Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness is always making the headlines with his extraordinary takes, this time on Manchester United. The pundit has now launched a staunching attack on three of Manchester United top signings from recent windows. Souness while writing for his column in the The Times has heavily criticized Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane. While Fernandes has impressed since making a move to the Old Trafford, Ronaldo and Varane have had mixed performances.
Bruno Fernandes arrived at Old Trafford in January 2020 for £56 million from Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese quickly settled in the United team, delivering magical performances on weekly basis. He finished the remainder of the 2019/20 season with an astonishing 12 goals and 8 assists for United in 22 games. Fernandes further followed his scintillating form in his first full season with United with a whopping 28 goals and 17 assists in all competitions. However, he has experienced a downfall in the last 18-odd-months. Furthermore, the midfielder has managed only 9 goals and 14 assists in 40 games.
Ronaldo and Varane joined United forces last summer, and have since blown-hot blown-cold. Though Cristiano is United’s leading goalscorer this season, he has sometimes failed to click massively. In the same vein, Varane has failed to emulate his Real Madrid form as well for the Red Devils. Souness has outlined the problems of the Manchester United players in his new column.
Souness slams the star-trio of Manchester United
Graeme Souness started with addressing the problems the potential incoming manager Erik ten Hag will have to face. The pundit wrote, “Ten Hag is walking into an absolute disaster. On the pitch, it has been a car crash of a club in the decade since [Sir Alex Ferguson] left. That’s down to consistently terrible football decisions. Whoever made them has not been a football person”.
Souness further continued that Manchester United have not felt the urge of making a big-name signing since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down. “Not one big-name signing since Fergie left has been an unqualified success. Bruno Fernandes comes closest, but he’s had one good season and one indifferent one. To be a top player he has to cut out the petulance he shows towards his team-mates.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored an impressive 21 goals for Manchester United this season wasn’t spared by Souness either. “Cristiano Ronaldo has a claim to be the best player ever, but is showing signs of being a frustrated figure coming to the end of playing at the highest level.
However, Souness defended Manchester United captain Harry Maguire while taking aim at Varane. “Critics often focus on Harry Maguire among United’s centre-backs but in Raphael Varane, I don’t see the same player he was five years ago, bringing me back to what the great Jock Stein said: ‘Never judge a player on memory.’
United are in real danger of missing out on Champions League football due to their poor results in recent times. The trio Souness is speaking about here need to step-up if Manchester united are to save this season.
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