Ian Wright slams United's two starting centre backs and insists they are weak link

England legend Ian Wright believes Manchester United’s centre back pairing of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire are ‘not good enough’ to play at the top level after their disastrous opening game against Crystal Palace.

United were soundly beaten at home by the Eagles in their first game of the Premier League season, with former player Wilfried Zaha scoring twice for his boyhood side.

While much of the attention at United this summer has been on Jadon Sancho and securing some attacking threat, Wright believes their main weakness is at the back. 

Victor Lindelof was beaten with ease as Wilfried Zaha burst past him to score Palace’s third

Harry Maguire also looked shaky in United’s opening-day defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday

‘I think you look at Maguire and Lindelof, for me you’ve got to target them now as much as you can,’ Wright told Premier League Productions. 

‘People are talking about who Man United might buy, you talk about forwards – at the moment, they’ve got to start focusing on that centre-half pairing.

‘If you get any of those two isolated in any situation, you’re probably going to get something out of it.’

Palace won 3-1 at Old Trafford, with both Lindelof and Maguire run ragged by the likes of Zaha, Schlupp and new boy Eze when he came on in the second half. 

Maguire endured a difficult summer off the pitch, getting arrested while on holiday in Mykonos, and he struggled on the pitch last Saturday too. 

‘I thought some of Maguire’s positioning [against Palace] was poor and Lindelof, just weak, weak in certain situations,’ Wright continued.

Ian Wright says teams should target United’s centre backs, who aren’t good enough for the top

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has plenty of problems to solve if United are to improve this season

‘They’ve got to sort out that centre-half pairing, for me. It’s not good enough at this level for Man United if they’re challenging for stuff. Lindelof and Maguire, not good enough. 

‘The fact is, that is not good enough. At this level, with what Man United are supposedly meant to be trying to do, people are talking about Jadon Sancho coming, what’s the point?

‘You’re going to get Jadon Sancho but still have two centre-halves who got absolutely roasted [against Palace] without actually trying too hard.’

United face Luton Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, before returning to league action on Saturday with a trip to the south coast to face Brighton.  

There has been much talk about Jadon Sancho but United must improve defence, says Wright