Man Utd pride in Hannibal Mejbri's actions against Liverpool shows how far they've fallen

Has it really come to this at Manchester United – where we are supposed to celebrate a 19-year-old kid's excitable cameo in a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool?

New manager Erik ten Hag will take over this summer with the bar at the lowest level I can remember at Old Trafford. I have been watching United at every level for 30 years – as a YTS, father or opposition player – and I have never felt more saddened by them. In a derisory performance at Anfield, at least Hannibal Mejbri made his presence felt, crashing into Jordan Henderson and Andrew Robertson where more celebrated players offered little resistance.

And I can understand Gary Neville saying afterwards : “He reminded me of Nobby Stiles, of Eric Harrison and the basic principles of being a football player: Compete, win your duels, fight for every ball. There’s only one kid who came on and demonstrated that he had the heart and the soul to play for Manchester United Football Club – him.”

But I would disagree with Gary. Yes, it's good to see a young player being given a chance and trying to make his mark, but on another night Hannibal could have been sent off, which wouldn't have solved anything. As far as I'm concerned, United are back where they were at Oxford United in 1986, Sir Alex Ferguson's first game in charge.

The whole culture of the club has to change and needs a complete reset, to the values instilled by Fergie 36 years ago. Is the team more important than individuals playing to their own agenda? Sir Alex knew the answer.

And as I said last week in this column, Ten Hag must be given a minimum three years to implement his own culture, his own identity and his own philosophy because, as a institution, Manchester United is broken. People have been getting