'Man Utd could finish bottom-half!' - Ince hammers Solskjaer & Red Devils

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United continue to leave Paul Ince puzzled, with the former Red Devils star questioning what an under-fire coach is doing with the threat of a bottom-half finish now hanging over the club.

As things stand, the 13-time Premier League champions find themselves languishing in 12th position in the English top-flight table.

Just nine points have been collected from eight games in 2019-20, with that return seeing further questions being asked of an underperforming squad and coaching staff.

Former United star Ince sees little cause for optimism, with it difficult for him to pick out precisely what efforts are being made to deliver a reversal in fortune at Old Trafford .

He told talkSPORT : “We know Ole is going to get criticised and will come under pressure because he’s not getting results, but also because we’re not getting any signs that it’s going to improve.

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“Obviously with young players it’s going to take time, but Chelsea have got young players and they’re doing alright. Liverpool have got two young full-backs, they’re doing okay.

“They [United] could finish in the bottom half of the table.

“When I’m seeing Ole after the games saying, ‘we’re working hard, we’re working hard’, I keep thinking we just want to see what they’re actually working on.

“When I see the team I don’t see what they’re doing. I don’t see their patterns of play and I don’t see how they’re working from an attacking point of view, because they’re not creating chances – they’re not even having any shots.

“I just don’t know what they’re actually doing at Manchester United.”

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Ince is also concerned that senior players are not standing up to be counted during a testing time for all concerned.

He added: “You see a player like David de Gea doing an interview after the Newcastle game and he looks shell-shocked – he’s meant to be one of the leaders! He’s been there 10 [sic] years, he should be coming out saying, ‘this is wrong we need to be doing this’.

“The fans want to know because at the moment no one knows what’s going on!

“They look out of all sorts, they look devoid of confidence and you’re not seeing any leadership and characters.

“Look, you’re not going to get the teams like United had under Fergie, those days are gone. They’re gone.

“You’re not going to get your Keanes, your Robsons, your Giggses and your Scholeses – you’re not going to get that anymore. What you’ve got to get is quality into the team and find one or two leaders, like Harry Maguire and Axel Tuanzebe, who I like. You’ve got to try and grow these leaders.

“When we were there and the likes of Beckham, Scholes and Giggs were coming in, we taught them what they needed to be to be a Man United player, in the same way Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce taught me – these kids haven’t got that!”