25 April 2023 , 15:08
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Gary Neville has been a vocal critic of Manchester United’s failures in recent seasons and has not shied away from criticism of the club’s underperforming stars.
Erik ten Hag has helped improve United substantially this season, landing the EFL Cup – United’s first trophy in six seasons – while also reaching the final of the FA Cup. They also enjoyed some impressive European showings, including eliminating Barcelona, before last week’s quarter-final loss to Sevilla.
Yet United had established a reputation in the years before that of a club that paid far too much money for players while not being capable of challenging for major titles. The club have not been in a title race since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club a decade ago.
Ten Hag has restored the club’s top-four status and they are on track to qualify for the Champions League next season while adding silverware and cup successes this season is another indicator that they are on the right track.
But the Red Devils have been serial underperformers in recent years with multiple low points under all of Ten Hag’s predecessors. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all struggled to elevate United back into football’s elite.
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Back in 2019, United had appeared an initial resurgence under Solskjaer following a dreadful slump under Mourinho. Yet despite a run of three months of strong results under the Norwegian, the 2018/19 campaign fell apart in a familiar fashion in the closing months with pundit Neville calling out five players in particular.
Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku both underperformed at Man United and left in 2019 (Getty Images)Have Your Say! Has Ten Hag been Utd’s best manager since Ferguson? Tell us what you think here.
Neville said on Sky Sports at the club: "There are five forwards at that club: Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba – who is nearer to the front.
"Star players, those five, they can be the best in their position, but all of them in this moment in time are well below their standard. Alexis Sanchez… I don't know what's happened to him. Marcus Rashford, this couple of weeks, has been nowhere near [his best].
"I went to both Barcelona games. Marcus looks off it at the moment. Whether he's carrying an injury. something is not right, or the season has caught up with him. Romelu Lukaku – he doesn't turn up in a big game. That's been levelled at him for a number of years now.
"Paul Pogba looks like he's back to the Paul Pogba that was playing under Jose Mourinho, even though he’s been outstanding for the past three months. And Martial he's just come back from injury, but he looks like he's back in that sort of ambling mood again."
Pogba, Sanchez and Lukaku have all subsequently departed United while Rashford and Martial remain at Old Trafford – although the Frenchman’s future beyond this season is uncertain with Ten Hag hopeful of adding a new first-choice striker this summer.