Paul McGrath: Some players are not up to it at Manchester United

Against Wolves yesterday, United’s players looked like those on a mid-table team going through the motions with a handful of games to go in the season.

They also did not look like players who ought to be advertising their wares to new employers, since everyone knows that Manchester United are going to have a clear-out this summer.

United got the job done with a 2-0 success and now need to win two of their remaining three games to be sure of Champions League football next season.

But not being certain of the three points against a moderate Wolves side until the 94th minute is hardly a great advertisement for the way those players are going about their business as this strange season moves to its end.

I’ve often argued here that Manchester United can be a cripplingly hard place to play football.

That some players who come in simply can’t deal with the demand for success that comes with donning the famous red shirt.

Me, in my time, my chest surged out, every single time I pulled it on. My issue was conducting myself off the pitch.

I believe some of today’s team are a 100 per cent opposite of me, model professionals off the pitch, just afraid to express themselves on it – frightened of making a mistake.

You are a Manchester United player because the manager has confidence in you, the fans will be with you forever as long as you put a shift in.

But somehow, United now have too many players in their squad who are cowed by what is being asked of them.

It is right that Erik ten Hag will have a summer clear-out, players who cannot face up to the demands of being ‘a Manchester United man’ will not help the club win trophies.

There is skill and class in the United ranks, but players like Alejandro Garnacho are typical of what is going on at the club.

To me, this lad is special, a real talent as he showed with the second goal yesterday.

But he ought to be a first-teamer now, a player the club can rely on.

He’s still very young, but the Argentine, like Jadon Sancho, is a player who just needs a boost in confidence.

My take is that he is good enough to start matches for United, and it is time he kicked on and established himself.

The early months of next season will be big for Garnacho and a few other young lads; they need to convince their manager they are made of the right stuff.

And of course they will have to do it against a background of ten Hag buying more good players for the club, because United are going to stiffen their squad in June and July – be sure of that.

It was a bad day yesterday for a young Irish footballer with Southampton, and Gavin Bazunu, being relegated.

The drop has been staring the Saints in the face for the last few weeks and losing to Fulham yesterday confirmed it.

Gavin has lost his starting place over the last fortnight, but he will be back.

Isn’t it funny though, how Gavin loses his Premier League status in the week that three clubs in the top flight express an interest in buying Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool?

Football? it sure is a funny old game. Leeds fans, of whom there are so many in Ireland, won’t be laughing today, though.

Their team probably needs two wins, against West Ham (a) and Spurs (h), to stay up.

It’ll be some miracle if Sam Allardyce can keep them in the Premier League.

It would certainly help Leeds’ cause if Everton, another club with massive Irish ties, get nothing out of their home game against Manchester City this afternoon.

But then Everton require every point they can muster to stay up too.

And as I mention Everton, wasn’t it great news to hear, a few days ago, that Seamus Coleman’s knee injury is not as serious as we feared and that he will be back in action next season.

Ireland will miss him for the matches against Greece and Gibraltar next month, but at least the captain will be back for the vital clashes with France and the Netherlands in September.