EXECUTIVE VICE-CHAIRMAN ED WOODWARD

THERE’S just so much about Manchester United that isn’t right. The footballing decisions have been mental for a few years now.

The club has fallen far behind the pack. I’d like to think that they will recover, but I think we could be waiting a while.

United are back in the Europa League, which is depressing to even think about it, never mind speak about.

You’ve got to realise that, while United have fallen behind, City and Liverpool have kept advancing. Don’t think for one minute that those teams will give United any chance to catch up, they’ll only slip further behind.

It’s all about personnel for United now. How you improve not only the team, but the club, from the top down.

You have to start again from fresh.

For me, a lot of the issues come down to the attitude of the squad. The players are doing exactly what they want, when they want and there’s no control from above. It wouldn’t happen under Fergie and it wouldn’t happen under Pep Guardiola. Players are dictating to you and the board what they want – and that’s not on.

I get it. You’re a banker – not a football man. You’re absolutely fantastic at bringing in profit and sponsorship deals, but you can’t just keep throwing money away on players.

You need someone in who gets football, who has the presence to deal with these players and tell them they can’t demand X, Y and Z from United.

Tell them where to stick it. Players like Jesse Lingard think they’re bigger than the club and the manager. If Fergie was in charge, they wouldn’t be doing it, they wouldn’t even still be at the club.

Jesse has been bang average this year and, if I’d performed the way he did last season, the last thing I would do is post anything on social media. The way he played last season, he should be embarrassed.

Then there’s Pogba – the man you spent £89million on. Why did he wait until the end of the season to say he wants to go with a sly comment in the press? If you’re gonna say it, say it in front of those thousands of fans who go to watch you.

Ole – the man you appointed – needs to come out against these players. He needs to come down hard on them and set a precedent that he’s not allowing players to behave like that any more. The fans won’t have it. It’s a lack of respect for your team-mates who can behave and it’s a total lack of respect for playing for Manchester United.

I hope Ole knows that he needs to have players who actually give a toss about playing for United.

On transfer business, I hear people say you need to get players in that will work hard and run around for the club – but it’s not about that. I can come in now and work hard and run about, even at my age. I mean, I wouldn’t last five minutes, but that’s not the criteria that you should want.

It’s about quality players with the right spirit and attitude.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (left) was signed for £55m, a lot of money for a full-back. Ole said he wanted to go down the route of bringing in younger, fresher talent and building the team that way – but that’s not the way to go.

Do you see many youth players in Manchester City’s team except Phil Foden? No, and they just won the league.

Liverpool have a couple, but the majority of their team are senior, experienced players interspersed with youth.

Youth players today aren’t the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. There’s just not that much coming through the academy.

Yes, pick two or three youngsters, but then integrate them with top-class, top-quality senior players – don’t rely on it.

Then there’s the manager. I said last season you should’ve gone with someone more experienced and I stand by that.

But you have made your bed and now have to lie in it. You have tried the whole binning-amanager-after-a-year thing and it’s not worked. Now you have to stick with Ole.

If he starts badly, you’ll want to change him – but that’s just another disruption and another step backwards for the club.

Let Ole bring in his players and have a full run at the season – then he has no excuses.

As for yourself, stick to counting the cash.

Paul Ince was speaking to Paddy Power for the new Pitch Invader magazine, available in their stores on Monday

United boss Solskjaer should not have been given the job, but must be tough on players now, says Ince SLAMMED: Ince calls Jesse Lingard just ‘bang average’ Guardiola. Players are dictating to you and the board what they want – and that’s not on.” In the letter, which features in Pitch Invader, Paddy Power’s magazine guide to the new season – which is free with tomorrow’s Daily Mirror – Ince adds: “Players like Jesse Lingard think they’re bigger than the club and the manager. “Jesse has been bang average this year and if I’d performed the way he did last season the last thing I would do is post NO MESSING: Ed Woodward with Sir Alex Ferguson anything on social media. Then there’s Pogba. “Why did he wait until the end of the season to say he wants to go with a sly comment in the press? “It’s a lack of respect for your team-mates who can behave, and it’s a total lack of respect for playing for Manchester United. “As for yourself, stick to counting the cash.” A COOL penalty from new boy Daniel James ensured Manchester United beat AC Milan to head into the new Premier League campaign with a 100 per cent pre-season record. The £15million winger stayed calm in a spot-kick shoot-out in front of 65,892 fans at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to beat former Kop keeper Pepe Reina as United made it six wins from six in their warm-up games. United scrapped their way to a 2-2 draw in normal time in a demanding clash with the Italians, who proved more than a match for United. And, although their penalty shoot-out win kept their fans happy, boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still sweating on the arrival of new faces, with Harry Maguire’s world-record £80 million deal for a defender expected to be rubber-stamped today. There was no Paul Pogba or Romelu Lukaku in Cardiff, with both players said to be injured. That intensified speculation that the pair could be heading for the Old Trafford exit – but United insist no concrete moves have been made for either star. Lukaku looks the likelier to leave before Thursday’s transfer window closes. But United are still awaiting word from striker’s Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic that they are prepared to move to Old Trafford in a swap with the Belgium striker. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring for United before Suso equalised. And the Italians went ahead, courtesy of a Victor Lindelof own goal, but sub Jesse Lingard took the match to penalties.

WINNING PEN Dan James’ Messi-style celebration