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Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has predicted that Manchester United's failure to solve their defensive issues could land them in a relegation battle next season. Pardew also claimed that United's ban of five first-team players from squad training sent the wrong message to the rest of the players.
During a discussion with talkSPORT, Pardew was asked to name the Premier League team that's most at risk of relegation next season. He said:
"All the teams in that bottom ten including Man United. You need to have an eye on that club. You've got five big first-team players training on their own. That does not send the right message to the rest of the players at the training ground because what players feel is that, 'one day that might be me."
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He added:
"They've brought in the top player from Wolves. Great technical ability but that wasn't the big issue, The issue is keeping goals out and at the moment they haven't changed much from that. It all hinges on moving these five players, it's almost like a fire sale at the moment."
Ahead of the preseason tour, some Manchester United players have been instructed to train separately from the rest of the squad. They include Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Antony. Pardew feels that such a dressing room situation sends a negative signal to other Red Devils players.
Meanwhile, the 63-year-old also believes that United might be focusing on wrong priorities rather than improving their defense, which seems to be a bigger issue. Manchester United conceded 54 goals in the Premier League last season. Some of these goals could be attributed to individual error, while others were a result of poor defensive coordination.
Notably, United also registered their worst run in a Premier League campaign after finishing 15th in the standings last season. Out of 38 Premier League games, they won 11, drew nine, and lost 18 games, earning them only 42 points.
"He's appreciated, internally" - Fabrizio Romano on Botafogo's goalkeeper, who has been linked to Manchester United
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Botafogo shotstopper John Victor is appreciated by the Red Devils' scouting team. The Italian journalist, however, hinted that a concrete interest for Victor's potential move has not yet been registered.
Romano said (via GiveMeSport):
"He's appreciated, internally highly rated by scouts. Let's see if club-to-club contact will follow, at the moment not yet."
During the recently concluded FIFA Club World Cup, Victor played decently between the sticks. He kept one clean sheet against reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and conceded only three goals in four appearances. Overall, he has played 80 games across competitions, keeping 33 clean sheets for the Brazilian Serie A side.
Meanwhile, Manchester United's interest in Victor might be due to the recent hamstring injury sustained by Andre Onana. Given his goalkeeping performance at the Club World Cup, Victor could be more than decent replacement for the Cameroonian.
