United 'would be getting beat even if Guardiola was in charge'

Man United ‘would still be getting beat even if Pep Guardiola was in charge’, claims Liverpool legend and US pundit Steve Nicol as he insists the only way to turn things around at Old Trafford is ditching players ‘who are not capable’

  • Liverpool legend Steve Nicol says Manchester United’s issue isn’t management
  • Nicol insists the club would struggle even with Pep Guardiola in the dugout 
  • United’s new boss Erik ten Hag started his Old Trafford tenure in defeat 
  • The Red Devils were outplayed at home against Brighton in their league opener 

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol says that Manchester United ‘would still be getting beat’ even if Pep Guardiola was in charge of the club.

United’s new manager Erik ten Hag started his tenure in the Old Trafford dugout with defeat against Brighton on Sunday, despite high expectations for the former Ajax boss.

But Nicol suggests that ten Hag is not to blame for the result and instead insists that ‘it doesn’t matter how good the coach is’, if the squad isn’t good enough.

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol says not even Pep Guardiola could save Manchester United

The United players came under fire for their underwhelming performance against Brighton

Nicol, who now works as a pundit in America, told ESPN FC: ‘You can only fix it by getting in better players. It becomes the old adage about the coach and the players.

‘This Manchester United team right now, this squad of players, absolutely confirms that it doesn’t matter how good the coach is. If you have players who are not capable of playing at a level where the club should be, it’s not going to happen.

‘You can talk until you’re blue in the face and you can stay from nine in the morning to nine at night on the training field, but if the players are not good enough, if they can’t take it in, if they can’t deliver it, eventually you have to get players out the door and bring in players who can do it.’

A number of United’s players were subject to criticisms after their performance against the Seagulls – with midfield duo Scott McTominay and Fred bearing the brunt of it.

Nicol, who won four First Division titles with Liverpool, is now a football pundit in America

Ten Hag addresses his United team during their 2-1 loss to Brighton on the weekend

Nicol continued: ‘All it’s telling you is whoever has been bringing these players through the door, they don’t know what they are doing, it’s as simple as that.

‘You can go and switch Erik ten Hag to Manchester City and bring over Pep Guardiola to Manchester United, and Manchester United would still be getting beat.’

United’s struggles have continued year-on-year, as they attained their worst ever Premier League finish under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick last season. 

In the four permanent managerial tenures since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, the club have won just four trophies – compared to the 38 pieces of silverware picked up during the Scot’s reign. 

Guardiola is known as one of football’s best managers – but Nicol says even he would struggle 




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