“Sir Alex wouldn’t forgive you for that” - Owen Hargreaves blasts Manchester United star for his role in Everton’s equaliser

Former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves has criticized midfielder Fred's performance against Everton. He made this critique following an error by the Brazilian which led to Andros Townsend netting the equalizer. Hargreaves said that if the mistake had happened under Sir Alex Ferguson's management, Fred would have been dropped for at least a month.

He spoke about this after Manchester United's 1-1 draw against Everton. Owen Hargreaves was not impressed by how easily Demarai Gray got past Fred in a one-on-one situation. Hargreaves said:

"He’s got two cracks at it, and both [times] he loses. It can’t happen. Sir Alex wouldn’t forgive you for that, you wouldn’t have played for a month, seriously. He has to win those tackles. And if he loses it, you foul him, you bring him down. You’ve got to win that. You cannot get bumped off the ball by Demarai Gray and if he does, you foul him."

Fred has been one of Manchester United's least impactful players so far this season. Fans have regularly questioned his selection over more talented players like Donny van de Beek.

Fred was directly at fault for Everton's equalizer in the second half of the game. This saw Manchester United drop two more points in their quest for their first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in charge in 2013.

Manchester United have dropped points for a second consecutive home match in the Premier League. The Red Devils previously lost to Aston Villa 0-1 before only managing to score a point against Rafa Benitez's Everton.

As things stand, Manchester United are two points behind league leaders Chelsea going into a difficult October and November. In these two months, they play against all of their league rivals including Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

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Manchester United are in dire of strengthening their midfield

Manchester United had one of their most fruitful transfer windows earlier this summer. United have signed big-name players that include Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane.

However, Manchester United still have not issued their midfield problem. The lack of a proper defensive midfielder has forced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play the likes of Fred and Nemanja Matic in the number 6 role.

Manchester United have been linked with numerous midfielders including Declan Rice, Nordi Mukiele and Kalvin Phillips.

The Red Devils are already genuine title contenders this season. However, a lack of a solid defensive midfield could hamper their title challenge. Each of their rivals possess a solid defensive midfielder. Chelsea have N'Golo Kante, Liverpool have Fabinho while Manchester City have Rodri and Fernandinho.