‘Disjointed’ Manchester United not a ‘proper team’; Pundit predicts Chelsea win

Stretty News

·1 November 2024

‘Disjointed’ Manchester United not a ‘proper team’; Pundit predicts Chelsea win

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson thinks Chelsea will get three points at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ruud van Nistelrooy steps in for his second match as interim manager after beating Leicester City 5-2 on Wednesday night. The win booked United’s place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

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Erik ten Hag was dismissed on Monday and United are in the process of appointing Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim.

The new manager is not set to arrive until the November international, which means Van Nistelrooy will remain in a caretaker capacity for the upcoming fixtures.

Van Nistelrooy is currently preparing his players to face Chelsea on Sunday.

Merson thinks Van Nistelrooy has too much work to do in a short period of time and United will be exposed as “lazy” when Chelsea play through their press.

He told SportsKeeda: “I think Chelsea will win this game. I only say that because they’ll play out from the back and the only way they can get beat is if teams get the ball from them high up the pitch by closing them down.

“I don’t think United will do that up front, they’re just lazy. So I have a feeling that Chelsea can play through them and win the game…

“United went and won 5-2 against Leicester in their cup game.

“I’m thinking if Ten Hag was still there, Chelsea would be huge favorites in this game. But with Ruud van Nistelrooy in charge now, there will be a change for sure.

“They still look at bit disjointed though, not what you expect from a proper team.

“The problem is that United don’t have enough time to work on these things and beat Chelsea this weekend.”

Merson went on to predict a 3-1 win for Chelsea.

Manchester United need a result

Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

The Reds are already playing catch-up in the Premier League as they’re positioned 14th in November. It has been a terrible start to the campaign and we can’t afford to drop points while rivals make ground of us.

Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of the uncertain managerial situation at Old Trafford, but they’ve been hit and miss this season.

The Blues were knocked out of the Carabao Cup during the week after losing a fourth-round tie against Newcastle.