Man Utd, Pogba & Lukaku savaged by Warnock as Solskjaer is urged to change tack

Manchester United “haven’t got a team” despite spending big and are “a long way behind” their rivals, says Neil Warnock, with the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku part of the problem.

The 2018-19 campaign proved to be a forgettable one for all concerned at Old Trafford.

Warnock was the man to hammer the final nail into the coffin, with his already-relegated Cardiff side inflicting a 2-0 defeat on the Red Devils on the final weekend of Premier League action.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has the task of trying to rebuild an underperforming squad and is fully aware of the size of the task he faces.

Warnock believes a change in tack is required by one of his predecessors in South Wales, with United needing to move away from the mindset of believing that “world stars” are the way forward.

“United have got to go the way it looks they might be going, even though that’s expensive, and that is to bring in the best young players,” Warnock told talkSPORT.

“They’ve done the other way, they’ve spent £300m or £400m on players who are supposed to be world stars, and yet they haven’t got a team. They haven’t got a team at all.

“If they bring the young lads they’re talking about bringing in, they can mould them and I think fans will accept 100 per cent effort from young lads.

“[Marcus] Rashford would have to play up front because he’s just the best there is when he’s playing up front.

“There are one or two decent players they’re looking at, like the lad from Swansea [Daniel James]. They need to spend £15m or £20m on them to bring these young lads in.

“Ole and the hierarchy have got to realise that is the way forward for Manchester United, because they’re a long way behind.”

Goal has confirmed that United are closing in on a deal for James, with the 21-year-old Wales international set to undergo a medical.

He would add youthful exuberance and no shortage of talent to a squad that is expected to see a number of comings and goings this summer.

Warnock believes Solskjaer needs to get rid of plenty of deadwood, with the outspoken Bluebirds boss claiming that he would move out Pogba, Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

“Oh, absolutely,” he said.

“I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.”

Questions are being asked of the aforementioned trio, with all three having struggled to deliver on expectation since being acquired by United in big-money transfers and on lucrative contracts.