Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United players are blameworthy for average season

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs believes the players have to take the responsibility for a disappointing first half to the 2018/19 season. The Red Devils recently suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool on the road and this has created a 19-point gap between them and Jurgen Klopp’s side, who are leading the standings.

In a report covered by Fox Sports, Giggs admitted that Jose Mourinho would undoubtedly get the criticism for the club’s showing during the campaign but the players should equally take the blame for a team which has struggled to stay aloft in the top-four race, he said: “Jose takes a lot of stick, rightly or wrongly, but the players have got to take responsibility as well.

“It’s a bigger story though. The season so far, when you don’t beat the likes of Wolves, don’t beat Crystal Palace at home, you have to take the criticism. The players in that squad at the moment are better than that. The standards of Manchester United over the years has been high and these players have dropped below that. The manager has to take a lot of stick for that.”

“United are pretty much out of the title race with 19 points separating them from Liverpool“ but they may now also struggle to make the Champions League spots with fourth-placed Chelsea holding a 11-point advantage over them after just 17 matches played. Owing to this, a major section of the United supporters seem keen on seeing the end of Mourinho’s tenure at Old Trafford but “that may not happen“ any sooner judging by the recent reports.

According to The Mirror, the United hierarchy are likely to back the Portuguese tactician despite the recent defeat at Anfield and they remain optimistic that the 55-year-old can transform the club’s fortunes during the second half of the campaign to close down on the top-four positions.