"They do nothing": Owen's harsh critique of United's centre-backs

Former striker Michael Owen delivered a harsh critique of Manchester United's center-backs after the team's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur exposed their weaknesses in defence.

Owen, speaking to Premier League Productions, singled out Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Harry Maguire for their lacklustre performances. "What frustrates me more than anything about the Manchester United team is that those centre-halves do nothing during the game," Owen fumed, highlighting their failure to mark opponents effectively.

The ex-Liverpool and United forward was particularly critical of their role in James Maddison's goal, accusing them of "sleeping" when called upon to defend. Owen's frustration was palpable as he described the defenders' tendency to "just sit there" despite having seemingly straightforward defensive duties.

"It's the easiest position on the pitch in theory because they're asked to do nothing," Owen remarked, questioning manager Ruben Amorim's tactical approach of playing multiple defenders without clear marking assignments.