Kids left to ‘sink’ under the pressure

FORMER United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes the club’s current crop of youngsters are ‘sinking’ because there is a lack of quality around them.

The Reds were beaten 2-0 by Burnley on Wednesday night to intensify the scrutiny on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as well as Ed Woodward and the Glazers, with many fans calling for money to be spent in the transfer window.

And Fletcher believes a lack of investment in the squad – and an overreliance on young players such as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams – isn’t helping the teenagers’ development.

“At the minute you can see with every setback these youngsters are just sinking,” he said.

“The scrutiny and the pressure that these kids are under – it was difficult for me coming into the team and I was surrounded by world class players left, right and centre.

“These lads don’t have that support network around them and they are really finding it difficult.

“It might make a few of them, but at the same time it will probably break a few of them as well, which is really disappointing.”

Solskjaer has vowed to continue blooding youngsters but with United having now suffered their eighth league defeat of the season – leaving them six points adrift of Chelsea in fourth place – he faces a fight to save the season.

United are interested in signing Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon but face the very real prospect of being unable to complete any business before the transfer window shuts on January 31.