitting at a lowly 14th position in the table. This weekend, they will face a daunting match against Chelsea, adding to the pressure on the struggling team.
After a series of disappointing results, Manchester United finally made the difficult decision to sack their manager, Erik ten Hag, earlier this week. The Dutchman will be replaced by Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim, who is set to take over on November 11th.
In the meantime, club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy will be stepping in as interim manager for the next three games. While Ten Hag has faced his fair share of criticism during his time at Manchester United, Souness believes that the club's new owners should also take responsibility for the team's struggles.
Souness was not only unimpressed by Manchester United's transfer activity last summer, but he also believes that the club made a mistake by bringing in three players who are simply not good enough for the team. These players include Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, and Joshua Zirkzee, for whom the club spent a total of £131.5m.
Although these new signings have yet to make a significant impact in the Premier League, Souness questions whether they will ever live up to the expectations at the Theatre of Dreams.
"It's clear to me that the new owners at Manchester United don't truly understand football," Souness voiced his concerns on the Three Up Front podcast. "They have now put their so-called 'footballing people' in charge, such as Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox, and I find it hard to believe that they had no say in the signings made last summer."
Souness went on to criticize the signings of Ugarte, De Ligt, and Zirkzee, questioning their suitability for a club like Manchester United. "If they truly believe that these players are good enough for United, then they are wrong. The fact that they have already spent £200m on these players after just one summer at the club is a testament to their misguided decisions. This is something that falls solely on the shoulders of Dan Ashworth."
With the arrival of Ruben Amorim, the new manager's main task will be to get the best out of this group of players, regardless of the system he chooses to implement. However, Souness believes that it will be a challenging job for Amorim to take on, referring to it as a "monster job" due to the current state of Manchester United.
"Even if the likes of Pep Guardiola or Sir Alex Ferguson were to take over, it would still be a challenging task," Souness stated. "In my opinion, this is the lowest point in the history of Manchester United in the Premier League, and they currently have the lowest quality squad they have ever had in that time."
Souness also criticized the club's hierarchy for their approach towards other managers during the summer, which ultimately led to Ten Hag's position being undermined. "Their biggest mistake was during the off-season, when it was public knowledge that they were interviewing other managers. This had a direct effect on Ten Hag's position in the dressing room, and it was clear that the club was not fully behind him. Only later did they offer him a new contract, possibly out of guilt for their actions. As a player, I would have serious doubts about my manager's future after that."
In conclusion, Souness believes that Manchester United is going through a difficult time, and it will be a tough job for Amorim to turn things around. However, with the right approach and support from the club, it is not an impossible task.
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