A MANCHESTER UNITED legend says they don’t need Jeremie Frimpong – instead erik ten Hag should just let Aaron Wan-Bissaka “f***ing defend” instead.
Pressure has been mounting at Old Trafford and as they narrowly avoided disaster to beat Coventry on penalties and set-up a showdown with Man City in the FA Cup final last weekend.
However, they did not avoid embarrassment after blowing a three goal lead against the Championship outfit.
Ten Hag’s side then trailed twice to bottom club Sheffield United before scraping a 4-2 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the 71-year-old billionaire, has taken over football operations at United after buying a 25 per cent stake in the club.
And he has set about overhauling things off the pitch, appointing Jason Wilcox as technical director Southampton after revealing ex-Man City man Omar Berrada as their new chief executive.
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And talks are still ongoing about Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth, who is on gardening leave, coming in as new sporting director.
Meanwhile, the new top brass are reportedly trying to offload 11 players this summer in order to help fund six new signings with right-back Wan-Bissaka among them.
And United’s new regime have identified Jeremie Frimpong as a perfect signing to bolster their defence.
The highly-rated Dutchman, 23, was previously at Man City before joining Celtic five years ago and now plays for Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
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We reported how “concrete talks” had taken place over a potential transfer move for Frimpong.
But 1999 treble-winning striker Dwight Yorke believes United already have a good right-back in Wan-Bissaka – if Ten Hag would let him do his job.
Klopp copied Fergie’s ‘biggest mistake’ and it’s derailed his final season, says Dave Kidd
By Dave Kidd
JURGEN KLOPP was genuinely surprised to hear it, on the January day when he announced his intention to quit Liverpool at the end of the season.
It was put to him that Sir Alex Ferguson had told his Manchester United players in the summer of 2001 that the coming season would be his last.
Ferguson later performed a U-turn and stayed at Old Trafford for another 11 years.
But the great Scot admitted that revealing his intentions had been the ‘biggest mistake I made’.
“I think a lot of them put their tools away,” said Ferguson, “They thought, ‘Oh, the manager’s leaving’.”
It was a part of English footballing history which Klopp knew nothing about and he raised his eyebrows when he was told about it.
Liverpool were top of the Premier League, having lost only a single domestic match all season – and that a controversial VAR-infested affair at Tottenham.
But their form has nosedived since, with dreams of a farewell quadruple long gone.
And Klopp may well now be reflecting on the wisdom of his announcement.
Read Dave Kidd’s take on Klopp’s demise in full here.
Or click here to check out all of Dave Kidd’s articles.
Yorke told Crypto Casino LTD: “If Jeremie Frimpong is a bit fragile defensively, then he’ll be bought for a certain system by the manager.
“Nowadays, fullbacks play much higher up the pitch and can play in all types of systems, but I don’t know how Erik ten Hag wants to play.
“Man United already have a good right back in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but you can say he’s the opposite of Frimpong, great defensively but not that great going forward.
“When we attack, we should be letting Wan Bissaka sit back and offer more defensive protection, handling the one v one on the wing. But instead, he’s told to bomb up the wing and try to take on a player, which he can’t do.
“Erik ten Hag should take away Wan-Bissaka’s attacking duties and make him defend, then they can have some solidarity in the defence.
“Instead, Wan-Bissaka, who doesn’t score or create, run around like a headless chicken in the opposition box, running in his teammates’ way.
Yorke added: “It’s not rocket science, watching this unfold is crazy.
“The one thing you need in the defence is to be able to defend one v one. Just let him f***ing defend.”
Wan-Bissaka was signed from Crystal Palace for £50m in 2019 and he made the highest number of tackles in the Premier League during his first season but his form has been up and down since.
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He struggled with illness and injuries last term and that has seen Diogo Dalot overtake him in the pecking.
He’s played 24 times this term but Inter Milan have been eyeing a cut-price £13m swoop with the full-back only having a year left on his deal.
Pundits verdict on Ten Hag’s future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
