'Not Man United players': Steven Gerrard blasts £120m duo as six Red Devils stars come under fire

Liverpool fable Steven Gerrard has launched a scathing appraisal of Manchester United's squad, questioning the club's £120m concern successful Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba portion identifying six players helium believes are falling abbreviated of the standards required astatine Old Trafford.

The Red Devils' miserable commencement to the 2026-27 run continued with a 3-0 location decision to Bournemouth connected Sunday, leaving Michael Carrick's broadside 16th successful the Premier League, conscionable 1 constituent supra the relegation zone.

United person managed lone 2 victories successful their opening 11 matches crossed each competitions, with Carrick facing expanding scrutiny contempt guiding the nine backmost into the Champions League during his interim spell past season.

However, Gerrard believes the manager is acold from the lone problem, arguing that the club's recruitment strategy has near him with an inadequate squad.

Speaking connected The Overlap Daily, the erstwhile Liverpool skipper questioned the prime of respective United players, including 2 costly summertime arrivals who were expected to alteration the team's midfield.

Gerrard was peculiarly captious of Santos, signed from Chelsea for £50m, portion suggesting that £70m acquisition Baleba is not yet susceptible of helping United vie astatine the apical of the Premier League.

His disapproval besides extended to Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo, though helium reserved sizeable praise for skipper Bruno Fernandes.

Gerrard questions Man United's £120m midfield investment

United invested heavy successful their midfield during the summer, signing Santos from Chelsea and Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion arsenic portion of a important rebuilding programme.

The arrivals were intended to supply Carrick with greater athleticism, method prime and antiaircraft information pursuing Casemiro's departure and Manuel Ugarte's wounded problems.

Yet the aboriginal results person been disappointing, with United often struggling to power matches contempt their important expenditure.

"Why are you signing players who are not bully capable for Manchester United!" ? "They've got problems each implicit the place!" ?️ Steven Gerrard questions Man United's recruitment arsenic their play goes from atrocious to worse! ? https://t.co/zCN4WkakxP

Gerrard believes those difficulties bespeak questionable recruitment decisions alternatively than simply mediocre management.

Discussing Santos, the erstwhile England planetary delivered a peculiarly damning verdict.

"Not a Manchester United player," Gerrard said of the Brazilian midfielder, earlier questioning wherefore the nine continued to enlistee players helium considered beneath the required standard.

He besides suggested that the work yet rested with those making decisions supra the manager.

Baleba received a somewhat much measured assessment.

The Cameroon planetary has established himself arsenic an breathtaking midfield prospect, but Gerrard believes United person invested heavy successful a subordinate who inactive needs clip to develop.

"He's got potential," the erstwhile Liverpool midfielder acknowledged, earlier arguing that Baleba was not presently acceptable to assistance United situation adjacent the apical of the table.

The favoritism is significant: Gerrard questioned Santos's suitability outright, whereas his concerns astir Baleba centred connected whether the erstwhile Brighton subordinate was acceptable to transportation specified work immediately.

United's antiaircraft problems person compounded their difficulties successful midfield.

Carrick's broadside conceded 4 goals against Como successful the Champions League past week earlier suffering different dense decision against Bournemouth, expanding the unit connected some the manager and the club's recruitment department.

Gerrard suggested that the club's problems extended good beyond the 2 summertime signings, with respective established players besides failing to conscionable expectations.

Maguire, Shaw and Martinez targeted arsenic Fernandes earns praise

The erstwhile Liverpool skipper was arsenic captious of United's experienced antiaircraft options, arguing that Maguire and Shaw should nary longer inhabit specified important positions successful the squad.

While acknowledging their erstwhile achievements, Gerrard suggested that some players had remained astatine Old Trafford longer than they should have.

Maguire, 33, signed a caller declaration successful August that runs until the extremity of the season, with an enactment for a further year, portion Shaw, 31, is besides approaching the last months of his existent agreement.

Gerrard's appraisal of Martinez was considerably sharper.

He questioned the Argentina international's cognition during the erstwhile run and criticised his determination to publically situation the club's hierarchy implicit recruitment and managerial changes.

Martinez subsequently apologised for his comments, but Gerrard suggested the defender's behaviour reflected deeper problems wrong the dressing room.

"That stinks to me," helium remarked portion discussing Martinez's nationalist complaints and consequent wounded situation.

Those comments represented Gerrard's idiosyncratic appraisal of the defender's behaviour alternatively than grounds of immoderate wrongdoing.

The erstwhile midfielder besides questioned United's prime successful wide areas, contrasting their existent options with the days erstwhile David Beckham and Ryan Giggs were among the club's starring performers.

Amad was singled retired for his inconsistency, with Gerrard acknowledging the Ivory Coast international's quality but expressing disappointment with his performances this season.

There was, however, 1 notable objection to his criticism.

Despite his lifelong relation with Liverpool, Gerrard described Fernandes arsenic United's outstanding idiosyncratic player and praised the Portuguese midfielder's method ability.

"Bruno Fernandes is the champion player," helium declared, adding that watching the midfielder astatine his champion was a pleasance adjacent for a Liverpool supporter.

The opposition underlined Gerrard's wider argument: United inactive person idiosyncratic talent, but helium believes excessively galore members of the squad are falling abbreviated of the standards associated with the club.

His involution comes amid uncertainty implicit Carrick's future, with the erstwhile midfielder struggling to replicate the betterment helium inspired during his archetypal spell successful charge.

Gerrard's disapproval places peculiar accent connected the work of United's hierarchy, suggesting that different managerial alteration would permission important questions astir the squad's prime and creation unanswered.