Former Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley has broken down the club’s defensive problems in an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person.
In the interview, hosted by newbettingsites.co.uk, Bardsley analysed the Red Devils’ defence after conceding six goals across a 3-2 Champions League win over AS Roma and Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa.
What do you see as the main problem defensively?
“I just think defensively you’ve got to do the basics early in a game,” Bardsley said. “When you’re not performing to a certain level, confidence is low and you’re making individual errors, I think you’ve got to do the basics well. Stay tight, stay compact. Defend your box well.
“I watched the game the other night in Europe against Roma, and Dalot in the first two minutes is beyond the striker. I’m just thinking, play from your position, build into the game, build into your performance. He’s so far out of position when we’re struggling defensively as it is, then you don’t give yourself a foundation to build from.
“It’s really difficult. Then we concede sloppy goals. Him being out of position, I don’t think at the minute the keeper’s doing himself any favours at all.
“I think the back four that finished yesterday is quite alarming, to be perfectly honest. It’s not the greatest back four I’ve ever seen. I think they’d probably struggle to play for a middle-of-the-table Premier League club, if I’m being brutally honest. Just too many mistakes costing us. We’re not giving ourselves any chance to build into a game by giving away ridiculous goals like that.
“You can say you can work on the defensive unit in training and stuff, but these are like schoolboy errors that you’re making in the first five minutes of football matches, and you’re giving yourself a mountain to climb from the get-go.
“It’s really difficult, and you can see the effect that it has through the team straight away. It knocks the stuffing out of them. But to be fair, yesterday they showed some character to get back into it. Going behind twice, two goals down is never easy in the Premier League, especially against a team like Villa. But alarming. The back four is just — I don’t think it’s cut for Man United at all.”
Do you believe all four defenders are individually not good enough?
“Just the back four in general. I think whatever side we’ve picked over the course of the season, we’ve not looked good at all. We’ve chopped and changed. We’ve brought Heaven in, we’ve brought Martinez in. He’s made mistakes — a lot of mistakes.
“I think the only one who can hold his head up high a little bit is probably Harry Maguire. I think he’s the only one that’s looked assured. But if the other three are not at the races, there’s got to be a connection. There’s got to be a bit of chemistry between them and a bit of pride in defending. I just don’t see it at all. They look so vulnerable and so flaky at the back. It’s tough to watch.”
Bardsley joined United’s academy in 1993 and made his senior debut against West Bromwich Albion in December 2003. Part of the club’s 2003 FA Youth Cup-winning side, he made 18 first-team appearances before leaving permanently in 2008 following loan spells with Royal Antwerp, Burnley, Rangers, Aston Villa and Sheffield United. The Salford-born full-back later represented Sunderland, Stoke City, Burnley and Stockport County, while he won 13 senior caps for Scotland between 2010 and 2014.
Final Thoughts
- Bardsley described United’s current back four as “alarming”.
- He said United’s defenders would “probably struggle to play for a middle-of-the-table Premier League club”.
- Bardsley singled out Harry Maguire as the only current defender who can hold his head high.
Part two of our exclusive interview with Phil Bardsley will be published tomorrow.
Featured image by Michael Regan via Getty Images
