MANCHESTER UNITED should have signed two centre-backs late in the transfer window to prove to other teams in the Premier League they mean business. That is the opinion of Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson.
Thompson says he expected Manchester United to make two new additions on deadline day earlier this month. However, no deals materialised, despite manager Jose Mourinho making it clear he wanted at least one new defender.
Leicester’s Harry Maguire, Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, and Yerry Mina, who joined Everton from Barcelona, were three of the players linked with United. and Thompson was surprised at least one of them did not become a United player.
“This is Manchester United,” he said on Soccer Saturday.
“And if they’re not going to back Mourinho, he shouldn’t be there. They should back him no matter what.
“I actually thought they would get two on the last day and say ‘this is us, we’re going to prove it’.”
Man Utd news: Thompson says he expected two new defenders to join on deadline day
Man Utd news: Jose Mourinho was not happy with the summer business
United suffered a shock 3-2 defeat at Brighton last week to fuel speculation over Jose Mourinho’s future.
But Thompson says the players were mostly to blame for the showing at the Amex.
“The game the other day was all about attitude,” he added. So 95 per cent of it was just down to the players, the other was Jose.