Marco van Basten has lambasted Manchester United, Marcus Rashford and Casemiro while criticising the club's recruitment and Erik ten Hag, who is under intense pressure. The Dutch football legend spoke on Ziggo Sport about the situation at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag is feeling the heat amid United's poor start to the season with the Red Devils sitting 13th in the Premier League. A 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday (September 30) has placed a ton of pressure on the Dutch coach.
Van Basten didn't mince his words when analyzing the Reds and he is dumbfounded by the decision to spend €50 million on Manuel Ugarte. He said:
" I saw a new player walking around at Manchester United, Ugarte, for €50M! How is this guy walking around there? It's idiotic how much he [Ten Hag] has decided to invest in players who are not even good!"
Ugarte, 23, was under the microscope following his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, and many questioned his capture. He struggled against Spurs, although he's been left to try and do the defensive work in a midfield setup that isn't working.
Van Basten also lashed out at Rashford and Casemiro while praising Andre Onana, Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho. He feels there is no protagonist at Old Trafford:
"Name me one top player at Manchester United? At every top club you see a top player. Rashford is very bad. Bruno Fernandes is a good player, Onana is a good goalkeeper. That's it. Casemiro is done. Garnacho is a decent player. But NOBODY carries that team!"Marco van Basten
Manchester United have started the season with two wins and three defeats in their opening six Premier League games. It's a concerning time with speculation growing over Ten Hag's future despite the Dutchman signing a one-year contract extension in the summer.
INEOS are reportedly intent on keeping Ten Hag in charge for games against FC Porto (October 3) and Aston Villa (October 6). They could make the decision to part ways when the international break arrives if there isn't an upturn in form.
Red Devil Armada Verdict
Van Basten is known for his outspoken nature and his criticism is often over the top but there's no hiding from the flaws in Ten Hag's Manchester United team. One thing we will disagree on is calling Rashford 'very bad'. This is a player who struck 30 goals and 11 assists two seasons ago. He's a confidence player who will struggle to flourish in a team lacking form as is the case with the Red Devils at the moment.
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