Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hit out at Manchester United ahead of their Premier League derby with Manchester City on Sunday.
Carragher said Man United are showing signs of regression under their manager Erik ten Hag, adding that they can only beat their Premier League rival this weekend by playing ‘underdog football'.
“Manchester United resemble a team reaching the end of a cycle, not one still rebuilding under a relatively new manager,” Carragher told The Telegraph.
“Despite winning their last three games, the football is stale, and the symptoms of regression are visible; there is a lack of style and panache, few of Erik Ten Hag's signings are consistently performing, and players such as Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay – who the manager was willing to discard last summer for the right price – are back in favour.
“United are in an unfulfilling holding pattern, seeking to eke out results and get by before their next refresh. It is a measure of their faltering progress that they are preparing for another Manchester derby with trepidation rather than expectation.
“Yet again, the only means by which they can stop Manchester City this weekend is by playing ‘underdog football' – sitting deep, counter-attacking and hoping defensive resilience yields a reward.”
