Manchester United news: Poor form due to lack of fitness, NOT desire, Danny Higginbotham tells talkSPORT

Manchester United news: Poor form due to lack of fitness, NOT desire, Danny Higginbotham tells talkSPORT
Danny Higginbotham has defended Manchester Uniteds end-of-season slump and has issued a warning to fans calling for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s head.The attitudes of a number of Red Devils players were questioned after they suffered a dreadful end of the campaign, missing out on Champions League football and finishing sixth in the Premier League table a full 32 points adrift of champions Manchester City.But Higginbotham insists the squad do NOT lack desire and instead lack the right fitness to play Solskjaer’s way.getty2

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a tough rebuilding job on his hands at Manchester United

United went through a purple patch of ten wins and one draw from Solskjaers first 11 games in charge as Uniteds interim boss.But, since being appointed permanent manager in March, United have won just twice.A dreadful campaign was brought to a close with a dismal 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford to relegated Cardiff City, which only brought more criticism on the playersBut Higginbotham believes the squad just lack the fitness to properly carry out the Norwegians orders on the pitch something that can be corrected over time.He told Tuesdays Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: When Ole first came in there was a lot of adrenaline around and the team looked good, they looked strong. But then as the season went on it was plain and obvious for everyone to see the players arent fit enough for Oles style.That doesnt mean theyre not fit players, because you have different styles of football.If you took Klopp or Guardiola and got them to take over this United squad now, regardless of the different in quality between the groups of players, the United players cant play in that way. It requires a different level of fitness.Thats the way Ole wants to play but Mourinho played a different way, so their fitness levels need to go up considerably because of the style of play Solskjaer wants to bring to the team.Getty2

Man United players are likely to be put through the wringer by their boss in pre-season training

Higginbotham also called for patience at Old Trafford, with some fans already calling for Solskjaer to be axed just weeks after he was handed the full-time reins.Its a long-term project, added the Carrington academy graduate.Anybody that thinks Man United are going to challenge Man City and Liverpool next season, you need to take a step back.Youve got to build the house slowly but surely, youve got to have the foundations and United have not had foundations for a number of years now.

Listen back to Danny Higginbotham on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast IN FULL above

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