‘When I played there were a lot… today not so many’: Wes Brown bemoans United’s lack of leaders

Wes Brown believes a lack of leadership has been the biggest problem for Manchester United this season. 

United have had a season to forgot with their hopes of a top four finish all but mathematically over.

And Brown thinks the dressing room is crying out for the type of big characters he played with at Old Trafford.

Speaking at the Watson Metters golf day, the former United defender said: ‘It’s not been good for a few seasons now. The team isn’t a team – everyone can see there’s something wrong. 

‘No-one’s said: ‘Let’s get something – anything – out of this season.’ It’s just not happened. Manchester United supporters have not seen anything like that type of fight. 

‘You’ve got to be strong mentally and know how to win games of football – perhaps when you don’t deserve to – Manchester United’s players haven’t been able to do that.’ 

‘When I played there were a lot of leaders on the pitch. Today, maybe not so many.

‘Playing with the likes of Roy Keane, they had that mentality. I’m not saying players now don’t care, they do. But if stuff had to be said, or sorted out, then it was. 

‘There were a lot of players like that in dressing-rooms. I’m not talking just about Roy. Or just about Manchester United. But players change, the game has changed and leaders in football just aren’t as common as they once were.

‘You need them, because every successful team is going to have patches when they need to tough it out. And hopefully, Ten Hag is the man who can sort it. He looks hungry, he did some good work at Ajax and I think the supporters are genuinely intrigued to see how he gets on. 

‘I think there is a big re-build on the way. Players will go. He will have his own ideas but I do see change. And, potentially, a lot of it, too.’