Dimitar Berbatov believes Man Utd need a new defender more than a replacement for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Red Devils’ 2-1 Champions League defeat by Istanbul Basaksehir has intensified the pressure on Solskjaer over the past 24 hours, with rumours Man Utd are lining up Mauricio Pochettino in case results don’t pick up.
Man Utd lie in 15th place in the Premier League table after their weekend loss to Arsenal and their defeat in Istanbul on Wednesday eroded some of their good work in the Champions League to date, with previous wins over Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.
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Despite rumours that Solskjaer could be replaced by Pochettino if results continue on a downhill trajectory, Berbatov believes Man Utd have a lot more to fix than just the manager.
Berbatov told Betfair: “If there’s truth to the Mauricio Pochettino rumours, it’s hard to blame United really.
“When the team plays bad, the buck stops with the boss, and this has always been true.
“I saw him recently as a guest commentator, and he said he is ready to work again, so it’s hard to stop those rumours.
“The one thing that won’t change, however, are the players. A new boss won’t change how they play.
“Yes, when you have a new manager you can see a bounce, but overall the attitude remains the same. No aggression, no passion, no holding each other to account.
“The players need to change their attitude as much as the manager needs to be changed.
“Many will say now is the time to make the change, others will say not yet, but watching this team now you probably would say there is something wrong.
“I’ve always been an admirer of Ole and a supporter of his, but if he continues like this then a change is inevitable.
“I still say United need a defender before they need a manager, a defender that is tactically aware.
“Everton on Saturday now is a huge game for United, and I think if they lose this, it’s probably the point where they look for a new manager.
“They are 15th in the table, could be lower depending on other results if they lose Saturday, and that isn’t acceptable for a club like United.
“It’s must win for United and Solskjaer.
“The crazy thing is that tactically he is a fine manager. I saw his first 100 games record recently, and the numbers aren’t that bad.
“However, it isn’t the 1980s anymore. Managers don’t get four years like Fergie did to win a trophy and improve the team, success must come quicker.”
It might well be the biggest weekend of the season so far. The two biggest title contenders finally clash in a long-awaited meeting, but will Leicester or Wolves come out on top? Liverpool also play Manchester City or something apparently.
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