Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 15:17• Jonathan van Haaster • Last update: 15:19

Ruud Gullit has been particularly critical of Manchester United. During an event of Laureus, the former midfielder spoke out about the decline of the Red Devils. “They missed an opportunity to change football. They still live in the past.”

Man United started the new Premier League season catastrophically. The first (home) match was immediately lost to low flyer Brighton & Hove Albion (1-2). Given the managerial and sporting difficulties of recent years, it is no surprise in itself that Man United lost right on opening day. The club of manager Erik ten Hag is not seen as a title candidate and mainly focuses on a place in the top four, which will provide Champions League football at the end of the season. Nevertheless, the blow of defeat hit hard.

According to Gullit, the Manchester club has now been surpassed in terms of attraction by fellow townspeople Manchester City and eternal rival Liverpool. “They missed an opportunity to change football. They still live in the past,” said the Ballon d’Or winner of 1987. “They talk too often about the team from the 1990s (which won the Champions League in 1999, ed.). If you see how some teams are playing these days, United are lagging behind. Josep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel have made changes and United have stuck with the past. Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho are good coaches, but a new era has arrived and United have not moved with the times.”

Gullit is positive about Ten Hag, although he does point out that the ex-coach of Ajax must quickly adapt to England. “You have to learn to understand that you can’t just win the games by playing football. In addition to technique, you also need strength and endurance.” According to Gullit, the often extreme media attention around the club does not make Ten Hag’s job any easier. “There are five former players of the club who talk about Manchester United every day,” Gullit refers to, among others, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand. “That’s difficult. If you don’t win then you will see that every day the first six articles in the newspaper are about United. Every day again.” On Saturday evening, Ten Hag will look for rehabilitation when he takes on Brentford with his club.

Morata

One of the players who could give Man United a new impulse in the attack is lvaro Morata, reports The Athletic. The Atlético Madrid striker should cost around 35 million euros. After the arrival of Marko Arnautovic to Old Trafford failed, Ten Hag now ends up with the Spanish striker. “The halted negotiations with Arnautovic have opened the door for players who were initially seen as problematic,” the medium reports. There would be a significant chance that Morata will join Man United.