No one fears this United team. They’ve spent badly and lack class players of the Fergie era

THE fear factor has been leaking away from Old Trafford for several years now – but now it has vanished entirely.

That is a huge problem for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, even if he may not be the root cause of what is approaching a crisis for Manchester United.

You saw the way Rochdale – yes, Rochdale – had no concerns about going there and had no concerns about going a goal behind.

They didn’t fear a thrashing, they were just wondering how they’d get back into the game.

All the mistakes made at United since Sir Alex

Ferguson retired have well and truly come home to roost.

And the single biggest error has been too much money spent on too little quality. I’m sorry to say it, but there are too many players in that team who wouldn’t have even made a squad under Ferguson (right).

They are not good enough. I look around and see the likes of Juan Mata and Ashley Young still there, still mainstays.

They’ve been decent players, yes, but are they good enough to carry a Manchester United team? No.

Matic is one of their best players and that says it all. I look at the squad and compare it to some of the ones I faced for Liverpool, and there’s no comparison.

No one fears this United team. No one. Not even League One sides.

I can guarantee, every lower- league side left in the Carabao Cup was PRAYING they’d get a trip to Old Trafford.

Not because of the glamour, but because they’d fancy their chances of repeating what Rochdale did.

And Rochdale did a numbe r on

United, they were brilliant and deserve huge credit. The way they defended so comfortably in the final few minutes after equalising was incredible.

That, though, exposes what United have become.

They are a team that needs vast amounts of money spending on it to be competitive. There are City and Liverpool now, and then a gap so big to Manchester United there’s not enough steel to bridge it. And that is where Solskjaer has a massive problem. He desperately needs funds to strengthen, but are they going to trust him with it?

So the board are saying they stand by him, but, come the next transfer window, will they truly have faith?

The manager has to take some responsibility. It’s his job to get the best squad possible – and that means buying wisely, as well as coaching and developing players.

That’s not happened.

But I think he has to be given more time and more windows to get the squad he wants. The fans wanted him, the owners wanted him, the board wanted him.

The reality is that it will take years for United to bridge that gap to City and Liverpool. They made the call, rushed into it – and now they have to back it.

LEICESTER are emerging as the most exciting prospect outside the big six – and Brendan Rodgers needs credit for that. He’s giving them an identity – and a style that works – and he’s building some spirit back up there, too. Rodgers was perhaps unfairly tarnished by his sacking at Liverpool – and some of the jibes that followed. He almost won the title there, he created a side that was wonderful to watch and improved a lot of players. I worked with him at times doing some coaching work with the younger players at Anfield and I have a lot of time for him – because he had a lot of time for me. By that, I mean he was prepared to listen and engage with me, even as an occasional coach. He acknowledged the experience and qualities I had, which I could pass on as a striker. He didn’t have to – and most managers don’t. I think he showedhowed a similar level of humility when he went to Celtic and engaged fullyully with the tradition and nd history of that club. He rebuilt his s reputation therere did a magnificent job – and I feel he could ould do the same at t Leicester. I certainly hope so. MUCH has been said about the game with Arsenal on Monday night being the clash of the also-rans. There have even been unkind echoes of when Gary Neville compared United v Liverpool a few years ago to The Dog and Duck v The Red Lion. Yet, for all that United have fallen, I don’t think that’s fair on Arsenal. They are a team with some real quality, who are much further down the road in their own rebuilding. Unai Emery (left) has built a brilliant attacking unit and they have quality all over the pitch. Yes, they still have defensive problems and they are still finding their best team and formation. But I think they are progressing, and HOLLOW VICTORY United players celebrate after beating Rochdale in the Carabao Cup... on penalties will get stronger as the season goes on. With that attack, they will cause problems to most teams. It’s unfair to put them on the same level as United and you could still see them being the best of the rest behind City and Liverpool.