UNITED SPECIAL Ince criticises fans over Sevilla defeat
FORMER United midfielder Paul Ince claimed the fans were as bad as the team in the defeat against Sevilla.
Jose Mourinho’s side were dumped out of the Champions League by the La Liga side in what was one of the worst performances of the Portuguese manager’s reign.
The inquest that has followed has led to people pointing the finger at a number of different parties with Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Mourinho getting most of the blame.
However, Ince has also criticised the Old Trafford support.
“The United players didn’t turn up against Sevilla – they looked disinterested. But the fans were just as bad,” he told Paddy Power.
“Yes, they were fantastic for the away game, but not at home. It was the opposite of the Liverpool game on Saturday. There was absolutely no atmosphere – you could hear a pin drop.
“It honestly looked like a reserve game where just one bloke and his dog had turned up.
“It certainly wasn’t a ‘famous European night at Old Trafford’.
“You go back to some of those Champions League nights of old, and it looks like a totally different club. Not just because of the players, or the way football has changed, but the noise in the stadium too.
“Everyone was vocal and doing everything they could to support the team. People say it’s down to the players to get the fans going, but in my experience, it works both ways.
“Even more importantly, they made Old Trafford a scary place to visit.” A SENIOR United player unflatteringly dubbed Callum Gribbin as possibly ‘another Januzaj’ a year ago but there has been plenty of growing up in the time that has elapsed.
Gribbin was heavily involved during a December training session with the first-team but succumbed to injury and only returned last week at Liverpool, where he stroked in the Under-23s’ winner at the Anfield Road End.
The 19-year-old has endured such an injuryravaged campaign it can be considered an achievement to have moved to the first-team pitch by the Jimmy Murphy Centre. A fractured fibula prevented Gribbin from featuring until midNovember and his appearance at Liverpool was just his fourth in the Premier League 2.
United Under-23s recorded just their third win in their 20th fixture last Friday and their performance was the most vibrant of the campaign. Ethan Hamilton was commanding in midfield, Zak Dearnley game as an auxiliary striker and the talismanic Tahith Chong captivating on the right flank as they recovered from a goal down to score twice in the last 11 minutes through Joe Riley and Gribbin. Chong, 18, has adapted more seamlessly