Michael Owen has suggested Manchester United need to take a look at Liverpool’s transfer strategy as he lambasted the Red Devils’ work in the market in recent years.
Speaking ahead of the Reds’ 2-1 win over Ajax in the Champions League on BT Sport, Owen compared how the two clubs have approached recruitment recently.
“Liverpool over the years, no matter who they’ve signed, have been world beaters.
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“Then teams like Manchester United over the last 10 years no matter who they’ve signed look like they’ve never played football before.
“But what I’m trying to say is it’s very easy to bring a player into the team or for all the players to play well at the same time it is a team game.
“We’ve seen that with Liverpool, they either play well or flounder like they did the other night.”
Owen appears to be suggesting that Liverpool are better at identifying player profiles which suit their ethos better than Manchester United.
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They sign players who they know can play well within their system.
Manchester United on the other hand appear to prioritise signing big name players with individual quality, and thereafter adapt tactically.
That was evident in the re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last season.
United enjoyed a strong 2020/21 season prior to Ronaldo’s return, but had to adapt their style upon his arrival to fit him into the team, and in consequence their form dipped.
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Manchester United fans will hope to see their fortunes change in this regard under Erik ten Hag.
The Dutch manager has a clear idea in his mind of how he wants his team to play and will thus sign players he knows will be able to play within such a system.
This has evidenced through the signings of Lisandro Martinez and Antony, two players who played under ten Hag at Ajax who fully understand his principles of play.
There could therefore well be light at the end of the tunnel for United fans with their club potentially moving away from their haphazard approach towards transfer business.
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Topics: Liverpool, Manchester United, Michael Owen