Merson claims Man Utd duo ‘look lost’ and selects player who Ten Hag has ‘wasted’
Paul Merson thinks Manchester United midfielders Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes “look a bit lost” under Erik ten Hag this season.
The Red Devils have made their worst ever start to a Premier League season after their 1-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace saw them lose their fourth match of the campaign.
Man Utd have not lost four of their first seven Premier League matches since the 1989-90 season when Sir Alex Ferguson was reportedly one match away from the sack.
Joachim Andersen’s sweet first-time finish at the back post was enough for Crystal Palace to earn revenge for their Carabao Cup defeat at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
And Merson insists it was “like watching Subbuteo” from Man Utd against Palace with Erik ten Hag’s side lacking any movement.
The Arsenal legend told Sky Sports: “I feel like when you’re watching Man Utd, it’s like watching Subbuteo. You blow the whistle to kick-off and at half-time, everyone is in exactly the same position as they were when they started the game. There’s no movement.
“When you manage big football clubs, you’re under pressure and you’re under more pressure when the neighbours win. If they [Man City] had won today, then it really cranks up… it’s a must for them to get into the top four this season.
“You watch Man Utd play and you just don’t see the pattern of play. It’s like if it comes off, it comes off. You watch Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City play, they have patterns of play. Someone will go in and come back out, but at Man Utd, it’s get the ball out wide and hope that Rashford does something and if he does, we might score a goal.
“Amrabat was wasted out on the left in the end, he did come into the middle in the end but he should start off there. They need to dominate. It’s too slow at Man Utd, they let teams get into the game, let teams settle, but they’ve got to go for them in the first 20 minutes. There’s nothing like that.
“Disappointing and they didn’t make loads of chances. They were lost for ideas for a lot of the game.
“Hojlund is playing up front on his own and you don’t know if the wingers are going to cross it or not. It’s hard for him. He doesn’t get a lot of service. Mount, Casemiro and Fernandes don’t really know where they’re going or where they’re playing.
“It’s a big worry for Man Utd at the moment and another defeat. They’re a million miles off.
“I don’t see them turning it around at the moment. It might get to a situation where he might have to change the shape. He has a four at the back, he might need to go to a three just to mix it up.
“I just find that Mount and Fernandes look a bit lost and don’t know where they’ve got to go. They’re getting dominated and passed around. They put pressure on Palace, but Johnstone didn’t have loads of saves to make.”
