Man United’s player loyalty questioned

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw accused his side of lacking enough aggression, intensity and motivation after a meek 1-0 home defeat to Wolves on Monday.

A fourth league defeat in 10 games at Old Trafford this season leaves United still languishing in seventh, four points adrift of the top four.

United were expected to mount a title challenge this season after adding Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to a squad that finished second to Manchester City last season.

But the Red Devils are 22 points behind City at the top of the table and closer to rock bottom Norwich.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paid for a dreadful run of results when he was sacked as manager in November.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick had picked up 10 points from his first four games in charge, despite indifferent performances and they were finally made to pay as Joao Moutinho’s strike eight minutes from time secured Wolves’ first win at Old Trafford since 1980.

“We look our squad, our team, the players we have, we have unbelievable quality,” Shaw told Sky Sport. “Sometimes quality isn’t enough.

“We need to bring the intensity, we need to bring being more aggressive and we need to bring more motivation. I think maybe from the outside today, it didn’t look like we had any of them three.

“Inside the dressing room we know we want to win, we know what we want but I think when we step out on that pitch we need to give 100 per cent, everything we’ve got.

“I think to win these types of games against a tough team like Wolves we all need to be 100 per cent committed because we know it’s always close games whoever they play.

“We have time now to refocus. We’ve got a long training week and maybe the manager can bring some more ideas on what he wants on the pitch.”

Rangnick admitted he could not make any guarantees that United would recover to make the top four and ensure they do not miss out on the riches of the Champions League next season.

“I cannot make any guarantees. Look at today’s performance, if I say we are 100 percent convinced we will finish in the top four, I don’t know if people will believe that,” said the German.

“For me it is about taking the next steps and getting better. I knew this could be and would hard but today’s game showed we still have a long way to go.” -AFP