Ryan Giggs has claimed that Manchester United’s defeat to Liverpool on Sunday was the perfect summary of their disappointing season so far.
The result left United 19 points behind their rivals Liverpool, who are top of the Premier League and unbeaten after 17 games.
Former United winger Giggs was extremely disappointed with the result and performance, but insisted that it wasn’t the main thing the under-pressure Jose Mourinho should be criticised for.
“In the season, you can get beat in these games,” Giggs said.
“When United were winning leagues, we went to Anfield and got beat plenty of times. We got beat at Old Trafford.
“It’s just within this season. Within this season it just tops it off really.
“It tops it off that it’s a disappointing season, then when you get beat by your rivals obviously your fans won’t be happy.
“Jose takes a lot of stick, rightly or wrongly, but the players have got to take responsibility as well.
“He’s not the one out there mis-controlling it, he’s not the one going out to Mane like Herrera did and making a stupid challenge.
“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. We see Lukaku and Pogba in the World Cup and they’re performing to the highest level. Go back to their clubs and they’re not.
“Nineteen points behind Liverpool. That team isn’t 19 points worse than Liverpool.”