Manchester United legend Gary Neville has criticised the club’s poor recruitment over the summer transfer window following their 1-0 defeat against Arsenal.
The Red Devils were poor as they lost at home to the Gunners, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netting the winning goal from the penalty spot.
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United lacked width against Arsenal, and Neville pointed out how much it was clear that Jadon Sancho was needed in a game like this, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slightly forced into using a midfield diamond.
This follows a poor performance in the transfer window, in which Donny van de Beek was United’s major signing despite Solskjaer already having plenty of options in central midfield.
Van de Beek was only on the bench against Arsenal, and one can understand Neville’s concern with how this has all unfolded at Old Trafford.
With no proper winger, United relied on their full-backs, but Neville pointed out that Aaron Wan-Bissaka is too “awkward” to offer much of an attacking outlet in that position.
“You have six midfield players at the club: Nemanja Matic, Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Donny Van de Beek and Paul Pogba and you’ve somehow got to get them into a system, which is forcing Ole to play a diamond,” Neville said on Sky Sports’ coverage of the game, as quoted by the Daily Mirror.
“I think there was an element of him thinking he could just put four players in that diamond and it would work after what happened in midweek but Scott McTominay on the right-hand side wasn’t working after five minutes.
“You have to be comfortable moving out into that wide area. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s already a bit awkward on the ball at right-back so you need someone to balance it and the balance on the right is a real problem for United.
“When Greenwood went off it was even worse. They wanted Jadon Sancho obviously to play on that side and it looks like a real bad error in not getting that position recruited.”