FIXING UNITED IS A HUGE JOB
Howard: Big changes needed at Old Trafford
FROM THOMAS BRISTOW
MANCHESTER UNITED have been told they must make ‘wholesale changes’ if they are to regain their place at the top tables of English and European football.
Former United keeper Tim Howard believes Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a job on his hands if he is to live up to his promise of knocking rivals Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch.
The American – who spent four years at Old
Trafford followed by another nine at Everton – is already enthused by the changes the British billionaire has made since his arrival as co-owner.
Omar Berrada and Dan
Ashworth are expected to transform the backroom setup at United – but it is on the pitch where the biggest concerns still lie.
Howard (right) said:
“They got played off the park at Luton, they lost to
Fulham at home. That’s not what Manchester United fans want.
“Current squad, they have a job on their hands. There might be some wholesale changes that need to be made.
“Manchester United should have the best players in the world, but they haven’t.
“I don’t think it’s a one-player fix and that’s been the issue right the way through the last half-decade, at least.
“It’s always been one player, one player, pay a fee for one player and bring him in – it doesn’t answer the question.”
Brazilian winger Antony cost United in excess of £80million and they also spent big on Cristiano Ronaldo’s wages in order to bring him back to Old Trafford.
However, Howard believes the Red Devils should look to rivals Liverpool,
Arsenal and even Newcastle in terms of how the club should be rebuilt.
He said: “It’s about a process, about an ethos how you go about things – Newcastle did it under Dan Ashworth, Brighton did it, Mikel Arteta and Edu are doing it at Arsenal. They don’t get things wrong often, there is a system.”
Howard played for United between 2003-07 before sealing a loan move to the Toffees, which later became permanent. The 44-year-old was once surrounded by the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Paul
Scholes – a stark comparison to today’s squad.
And Howard says the drop in standards on the pitch since his time can be linked to changes made in the boardroom.
He added: “Sir
Alex Ferguson, David Gill, they were very much a dynamic duo.
“At one point Peter Kenyon was there but then he went to
Chelsea and helped build them.
“That’s changed. And when that changes you’re swimming out in the ocean. And that’s why I think that anchor is the team above the team.
“When you are Sir Alex Ferguson and you can hand pick all the right people, and people come in because of you, play because of you, and they’re fearful of letting you down – that permeates the entire club.
“And we don’t have that figurehead at the football club.”