The gloves are well and truly off.
Any remaining patience has evaporated, and one of the most recognisable voices in English football has delivered a verdict that has crashed down on Manchester United with brutal force.
Michael Owen showed no mercy after yet another lifeless, worrying performance from United — a display that once again dragged familiar, uncomfortable questions into the open. Questions about standards. About direction. About how a club once feared across Europe has drifted so far from what it used to be.
Speaking with unfiltered honesty, Owen unleashed a critique that has rippled through social media and reopened wounds United supporters know all too well.
“It’s something I’ve been saying for years,” he said. “Ever since Sir Alex left, we lost our identity.”
That alone was enough to sting. But he wasn’t finished.
For Owen, the issue at Old Trafford is no longer hidden or complex. It’s obvious, entrenched, and deeply rooted.
“That’s why rubbish players keep getting games,” he said flatly, offering no cushioning for the blow.
In his view, the absence of a clear footballing identity has allowed standards to erode to the point where repeated underperformance carries no real consequences. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, one poor outing could see you dropped. Two could end your United career altogether. Now, Owen believes average has become acceptable.
“At Manchester United, you used to earn the shirt,” he said. “Now, it feels like some players are just handed it.”
The harshest moment came when Owen turned his attention squarely on the current squad.
“Some of these players don’t deserve to wear the shirt,” he declared. “They are the worst of the worst.”
It was more than criticism — it was outright condemnation. For a club built on pride, history and relentless demands, questioning whether players are worthy of the badge cuts deeper than any scoreline. And perhaps most damning of all, many supporters quietly agree.
At the heart of Owen’s argument is a simple but painful truth: Manchester United no longer know who they are. Watching them now, he says, offers no clarity. Are they trying to press high? Sit deep and counter? Dominate possession? Rebuild patiently?
“I watch them and I don’t know what they’re trying to be,” he admitted. “That was never the case with United — until now.”
Under Ferguson, the identity was unmistakable. Relentless intensity, fearless attacking football, a refusal to accept defeat and an unshakeable belief that no game was ever lost. Today, Owen sees none of it. Instead, he sees hesitation, confusion, and players unwilling to take responsibility when things go wrong.
Perhaps most troubling is that his criticism goes beyond whoever happens to be in the dugout. Managers have come and gone. Huge sums have been spent. Rebuilds have been promised again and again. Yet the same patterns keep resurfacing.
“When it keeps happening under different managers, you have to look at the players,” Owen said.
No matter who is in charge, the tempo fades, heads drop after conceding, and confidence evaporates under pressure. Too many players, Owen believes, have survived managerial changes without ever being truly challenged or held to account.
He also pointed to what he sees as a culture of comfort creeping into the squad.
“Some of these lads look far too comfortable,” he said. Comfortable losing. Comfortable being average.
At a club like Manchester United, that accusation strikes at the core. Comfort, Owen argues, is the enemy of greatness. Big wages, long contracts and a lack of genuine competition have created an environment where standards slip.
“If you know you’ll play no matter what, standards drop,” he warned.
And supporters can see the symptoms clearly: jogging instead of sprinting, blame-shifting when mistakes happen, shoulders slumped at the first sign of adversity. These are behaviours that would never have been tolerated in the past.
Owen became most animated when speaking about what the United shirt used to represent — fear, respect, history.
“Opposition teams used to hate coming to Old Trafford,” he said. “Now they come believing they’ll get something.”
That change in mentality, he believes, has been devastating. The badge should weigh heavy on those who wear it and intimidate those who face it. Instead, it has become just another kit for players who don’t understand its significance.
“If you don’t feel the pressure of playing for United,” Owen added, “you shouldn’t be there.”
The debate now is whether the damage can still be undone. Owen insists it can — but only through ruthless action. Clearing out players who don’t meet the standard. Ending the protection of reputations. Recruiting hunger instead of hype. Restoring real accountability.
“You don’t fix this with one signing,” he warned. “You fix it by changing the culture.”
That, he believes, will require painful decisions. Fan favourites may have to leave. Expensive signings may need to be written off. Sentiment must take a back seat.
Unsurprisingly, Owen’s comments have divided opinion. Some fans applauded his blunt honesty, calling it long overdue. Others felt he crossed the line, arguing criticism should be more measured.
But one thing is clear: the focus has shifted. This is no longer about patience or transition. It’s about standards — and whether the players are truly worthy of representing Manchester United.
Whether welcomed or resented, Owen’s words have struck a nerve. They echo years of frustration, decline and broken promises.
“Manchester United should never accept this,” he concluded. “And neither should the fans.”
