62 Daily Express Thursday, August 08, 2019 FOOTBALL: JERMAINE JENAS JOINS THE EXPRESS
DX1SToff dismally at the end of last term,
with just five points from a possible
21, after Solskjaer’s interim
appointment to succeed Jose
Mourinho was upgraded to the
permanent manager’s job.
Jenas warned: “I wouldn’t be
massively confident about the
way I see it going for the first
half of the season, and I still
think there are way too many
people there who don’t want to
be at the club, which is baffling
to me.
“We are talking about
Manchester United, one of
the biggest names in
football, a team players
have always aspired to play
for, to have those amazing
moments in their career.
“It’s a shame, but that
is what Ole has got to
deal with – and he’s
going to come under
a lot of scrutiny
over the first part
of the season
if they don’t
get off to a
good start.”Ivan Rakitic?’ As a Manchester United
fan, that’s what I would have been
thinking. Just go out and get somebody
who’s top-drawer on the ball.
“I’m surprised they have not gone
out and signed someone in midfield
who can control the game, because
I still don’t think they have someone
who can do that.
“Realistically, a top-four finish is the
best they can hope for this season
because I don’t think they are capable
of winning the title – and I would put
Tottenham in the same bracket.
“But from a United point of view,
that’s not what their history is about.
It’s six years since they last won the
title, and from what I’m seeing on the
pitch since then, I would not be happy
if I was a United fan.”
Match of the Day pundit Jenas says
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
will have his work cut out to
re-establish a winning culture,
garnished by fluid, attacking football,
while there are reluctant foot soldiers
in the ranks.
And if they do not come flying out
of the blocks, he envisages Solskjaer’s
job coming under forensic scrutiny.
United’s Premier League season tailedMain picture: MANCHESTER UNITEDHarry will make
a difference, but
too many players
don’t want to
be at United
THE Express has made the biggest
signing of the summer with the
arrival of JERMAINE JENAS, who
tells Mike Walters why Manchester
United will fall short this season
JERMAINE JENAS fears Harry
Maguire’s record £80million move to
Manchester United is doomed to end
in more title race disappointment at
Old Trafford.
Maguire became the world’s most
expensive defender when he completed
his move to United from Leicester.
But new Express columnist Jenas
believes there are too many players
agitating to leave the club for the
England centre-back’s arrival to knock
the noisy neighbours across town off
their perch.
With Paul Pogba and Romelu
Lukaku eyeing moves away from
Old Trafford before the transfer
window shuts tonight, Jenas says
United have little hope of
establishing the chemistry
required to reclaim Manchester
City’s crown.
He said: “Don’t get me wrong,
I think Maguire will make a difference
to Manchester United – but he is not
going to win them the title on his own.
“My biggest worry for United is that
there are too many players who don’t
want to be there and that has an
impact on the team and the squad.
“That’s a shame because the fans at
Old Trafford would have been
expecting to go into the season with a
bit more confidence.
“All of the defensive uncertainty
puts extra pressure on the midfield,
where the Pogba-Matic axis has never
really worked, or they have never
looked amazing.
“You just think, ‘Why didn’t
they go and get Christian
Eriksen, Luka Modric orGunners
are still
short at
the back
ARSENAL’S capture of
£72 million Nicolas Pepe
was a big statement – but
Jenas says the Gunners
have again refurbished the
roof without shoring up the
foundations.
Record signing Pepe,
below, will add dynamism
to a front line already
boasting Alexandre
Lacazette and
Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang, but Jenas
believes a high-class
central defender remains
top priority at the
Emirates.
He said: “I think Arsenal
fans are just delighted
there was money to spend
after all. At the start of
the window, it was looking
quite bleak and the word
was they had got only a
limited budget.
“Nicolas Pepe might
turn out to be an absolute
world-beater, and a deal
Arsenal felt they could not
let pass them by, but I’m
very surprised they have
not gone out and brought
in a top-quality
centre-half.
“If you have £72m to
spend, however the deal
is structured, I don’t think
another attacking player is
what they needed.
“They are going to score
goals again and I’m a lot
more optimistic about
Arsenal’s prospects this
year than I was 12 months
ago.
“I think they will
definitely be challenging
for a top-four spot,
but they have to
look after the
foundations as
well as the
roof.”