‘Lingard called United’s dressing room a disaster’

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes said Jesse Lingard described the Old Trafford club’s dressing room as “a disaster.”

United’s bid of finishing in the Premier League’s top four suffered a blow after they lost 3-1 away to Arsenal on Saturday, with the team slipping to the sixth spot in the standings on 54 points, six points outside the top four with four games left.

“It is an absolute mess. It is a disaster of a dressing room,” Scholes, who helped United win 11 league titles and two Champions League trophies, told DAZN.

“I had a quick chat with Jesse the other day and I’m sure he won’t mind me saying that the dressing room is just a disaster.”

Lingard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

United’s interim manager, Ralf Rangnick, said he did not see a problem with the atmosphere in the dressing room.

“I don’t know, you have to ask Jesse Lingard if you have this information,” Rangnick told reporters after Saturday’s defeat.

“Obviously after games like today or the games at Liverpool or Everton, there is massive disappointment in the locker room for sure. This is normal.

“I think the whole group, they get on reasonable with each other. I’m not daring to say they get on well with each other but I don’t see that there is an issue with regard to the atmosphere in the locker room.”

Arsenal are in pole position for a place in next season’s Champions League after rounding off a miserable week for United at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta’s men made the most of a fast start as Nuno Tavares opened the scoring after just two minutes before Bukayo Saka’s penalty made it 2-0.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the United side after missing Tuesday’s 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool due to the death of his newborn baby son.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner kept the visitors in the game as he struck before halftime for his 100th Premier League goal.

But the United fans will wonder why Ronaldo passed on responsibility to Bruno Fernandes when the Red Devils were awarded a penalty on the hour mark.

Fernandes hit the post and Granit Xhaka rubbed salt into United wounds with a blistering strike to seal a win that moves Arsenal two points ahead of Tottenham in fourth. – Reuters