Exclusive: Ex-Man Utd legend’s fears about over-reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes’s form

Manchester United are relying too much on individuals to win games and don’t play as a team, according to former midfielder, Sammy McIlroy.

The Northern Irishman played in some great United sides, including the 1977 FA Cup-winning team, and feels the current dressing room at Old Trafford don’t fight for each other.

The Red Devils have endured a difficult season with the club currently sixth in the table and looking less likely to make the Champions League as the weeks go by.

They’ve also been on the wrong end of several embarrassing defeats throughout the campaign, such as the 4-1 loss to Manchester City earlier this month, as well as those suffered at the hands of Liverpool and Watford.

But even when United have picked up points this season, the on-field performances have rarely been good, with Cristiano Ronaldo often bailing the team out.

McIlroy, who was speaking to ManchesterWorld as mark the release of his new autobiography The Last Busby Babe, the Autobiography of Sammy McIlroy MBE, with Wayne Barton, feels the over-reliance on Ronaldo’s goals is a real source of concern, as well as the form of Bruno Fernandes.

“I look at the United team and I see great individuals, but we [in the 1970s] played as a team, which they’re not doing,” the 67-year-old exclusively told ManchesterWorld.

“We covered for people, we helped each other, and now United are playing off the cuff. Ronaldo at 37, our leading goalscorer still. Fernandes, one of our best signings when he came, has dipped a wee bit.

“But we’re depending on certain individuals to win us games, which at United, shouldn’t happen.

“We were a team - don’t get me wrong, we had individuals who could win games - but when you play as a team and you work together [that makes a difference]. We were close to fans as well; players aren’t close to the fans now, which is a shame.”

Cups not enough for United

To compound the poor league form, United have also dropped out of all three cup competitions: the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League.

It means, given their diminishing hopes of making the top four, United’s final months of campaign could be among the worst their fans have experienced since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.

While McIlroy feels a cup success in the last few years, or this season, may have eased some of the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, he also explained how the domestic competitions have lost much of their importance, compared to his playing days.

“When you go back to the ‘70s, the cup was a great substitute if you didn’t win the league, because everyone wanted to play in an FA Cup final,” McIlroy said.

“To win a cup final was a great day for you and the fans. But now, more and more in the modern day, the Premier League and the Champions League are the only things.

“The FA Cup has dipped a bit, which for me is a shame. It’s gone down to third. But any manager we’ve had over the last couple of years would have taken an FA Cup, but it’s still not good enough.

“[Jose] Mourinho won a League Cup and a Europa League with boring football, [Louis] Van Gaal won the FA Cup. Both of them still got the sack. So that just shows you where we’re at.

“Any team can win the cup with a little luck and the right draw, but to win the league you have to be consistent, and to win the Champions League you have to be special.”