Paul Parker isn’t one of those ex-players who praises his former club no matter what. Definitely not.
The former Manchester United defender has been speaking about his old team’s form, and has little positive to say.
United are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, sixth in the Premier League, two points from fourth, in the final of the EFL Cup and on-course to reach the last-16 of the Europa League.
However, Parker, who played for the club between 1991 and 1996, remains unconvinced by a number of key figures at United.
First up, the former England defender took aim at Jose Mourinho, who he says “hasn’t changed” since his time at Chelsea. He also criticised Mourinho’s views on United’s fixture list.
“He’s still Mourinho and he doesn’t change,” Parker told 888sport.
“The sniping at Wenger, questioning everything and complaining about a fixture pile-up…you can’t be a big side competing for everything and not have a fixture pile-up!
“People are sick of reading about that because we all know that success comes from a problem, and if you’re successful over the Christmas period, still in the FA Cup, League Cup and Europe, there is going to be a pile-up. That’s why you’re allowed to go out and buy lots of players.”
Next up was Anthony Marital, who has, at times, struggled for form this season. The 20-year-old was brilliant during his first campaign in England, but Mourinho has openly challenged him to improve.
Parker has said the French forward hasn’t made the most of his first team opportunities, and that he “gives the ball away cheaply.”
“Maybe this is the first time I’ve ever agreed with Mourinho in wanting more from him, and you can look at stats but at the end of the day, it’s about people and what they do in games.”
Parker accused Martial of “lacking respect” for his teammates by not working hard enough.
The former United defender also said Paul Pogba lacks respect.
“Maybe if he (Pogba) kept it simple and began respecting the people around him he’d do more, instead of just flashes.
“He talks of how many times he’s hit the woodwork, but I’m pretty sure that Opta count that as being off target. How is that now becoming a positive? Add those eight times to the other occasions he’s been off target, and it doesn’t look good.”
And finally, Parker came to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Swedish striker has scored 24-goals already this season, but that’s not enough for Parker.
“Yes, Ibrahimovic’s goals have been very important, but does he enhance the way the team plays?
“For me there are still negatives and when he scores he gets the headlines, but when he doesn’t he’s not involved in enough play. When you keep reading about a new contract you wonder where that’s coming from.”
