Emmanuel Petit has urged the Manchester United trio of Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford to step up as new manager Ruben Amorim gets to work.
Despite a modest improvement under caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy following Erik ten Hag’s departure, United are still languishing at 13th in the Premier League. Amorim is set to introduce a new tactical approach with a three-at-the-back system, leaving players in some doubt about their roles.
Petit, 54, has pinpointed the trio of wingers as key figures who must fight for their place in the team, but he has doubts about their ability to start for United. And he has suggested their spots may even be in jeopardy if things don’t improve soon.
“For me, the quality of players at Manchester United in some positions is not good enough,” the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder told Instant Casino (via The Mirror). “Starting from the midfield, I think they need to add quality players and wingers as well. I’m sorry, but I’m not totally convinced about Garnacho, about Amad, Rashford. He’s got a lot of work to do.”
Despite Petit’s scepticism, Amad has enjoyed some encouraging form, scoring twice against PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday and assisting a Bruno Fernandes goal against Leicester. Garnacho also scored in Sunday’s win over the Foxes and leads United with seven goals in all competitions this season.
Rashford’s form has been a major talking point, with the academy graduate facing a barrage of criticism for his lacklustre performances. The Englishman failed to register a single shot in his first three starts under Ten Hag this term and was pulled off after just 57 minutes in the match against Leicester.
Mick Brown, former chief scout at United, recently addressed Rashford’s issues and highlighted a lack of consistency. However, he also said Rashford’s local roots and natural ability mean he has the keys to get things back on track.
“He’s very much a Manchester boy; he’s got Man United running through his veins, and that’s okay up to a point, but his performances have been too up and down,” Brown told Football Insider. “There’s no consistency, and it’s that inconsistency which has cost him and cost United this season. I don’t know what his problem is or why he’s struggling.
He’s got all the talent in the world but never finishes a game. He’s always taken off. I’ve got great belief in Marcus’ ability, but all too often, he doesn’t show it. When the new manager comes in, he’ll assess where he thinks he’s at, and then he’ll make a decision. It’ll be up to him to determine the level he’s playing at and try to get the best out of him because it wasn’t working under Ten Hag.”