13 January 2024 , 05:15
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Paul Ince is calling on Sir Jim Ratcliffe to introduce a complete overhaul of Manchester United's recruitment strategy.
Former midfielder Ince believes too many flops have landed at Old Trafford in recent years and the club must change how it works in the transfer market if they are to become competitors at the top of the Premier League once again.
And Ince thinks rival clubs have become aware that such is United’s desperation for new signings that they can command an asking price far above an individual player’s true value.
“They need some consistency, whether that’s buying players,” Ince, who was speaking to Mirror Football on behalf of luckyblock.com said. “Jim Ratcliffe needs to look at the structure in the transfer market.
"You can’t be spending £60m on Casemiro, it’s just bad business. Great player that he is, that’s a lot of money on a player on the wrong side of 30. Antony, that’s a lot of money. Jim Ratcliffe needs to look at how they do business and not let people force them to pay over the odds because they are desperate for some players.”
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Aside from Antony and Casemiro, Ince pinpoints the loan signing of Sofyan Amrabat last summer as a case in point. The holding midfielder did well at the 2022 World Cup for surprise package Morocco but he has been unable to control games for United while suffering from injuries and occasionally sitting on the bench or at full-back.
And Ince doubts whether Amrabat has the mental strength to succeed at one of the world’s biggest clubs. He added: “Amrabat is typical in that when you go to a World Cup there’s a player playing so well and you think could be great for us. But it’s a completely different dynamic playing for Manchester United and that’s what people don’t understand.
“You need a certain mentality, you need to be seven or eight out of ten every week. You can’t give substandard performances. Look at Antony, £89m and he hasn’t performed since he’s been there.”
Erik ten Hag's players are not performing to the required standard (Getty Images)United face Hotspur at Old Trafford tomorrow having lost nine of their 20 league games so far. Ten Hag's side are nine points off fourth spot with the head coach under increasing pressure over inconsistent results and performances.
Ince added: "Ten Hag did ever so well last year but this has been disappointing. To go out of the at the group stages was very disappointing and in the they have been very inconsistent. When you think about the players they've brought in, a lot of them have been injured or sitting on the bench.
"There are a lot of players who are not on their games and when that happens you get inconsistency. One day you think they've turned a corner, the next they are being beaten."
Paul Ince was speaking to Mirror Football on behalf of luckyblock.com