Blame the players, says Manchester United fan Ian Black

Shrewsbury midfielder and Manchester United fan Ian Black insists United’s players have failed to justify their huge pay packets.

Black’s family have three season tickets in the Stretford End and he grew up supporting the Red Devils.

As he awaits United’s visit to the New Meadow tonight, Black feels the players are to blame for the club’s current struggles.

“Wayne Rooney has come out and said blame the players which is totally right and I totally agree,” said the one-time Scotland international.

“They are getting paid X amount of money to perform to the level they should be at that size of club and they have not done it.

“They have been poor but people write them off and you can never write them off.

“They have been unfortunate with the way they play.

“People talk about the manager and being under pressure but he is the manager at the biggest club in the world for a reason and he can handle that.”

Black knows a Shrews win would be a new nadir for Louis van Gaal: “It would put massive pressure on him if we can go and achieve a result or draw or win,” Black said. “To be brutally honest I can’t tell the board how to act if we beat them.

“It is Man United and you never know how they are going to turn up. Beating them would be a dream, I can visualise it.”