Former Manchester United Keeper: 'The Blame Lies With The Manager'

Mark Bosnich has insisted that the blame for Manchester United's lacklustre results lies with Sir Alex Ferguson, and believes that the manager needs to realise that his team are slipping toward the possibility of going trophyless this season.

The Red Devils have had a very up and down mid-season, with the club boasting two 5-0 wins over Christmas, but when top spot in the Premier League table has been there for the taking, they have squandered opportunities to steal the march on cross-town rivals Manchester City.

And with United now out of Champions League contention, Bosnich believes that Ferguson needs to look at his own tactics and consider re-thinking if he hopes to come away from this season with any accolades at all.

"I know a lot of people are too scared to say it, but it starts with the manager," Bosnich told Talksport.

"That singing of 'Happy Birthday' before the Blackburn game is too much self-indulgence. I know he's in his 25th season and so forth but he's got to start doing what he does best and that's manage the football team.

"I don't think he's got anyone around him anymore, or that any of the players are strong enough to challenge the decisions he's making and what he's doing.

"If it goes on like this, they're already out of the Champions League and they could go out of the FA Cup, they'll end up winning nothing. Someone close to him needs to tell him.

"He's [Sir Alex Ferguson] got to pull his finger out if they are going to win anything. He's very fortunate that Man City lost those points against Sunderland, when they could have won by ten, because that's what's keeping them in the title race at the moment."

Fans seem to not know whether they're on top or struggling with United at the moment, particularly after the side followed up their back to back 5-0 wins with losses against Blackburn and Newcastle.

But Ferguson has been unpredictable before and put down by pundits far and wide, and the Scotsman has continually proven them wrong. Even as soon as last season, United were written off as title contenders with Chelsea running rampant and Arsenal pushing for top spot. But Ferguson ignored the critics and the club were smiling in the end as they lifted a record 19<sup>th Premier League title.

The problem with United's dip in form this time around is that it is uncharacteristically taking place in the thick of the season, and while City lost to Sunderland, the side aren't letting up with their performances, and look far more dangerous than Chelsea or Arsenal did this time last year.