Another week, another Manchester United defeat and another stinging appraisal of the club by Eamon Dunphy.
Jose Mourinho’s side succumbed to their third defeat in a week against Watford on Sunday. Mourinho, record-signing Paul Pogba and club captain Wayne Rooney have come in for criticism following their latest loss.
Dunphy has criticised two out of the three, but reckons the problems at Old Trafford go deeper. The pundit told 2fm’s Game On that United are in an ill-state and experiencing a steep-decline.
“I don’t think United are anything,” Dunphy said.
“I think it’s a slow train wreck, I said it before the start of the season. Mourinho, I think, has lost the plot.”
Not easily impressed https://t.co/e4vABiwVnQ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) September 13, 2016
Dunphy then took aim at Pogba, claiming that the 23-year-old will never be “a top player.”
“It’s a sick club, it’s been in decline, they’ve just paid €100m for a player Alex Ferguson let go for nothing,” Dunphy said.
“What’s going on? I think what’s going on is that Ed Woodward, the chief executive there, needed a big-impact signing in the summer. He decided to go for this guy and Mourinho went along with it.
“That’s the problem. Why didn’t he go and get (Antoine) Griezmann? Why didn’t he go and get a real player?
“This kid (Pogba) will never be a top player.”
Wayne Rooney isn't exactly the most popular man in Manchester at the moment https://t.co/nPVEMssxRF
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) September 18, 2016
Dunphy also offered a defence of Rooney. For all of assertions about Pogba, Mourinho and the current state of United, Dunphy’s claim that Rooney “can be a very important player again” might be the most ludicrous thing he’s said since he called Cristiano Ronaldo a “cod.”
“Wayne Rooney has been a fantastic player for Manchester United. He’s in a poor team at the moment, but I think he serves respect. He’s still a very good footballer, but he’s in bad side.
“It’s not his fault the side is bad – he’s playing out of position. He’s still got a lot of football in him, but he needs to be in a good side. I think to pick on Rooney is simplistic.
“He’s been a shadow of the player he used to be, but he was a very, very, very good player and I think he can be a very important player again.”
