EAMON DUNPHY HAS been less than impressed with Manchester United’s start to the season and lays the blame firmly at Louis van Gaal’s door.
Speaking to RTÉ 2fm’s Game On, the pundit questioned the quality of the current squad and described their manager as a “spoofer”.
“I said this six months ago and I know that’s a dangerous thing to say, but everything I hear him say and everything he does with the team seems to me as a guy who’s making it up as he goes along.
“The situation with [David] De Gea is a disgrace. I mean, he’s sitting in the stand and it looks like it’s a game of poker, but Real Madrid have four aces and Van Gaal has a pair of deuces.
“De Gea is going to walk for free, he can do a deal in January and he’s worth €35million.”
United are currently unbeaten, after winning their opening two games of the season before being held to a scoreless draw by Newcastle United on Friday night. But Dunphy was scathing in his assessment of their latest performance.
“They were terrible,” he said. “They don’t really have enough quality players, they don’t have nearly enough quality players.
“This young lad, [Adnan] Januzaj, might become a player, but he’s a lightweight.
“The new player, Memphis [Depay], did okay in the Champions League, but he’s raw, he’s a million miles away from being a top player. He wouldn’t get in Manchester City’s reserve team.
“[Bastian] Schweinsteiger isn’t fit. They gave Bayern Munich a gift of €20million, because he wouldn’t get in Bayern Munich’s team.”
One team Dunphy has been impressed by his Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City side, who he believes are worthy favourites to win the league.
“They have the strongest squad. Sterling makes them even stronger and the other big clubs have their problems.
“Manchester United have chronic problems and I think Chelsea have real problems as well. They didn’t really bring anyone in in the summer. They’ve got Pedro now. And of course we know Arsenal have problems.
“So, by default, Manchester City have got off to a very, very good start and they look a useful side.”
It wasn’t all positive for City, however. Dunphy still found time to express reservation regarding the club’s Champions League prospects and aim a dig at Yaya Toure, who he once famously described as “lounging around midfield like a lounge lizards, like his wage packet fell on his foot”.
“We’ll see how they get on in Europe when they play serious teams, and we’ll see how Yaya performs when he has to actually work, but for the moment they’re by far the pest team in the Premier League this season.”