Former Manchester United academy player Robbie Savage believes the club are lacking an authority figure to keep some off their younger players in check off the field.
Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard have received criticism from former United man Rio Ferdinand for their dressing room antics, and Savage has doubled down on the duo.
“I don’t know when the video was filmed but I know it appeared on the internet the day before a desperately frustrating 0-0 draw,” the Welshman writes in his Daily Mirror column.
‘The stunt would be fine if United were winning every week but they are making desperately hard work of finishing in the top four.’
United are currently sixth in the league and are on course for one of their worst ever finishes in the Premier League era, and Savage suggests the lack of an authoritative captain – or a figure of authority elsewhere in the squad – could be the problem.
Previous United squads have had the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Roy Keane pulling the strings, rather than Wayne Rooney, who is someone that is only on the periphery of the first-team.
“Where are the leaders in the Old Trafford dressing room – where Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were once such powerful influences – to bring the Instagram generation into line?” Savage asks.
Can you imagine Roy Keane's reaction to this? https://t.co/cDuXsdLomg
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) February 1, 2017
“It reminds me of Arsenal players posting group selfies after they beat Leicester last season. They weren’t posting so many when they lost the next three at home and finished the season potless.”
United can move back to within a point of the top four if results go their way this weekend. Jose Mourinho’s team travel to Leicester to face the reigning Premier League champions, while Manchester City and Liverpool have fixtures against Leicester’s fellow strugglers Swansea and Hull respectively.
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