Kieran Richardson bemused by United’s Kane decision and says at least five players needed to improve fortunes
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In part three of a Ladbrokes Fanzone exclusive, Kieran Richardson talked about Manchester United’s failure to sign Harry Kane, the troubles at the club and predicted where they will finish in the Premier League table.
Click on the link to read about his thoughts on Jadon Sancho and how he can get back on track.
United’s failure to sign Harry Kane bemused me
I don’t know how on earth Manchester United didn’t go and get the great player that is Harry Kane. It bemuses me when you see how much some players have cost United in recent windows, like Casemiro and Antony. Harry Kane is a proven Premier League goalscorer. They needed him and they didn’t get him. I don’t know the reason why that move didn’t happen, but they definitely dropped a bomb with that one. He was the ideal fit, and Man City were in for him 12 months prior to Erling Haaland turning up, which shows you the level that he’s at.
He’s the best English striker out there. They definitely should have got him, and it’s a big blow that they didn’t. The only thing I can think of is that maybe he didn’t want to go there. Maybe he didn’t want to enter that whole toxic environment. It’s a hard place to go, that side of Manchester, right now.
They just need to concentrate on making it a good vibe around the whole place. When you go there now, you just don’t get that energy anymore. Fans are on edge, players are on edge, the manager is constantly under pressure – it’s just a really bad time.
United need at least five or six players to improve things
You can look at the signings who have come in over the last few years and [Lisandro] Martinez aside, no one has really come in and turned it on. Antony hasn’t really been doing it, like a few players. I don’t really like singling people out, but I feel like they need at least five or six players to improve things. But how do you go and get them when you’re competing with the likes of Man City, Chelsea and even Newcastle now, who are spending so much money? Why would players want to sign for United right now? That’s the question, and it’s a hard one to take because I think most players would rather go to Man City or Liverpool, because they’ve got great managers who are proven winners and are doing so well.
🗣️ Kieran Richardson has made his predictions for this week's 1-2-Free game!📷
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It’s not about changing the manager right now. Even if they did that, who are they going to get? It’s not going to be a Jurgen Klopp or a Pep Guardiola equivalent, because that person just doesn’t exist. I think changing the owner might be a good start. Rebuild, start again. Ride it out and stick together as a club.
There’s a bad smell around Man United at the moment
Every game is very important when you’re playing for a club like Manchester United. Every game is magnified and scrutinised, and Saturday will be no different against Sheffield United. There’s so much pressure, but they should be winning the game – there’s no two ways about it. But the Premier League is so hard; it’s so difficult to get a win.
Are Man United anywhere near the top of their game right now? No, they’re not. If I’m being honest with you, I’m watching them play and I don’t feel confident in the team. It’s a shame. I really want them to be back up there, but, let’s be honest here, we haven’t been up there since Sir Alex Ferguson left.
It’s simple. When you’re Manchester United’s manager and you’re not winning games, this level of pressure is going to come. We’re eight games into the season now, but I feel it would be harsh to sack Erik ten Hag. He came in last season and turned things around for them, really. They got to two cup finals, they won one and he made them better. I don’t think sacking him is the right move, because there’s no one out there you’d want to bring in anyway. It’s hard, because United fans are looking across the road. They see Man City, they see Liverpool, and the style of play at those places is much better.
It definitely doesn’t help when your rivals look much better than you as a team. I don’t feel that Ten Hag should be sacked, because he did such a good job with the team last season. But, right now, around the club, there’s just a bad smell. Not on the pitch, but off it…everything around the club, are they selling it? Problems with players…there’s just a bad taste over there at the moment, and it’s not nice to see at all.
Man United prediction for the season
I think Manchester United will finish between fourth and seventh in the Premier League. I don’t see them finishing in the top three. Obviously I don’t see them winning the title, that’s pretty much impossible now. I just feel like Man United aren’t there yet. There are so many distractions off the field, it’s just crazy. It’s a lot for the club to handle right now. Every day they’re in the paper for something else, which isn’t football related.
Arsenal are the first team I’ll look out for, without a doubt. Then it’ll be Manchester United, and then it’ll be Sunderland. To be fair, I look out for all of the clubs I played for, I want them all to do well. But Arsenal are my go-to club. Obviously when I see United not performing well, I do get upset about it. I just want to see them win. There’s so much pressure around everyone at the club right now, and the worst thing, for me, is that they’re losing games at home to teams they should be turning over. Away from home, you kind of get it, but at home, at Old Trafford…come on! It should be a fortress. It just hasn’t been like that for a long, long time.
