Martin Keown thinks one player may be regretting his decision to join Manchester United following the dismal 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
After a positive summer, United have endured a terrible start to the new season, winning just one of their opening five games across all competitions.
The mood at Old Trafford got even more dour on Sunday after they were easily beaten by the noisy neighbours at the Etihad, with Ruben Amorim’s future as head coach looking more and more uncertain.
Blame has been aimed at both Amorim’s tactical stubbornness and the squad’s inability to play his 3-4-3 formation, with even the new signings struggling to adjust.
‘I just feel the system doesn’t really give anybody a chance to really flourish,’ Arsenal legend Keown told talkSPORT.
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‘But the quality of players is not there and you need that quality in wide positions. You look at the Manchester United teams of yesteryear, they always had wingers that could just put the opposite defender on toast and that ain’t happening at the moment.
‘He [Amorim] has stripped the club of anyone with any individual talent. Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho all been allowed to leave.
Metro at the Match: Man City 3-0 Man Utd
Metro at the Match returns to bring you all the analysis from the biggest games of the season.
Here are our team’s key takeaways from Manchester City’s dominant 3-0 win over Manchester United at the Etihad.
There were mistakes, but this was not an entirely abject performance from Manchester United and, as Bernardo Silva noted at half-time, they appear to have improved on last season. That has to be a good thing, but it may be a bleak realisation for Red Devils fans that even an improved United are still a long, long way behind a City not even at their peak. – Phil Haigh, sports reporter.
I just do not understand Amorim’s system. If you’re playing with wing-backs you have to use the width and it seems like he consistently instructs his centre-backs and goalkeeper to pass into the centre. It just makes no sense. – Alex Moneypenny
Altay Bayindir needs replacing quickly. He looks suspect with the ball at his feet, left a lot of the goal gaping for Foden to head home the opener and does not inspire any confidence. Clearly not a top level goalkeeper, but is unproven new signing Senne Lammens the answer? – Phil Haigh, sports reporter.
I thought Jeremy Doku had a fantastic game, his feet, his close control is excellent. Drifting into pockets and getting two assists. – Alex Moneypenny
While Bayindir struggles to convince at one end, Gianluigi Donnarumma quickly made his presence felt at the other. The giant Italian may not have loads to do in an average Manchester City game, but will need to be alert when called upon. That’s what happened here, pulling off a stunning save from a Bryan Mbeumo volley in the second half. Another world class addition to the City squad. – Phil Haigh, sports reporter.
‘Marcus Rashford as well has that individual ability. Okay, we know it’s lacking in his performances but nonetheless he’s an individual.
‘And the team system, it’s as if the players aren’t really convinced by it, they’re not believing in it. So, massive question marks. It’s only heading in one direction…’
And while analysing United’s players, Keown suggested that one summer arrival may already be questioning his role in the Red Devils team.
‘Patrick Dorgu… in those wide areas, high positions, you want technical players. These are essentially defenders that find themselves in the final third, they don’t have that creativity in their game.
‘Benjamin Sesko, I thought actually a couple of times showed a bit of pace, but they don’t really go into him.
‘Bryan Mbeumo, it’d be interesting to chat to him about how he feels about being at Manchester United now where he’s not really getting much of the ball. He’s doing a lot of defending.’
Amorim signed Mbeumo for £71million after several fantastic years at Brentford, capped off by recording 20 goals and nine assists last season.
The forward has arguably been Unired’s best player so far this campaign with two goals in five games and performed well in the derby, but is yet to hit his stride in Manchester.
He will hoping for a much improved team performance when the Red Devils welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford this Saturday evening.
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