Jamie Carragher believes Manchester United‘s new-look midfield trio may struggle to stop counter-attacks at the beginning of this new season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were stunned on Saturday night in their Premier League opener, slumping to a 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
The midfield pairing of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes flourished at the back-end of last season but with the arrival of Donny van de Beek for £40m this summer, former Liverpool centre back Carragher has his doubts about the defensive capabilities of that particular trio.
Jamie Carragher has raised concerns about the make-up of Man United’s new-look midfield
Paul Pogba started for United on Saturday but was substituted for Donny van de Beek
Star January signing Bruno Fernandes has impressed since his arrival at Old Trafford
‘Towards the end of last season United were playing really well and they’ll get back to that,’ Carragher told Sky Sports on Monday night.
‘I’m not convinced this team, who have now become a more possession-based team since Fernandes has come in, Pogba is in centre of midfield, the more possession you have the more chance you can get counter attacked, that midfield for me is not right.
‘You’ve got Van de Beek in the No 10 who came on, Fernandes went back. I think that team will be far too easy to counter attack against.’
Ex-Ajax midfielder Van de Beek was a second-half substitute at Old Trafford and scored on his debut to hand a lifeline to the hosts.
Van de Beek’s late goal on debut was not enough to trigger a United comeback on Saturday
But Palace star Wilfried Zaha took advantage of space in front of the United back four to score his second of the game and put the match to bed.
‘This is Crystal Palace – good as a counter-attacking team but don’t have some of the quality that some of the top teams have at the top end of the pitch,’ Carragher added.
‘And if I’m proven wrong I’ll come on this show and say so but for me, with the pace at centre back and how open they are in the centre of midfield – Manchester United are going to have a real problem stopping teams counter-attacking.’
