Dimitar Berbatov: Manchester United are ‘in a bit of a crisis’
Former Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov believes the club is in a state of crisis, from the players to the coaching staff to the boardroom. United have started the season in woeful form, losing three of their opening five games, while off-pitch issues with players and uncertainty over the protracted takeover talks plague Old Trafford.
On Wednesday night, they travel to Bayern Munich for their opening Champions League match of the campaign, with the odds firmly stacked against them. In their most recent defeat, Erik ten Hag’s team were humiliated 3-1 at home by Brighton and Berbatov admits the match was ‘painful to watch’.
Berbatov: Man Utd are in a Crisis
‘On the pitch, based on the results and how they’ve been performing I think United are in a little bit of a crisis. Man United are still sleeping and we saw that against Brighton,’ the Red Devils icon told Betfair.
‘Man United were fully out-played and out-smarted and they deserved to lose. The way Brighton played football, their intent with their passing and overall with everything they out-played United at Old Trafford. The pressure is there for Erik ten Hag. They are losing points and not building anything. The season is going and until the team decide to wake up and start playing, it’ll be too late. Things need to be corrected immediately.’
Behind the Scenes Mess Contributing to Poor Form
While what happens on the pitch remains the most important issue for Berbatov, he is sure that the behind the scenes mess is contributing to the poor form and weighing heavily on the manger’s mind.
‘I don’t think the takeover will affect the players, but Erik ten Hag and his management staff, as well as those higher up and closer to the owners who run the club will be affected more than others,’ the former striker added.
‘They’re in a bit of a crisis off the pitch at the moment with the takeover also. One minute it’s on, next minute it’s off. No one seems to know what’s going on or where things stand. Some think it’s down to what happens on the pitch, the coaching decisions or the players. I think they’re all connected in a way.
‘Some people are saying that the mini crisis is starting with the ownership because they’re the guys who are laying the foundations for everything that goes down the chain. Everything starts from the top, that’s where you set the standards, then it’s a chain. When there’s uncertainty it will affect everybody differently, how you do your job, how you do your directors job, your manager’s job, your scouting job.’
Brighton Owner Knows Exactly What to Do
Berbatov believes that Brighton’s owner knows exactly what to do and how to run a club in comparison to Manchester United’s current ownership.
‘The game on Saturday didn’t only highlight the difference on the pitch. The Brighton owner knows exactly what to do and exactly how to run the club. You can see that their results aren’t a fluke, it’s proof of a carefully built strategy. They play some of the best football and they also manage to win while doing so. In terms of scouting, they don’t wait for players to be sold before they start looking for replacements. They’re prepared for when their best players leave.’
Conclusion
It’s clear that Manchester United are in a state of crisis, both on and off the pitch. From poor performances on the field to uncertainty over their ownership situation, United need to make some drastic changes if they are to turn their fortunes around. Dimitar Berbatov believes that this starts from the top, with owners setting standards which trickle down through all aspects of the club.
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