"Some Championship teams have better midfields than Manchester United" - Dean Ashton names midfielders the Red Devils should target this month
TV pundit Dean Ashton has claimed that some Championship teams have a better midfield than Manchester United. His comments came after The Red Devils squandered a 2-0 lead at Villa Park on Saturday to draw the game 2-2 against Aston Villa.
Manchester United's midfield performance was poor. Criticizing their performance, Ashton said that some teams in the lower division are "better equipped" in the middle of the park when compared to United. The former striker shared his views on talkSPORT, saying:
“I would say there are some Championship teams that are better equipped in midfield and than Fred and [Nemanja] Matic. I haven’t seen those two players play very well together. It’s not that Matic isn’t great on the ball because he has still got real quality.”
FT: Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United
United only have one win in their last four league games 😐 https://t.co/FBsylfRtRR
Ralf Rangnick opted for a midfield pairing of Fred and Nemanja Matic due to the absence of Scott McTominay due to suspension. However, neither player took the chance to impress on the day. They were outclassed by young Jacob Ramsey, who bagged a goal and an assist for Aston Villa.
Manchester United have continued to struggle this season, with the team now falling behind in the top four race. Despite having one of the most expensively assembled teams in world football, the Red Devils sit seventh in the Premier League table.
Ralf Rangnick will hope to improve on his midfield options in this winter transfer window so they stand a chance of qualifying for the Champions League next term.
On Saturday, Manchester United allowed Aston Villa to have nine shots on target.
By way of comparison, the last time Manchester City faced nine or more shots on target in a competitive match was November 2015.
Anthony Martial responds to Ralf Rangnick's claims that the Manchester United star refused to be in the squad
Anthony Martial's exit from Old Trafford is getting messier by the day. After their game against Villa, Ralf Rangnick stated that the star didn't want to join the squad for the match at Villa Park.
The Frenchman hit back at Rangnick's comments, denying the allegations. Martial further added that he has played for the club for seven years and never disrespected them during his time at Old Trafford.
With just two weeks in the transfer window left, the United boss still has time to offload Martial. The star has made just seven appearances for the Red Devils this season and his gametime will likely remain minimal moving forward.
With Arsenal reportedly interested in the former Monaco star, there could be a potential Premier League transfer for Martial this season.