Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'are a team of individuals', says Micah Richards

Manchester United is currently seventh in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Chelsea, after nine games.
Ex-England defender Micah Richards says Manchester United must "go back to basics" to decide whether to back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or sack him.

United is seventh in the Premier League, and Liverpool thrashed them 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Richards, BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club host, stated that "It's not a group of individuals."

They all want to be the star player, but they don't want to do the basics like running and tackling.

Solskjaer was the winner of United's 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich. He has been the club manager since December 2018 but has not won any trophies.

They finished second in Premier League last season, signed Raphael Varane (French World Cup-winning defender), England forward Jadon Sancho, and resigned Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal forward, a five time Ballon d'Or Winner).

Solskjaer to survive Liverpool capitulation: "Man Utd don’t have a style in play"

"If you bring in Ronaldo, how would you play?" Richards was the 2011-12 Premier League winner with Manchester City.

"Ronaldo is readily available so you think you 'get him. But you try to fit [Bruno] Fernandes and [Marcus] Rashford, Sancho in as well. So where's the balance?

If you are interested in doing that, "Get some people behind Ronaldo. Solskjaer stated they would be on the front foot against Liverpool, but you will be picked off just like them.

"Get back in a good shape with two defensive midfielders to defend and full-backs tucked into, and counter attack. United is not as good as Manchester City or Liverpool, so defend deep and do the things you are good at.

As a player, Solskjaer was instrumental in United winning the Premier League six times. Richards also admitted that he felt sympathy for the under-pressure Norwegian who has been subject to calls for his resignation.

Richards said, "He has such an iconic status at the club, so it was always going be difficult when things come down to this."

"It all comes down to coaching. Some of the mistakes were basic, ridiculous. It seems like Ole doesn't know what to do.

They must back him and say that he will continue to the end of the season, or bring someone in.

"I feel sorry that he is doing this, but looking at someone with such a legendary status, he seems a little out of his depth." They must move on if that isn't possible."

Chris Sutton, a Premier League player with Blackburn, feels Solskjaer has retained his position due to his playing record.

Sutton stated, "They are the largest club in the world but what happened at weekend was embarrassing."

"What is Manchester United's identity?" In a season with high expectations, the performances haven’t been up. If they had been in Ole's shoes, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho would all have been fired.

Karen Carney, a former England midfielder, felt Liverpool weren't at their best against United.

She said that United couldn't get out of their own half because there was a huge gulf between classes. "I have never seen such a huge gulf, and Liverpool were in third gear."

Jose Mourinho would have gone if that had been under his watch. It's not possible to lose to your opponents in this way and that fashion."