Tuesday, 23rd September, 2014
Manchester United legend Paddy Crerand believes the Red Devils lack a centre-back who can frighten opponents with strong physical play.
Crerand witnessed Manchester United's defence crumble at the weekend as the club threw away a 3-1 lead away at Leicester City to lose 5-3 to the Premier League new boys.
The side's defence came in for severe criticism and Crerand feels he knows exactly what the current backline is lacking – a defensive monster.
"I think we lack somebody in the middle of our defence who can frighten the life out of people. We don't have that", Crerand said on his call-in show on MUTV.
"You look at all the top teams, they've got players, central defenders, who frighten the life out of players."
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And Crerand turned his attention to a former Manchester United defender suggested by one caller as the ideal player the club's defence could use: Stoke City centre-back Ryan Shawcross.
Crerand is in agreement that Shawcross has flourished since joining the Potters from Manchester United, initially on loan, in 2007.
"You [the caller] mention Ryan Shawcross who's come on so well at Stoke. He was here as a kid and he was one of these big centre-halfs you thought 'I wouldn't fancy playing against him'.
"Obviously [at the time] we had Rio [Ferdinand] and Nemanja Vidic and the kid ended up going to Stoke and he's done tremendous there. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he gets picked in the next international squad for England", Crerand concluded.
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