‘Appointing Pochettino won’t fix attitude problem at Man Utd’ – Players as much to blame for Red Devils’ plight as Solskjaer, says Berbatov

Appointing Mauricio Pochettino won’t fix the ‘attitude problem’ at Manchester United, according to Dimitar Berbatov, who says the players are as much to blame for the Red Devils’ current plight as Ole Gunner Solskjaer.

Former Tottenham boss Pochettino is being heavily linked with Solskjaer’s job after United’s awful start to the 2020-21 season.

United suffered their third Premier League defeat at home to Arsenal on Sunday before being beaten 2-1 away at Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League in midweek, with a must-win fixture against Everton at Goodison Park up next this weekend.

It has been suggested that Solskjaer will be facing the sack if his under-achieving side fail to record a win over Toffees, who are currently six points ahead of the Manchester outfit in the top-flight standings having played a game more.

Berbatov is among those who believe the Norwegian’s reign is coming to an end, but he says the Red Devil’s recent struggles are more down to a lack of spirit in the dressing room than the 47-year-old’s tactics.

“If there’s truth to the Mauricio Pochettino rumours, it’s hard to blame United really. When the team plays bad, the buck stops with the boss, and this has always been true,” the ex-United striker told Betfair.

“I saw him recently as a guest commentator, and he said he is ready to work again, so it’s hard to stop those rumours. The one thing that won’t change, however, are the players. A new boss won’t change how they play. Yes, when you have a new manager you can see a bounce, but overall the attitude remains the same. No aggression, no passion, no holding each other to account.

“The players need to change their attitude as much as the manager needs to be changed. Many will say now is the time to make the change, others will say not yet, but watching this team now you probably would say there is something wrong.

“I’ve always been an admirer of Ole and a supporter of his, but if he continues like this then a change is inevitable. I still say United need a defender before they need a manager, a defender that is tactically aware.

“Everton on Saturday now is a huge game for United, and I think if they lose this, it’s probably the point where they look for a new manager. They are 15th in the table, could be lower depending on other results if they lose Saturday, and that isn’t acceptable for a club like United. It’s must-win for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“The crazy thing is that tactically he is a fine manager. I saw his first 100 games record recently, and the numbers aren’t that bad. However, it isn’t the 1980s anymore.

“Managers don’t get four years like Fergie did to win a trophy and improve the team, success must come quicker.”

Berbatov went on to express his frustration over his old club’s lack of consistency, before questioning the defending which led to Demba Ba’s opener for Istanbul on Wednesday night.

“I never really know what to say about these performances, because there’s no explanation. One week, 5-0 Leipzig, brilliant, next week, this. It makes no sense,” he said.

“I don’t know who played the pass to Ba, but he never had an easier pass, or Ba an easier goal, in their lives. It was a mistake you’d see in a kids game. 

“I could use stronger words to describe how bad this is, but everyone already knows this.”