Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has raised his concerns over the instructions one Manchester United player is receiving from the coaching staff after highlighting a “big problem.”
Manchester United’s seven-match unbeaten run since the start of 2024 came to an end on Saturday after Marco Silva’s Fulham side secured a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
United had won four consecutive Premier League matches in February before they were outplayed by Fulham and suffered a major setback in their top-four challenge.
Calvin Bassey opened the scoring for Fulham in the second half at Old Trafford before ex-United captain Harry Maguire produced an equaliser in the 89th minute.
However, Alex Iwobi ensured Fulham inflicted a devastating blow on United’s Premier League top-four ambitions after he scored the winner deep into injury time.
United face an uphill battle in their pursuit for Champions League football next season, with the Red Devils eight points adrift from fourth-place Aston Villa.
Erik ten Hag’s men also face one of their biggest tests of the season on Sunday when they travel away for their Premier League showdown with Manchester City.
The United boss has faced criticism over the Premier League club’s mixed results in the current campaign, including the Red Devils’ defensive vulnerabilities.
Carragher on tactics for Man Utd star
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher pulled no punches towards Manchester United’s defending under Erik ten Hag this season.
The Liverpool legend spotlighted a “problem” from the Fulham clash featuring Kobbie Mainoo, who has had a remarkable season for United so far.
Carragher insisted that he was not criticising Kobbie Mainoo, but he rather questioned the instructions the teenager received from the United coaching staff.
Ten Hag has often deployed Mainoo in midfield along with a holding partner, with former Real Madrid star Casemiro featuring alongside the United midfielder.
However, Carragher used footage straight from kick-off in the Fulham match and claimed that 18-year-old Mainoo was immediately “caught in between” positions.
“I’ve chosen clips against Fulham, but I could have chosen clips from where they’ve won games like against Aston Villa. It’s still the same problem,” he said.
“I want to highlight a problem from the very kick-off. If I highlight Kobbie Mainoo, this is not a criticism of him, it’s more of what are his instructions before the game.
“He’s not sure if he should be looking after the holding midfielder or watching the No 10. He’s caught in between.
“It’s straight from the kick-off. You should know your job from kick-off. That’s down to the coaching staff.
“You can see the big problem [they] had just 20 seconds into the game against Fulham. It’s been the problem for Manchester United all season.
“They’ve shown they’re a poor side at handling counter-attacks. They’ve got no pace at the back and they’ve got a lack of legs in midfield.”
Carragher on Man Utd’s ‘impossible’ problem
Carragher was baffled by United’s defending this season and claimed the Red Devils are doing “two things at the same time” when they can only do one or the other.
“Over the last few weeks, Manchester United have been in great form but still the underlying numbers have been really poor,” he said.
“They’ve been very fortunate, so we’re not talking about them now just because they lost to Fulham.
“It’s about performance. They defend like a team I’ve never seen before. They like to press high with a deep block.
“It’s impossible. They like to do two things at the same time. You can only do one or the other.
“We’re all pressing high or we’re all defending deep. They’re trying to do both.”
READ MORE: Join the conversation with the United in Focus Whatsapp group
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
