Alan Shearer sends BRUTAL message to former Man United stars-turned-pundits – and reveals the one position where Erik ten Hag’s side are ‘not good enough’
- Manchester United are fourteenth in the table after a goalless draw against Aston Villa
- Shearer has since insisted the Red Devils are ‘miles and miles’ off the pace
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Alan Shearer issued a strong message to former Man United stars turned pundits after Erik ten Hag’s failing side drew with Aston Villa.
Ten Hag’s side continued their poor start to the season and extended their winless run to five games with a goalless draw at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.
The stalemate result leaves the Red Devils in fourteenth place in the league, making it their worst ever start to a Premier League season after seven games.
In recent weeks, a number of former Manchester United stars have impressed in performances under Ten Hag and questioned the Dutch coach’s tactics.
Now, however, Shearer has hit back at the players-turned-experts, insisting the club is currently miles away from the standards set over the past decade as a whole.
Manchester United are fourteenth after their worst ever start to a Premier League season
Paul Scholes (left) and Rio Ferdinand (right) are among former United stars questioning the club’s current state
Alan Shearer has now sent them a brutal message after insisting the current United squad are ‘miles and miles’ away from the standards set during the playing days of Scholes and Ferdinand.
Speaking The rest is football podcast, Shearer said: “They’re just not good enough, though.
‘We hear a lot from ex-Manchester United players. But united, [compared to] when they were playing, they were miles away from that!
‘They are not good enough in so many positions, especially up front.’
Strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have struggled to adapt to life in Manchester, scoring just two goals between them in 2024/25.
Both players came under fire after the draw against Villa, when former Red Devils midfielder Paul Scholes questioned the club’s recruitment process.
‘Especially in the forward areas I don’t think the quality is there. We go back to the most successful teams: they are able to score goals. What have we scored? Five goals in seven games,” Scholes told SuperSport.
‘Now we had three or four strikers who could score 20 goals for you, so you’re looking at 80 goals a season and I just don’t see that in the striker at Manchester United. Look, Hojlund is doing well, but will he score twenty goals for you? I don’t think so.
Ferdinand and Scholes were part of a Manchester United side that dominated the top flight
However, Erik ten Hag’s team now incredibly does not meet the standards of that team
‘Zirkzee… what is he? Is he a No. 9 or a No. 10? Is he going to score twenty goals for you? I don’t think so. I think they rely more on hope than actual proven quality, and they also spent so much money.
‘It’s a ridiculous amount and some of them can’t get into the team! You think about [Manuel] Ugarte who came to the club and who was going to change the way the midfield was supposed to be… he didn’t play against him.
‘[Matthijs] De Ligt, £50 million and he didn’t play him. Jonny Evans came in instead of him at the age of 36. [Lisandro] Martinez, Ten Hag brought him to the club. What is he thinking today? Jonny Evans plays, [Harry] Maguire began, [Victor] Lindelof stands up for him. Basically it’s just a recruiting mess.’
Meanwhile, club legend Rio Ferdinand wondered last month ‘what on earth are United under Ten Hag after the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.
‘Where is the proud man? I just don’t know,” Ferdinand said. “That fight doesn’t seem where it should be. The Bruno [Fernandes] I also think the red card is poor. I think it’s a bad red card.
‘That should be a red card in no time. A straight red card? No way, I can’t have it.
“But don’t let that distract from the fact that we were terrible. We were a disgrace today. The red card should not be an excuse for anyone at Man Utd now. It should not be an excuse for anyone at the football club.
Ferdinand called United’s performance in a 3-0 defeat to Spurs last month ‘terrible’
‘We were terrible. We were horrible to watch. It was a terrible representation of who we are and what we are now.
‘Constantly giving the ball away. I’m here ranting, but I can’t help it. I was watching the game and I thought, what the hell are we doing?’