Jamie Redknapp: Manchester United players lack intensity and desire

Many of Manchester United's players are guilty of letting manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer carry the can for their poor performances, according to former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

The 46-year-old, who played for Liverpool from 1991-2002, told The New Paper that several players lack the "intensity and desire" to play for the Red Devils, despite the fact they are unlikely to play for a bigger club.

United sit eighth in the English Premier League, behind the likes of Sheffield United and Leicester City. Their 35 points from 25 games means they are closer to the relegation zone than the third-placed Foxes.

"If you look at most of that team, there are not many you can say have been successful," said Redknapp, who was in town last week for Cadbury's Buy & Win! campaign, which offers fans the chance to win a trip to England to watch an EPL game live.

"Even the new signings, (Aaron) Wan-Bissaka's done OK, Harry Maguire's done OK.

"A lot of players there have let the manager take all the criticism and not really stood up and shown what they can do.

"There's only one or two, (Scott) McTominay's had a really good season and it's a shame that he got injured. (Marcus) Rashford's done well.

"Apart from that, a lot of players have shown a lack of intensity and desire to perform for a club that they should be so proud of.

"Because, trust me, if they leave there, they're only going down. Not many players there will leave United and go to better clubs - one or two, maybe."

Redknapp, who won 17 caps for the Three Lions, singled out forward Anthony Martial as one of United's underperforming stars.

He said: "I said it about Martial (the previous weekend against Wolverhampton Wanderers, when he had no shots and just six touches in the opposition penalty box).

"He has an opportunity to play as a striker. He looks frustrated when he doesn't play and, when he does play, he still looks frustrated."

Redknapp, however, did not spare Solskjaer from criticism, accusing him of wanting to "be everyone's friend".

Since his appointment as permanent successor to Jose Mourinho last March, United have won just 11 of their 33 EPL matches, with Solskjaer's 33.3 per cent win ratio significantly worse than predecessors David Moyes (50 per cent), Louis van Gaal (51.3) and Mourinho (53.8).

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Said Redknapp: "When you're a manager, you get one chance. And Ole's trying to be everyone's friend - doesn't want to upset anyone, doesn't want to maybe in public criticise players or drop players.

"That's dangerous because the manager that he learnt probably the most under was Alex Ferguson.

"And, although he maybe didn't criticise his players in public, you could see that he did it in a way where he dropped people, or did something that made you realise he was the boss.

"Whereas, with Ole right now, he's just trying to be everyone's friend, he doesn't want to take any risk on the pitch with his substitutions.

"And that, for me, is maybe where his downfall will come."

Redknapp believes United need to act swiftly and decisively regarding their managerial situation, saying of former Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino: "If I were United, I'd take him tomorrow."

The former Spurs and Saints player added: "I like Solskjaer, he's really been a great player, he's a club hero.

"But the problem is his record that has been really poor... That's not good enough for Manchester United, even though he's had injuries et cetera.

"What you don't want to do is be so loyal that you get blindsided and miss an opportunity like Pochettino.

"I feel that, if United are not careful, he might go somewhere else and they'll regret it...

"It's a hard one for the board. But, sometimes in football, you can't wait because managers like him don't come along very often."