The lure of Manchester United is no longer as great as it used to be according to one of their former players.
Jordi Cruyff says the current state of the club is unattractive to players who may have the chance to move there - especially when compared to that of United's neighbours City.
In his column in a Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Cruyff admits that he "didn't think for a second" when choosing the red side of Manchester rather than the blue when he was given the choice as a player. But now he says the roles have reversed and United no longer appear to have a defined plan.
As a player, Cruyff enjoyed a successful playing career despite being in the shadow of his father Johan. He had spells at United as well as Barcelona and has since gone on to build a promising career as a coach. He is currently at Chongqing Dangdai having also worked at AEK Larnaca and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In his column, Cruyff explained: "In and around Old Trafford everything was all about winning. At home or away, Manchester United always went for the win. Everyone in the club was busy with it every day. That is why the current situation worries me. If Barcelona has a bad year, the club will not finish in third place in the Spanish league. That should also apply to Manchester United, but is not the case. In recent years, the club has been struggling to stay even in the Premier League’s sub-top.
"The choice of the Barcelona trio Guardiola, Begiristain and Soriano indicate that Manchester City works from a clear philosophy and that is connected both sportingly and professionally.
"That’s missing at Manchester United. I don’t get the feeling that there is a clear plan that indicates which way everyone in the club should go. And if you do not take any steps in the current Premier League, you will be caught up. Manchester United now sees almost weekly that the competition has indeed not stopped.
"Then another danger arises. Like any other footballer, I didn’t have to think for a second whether I should choose Manchester United or Manchester City. Just like Barcelona, the attraction of Manchester United was irresistible. Because of the developments at City it is no longer so obvious that a footballer now blindly chooses United.’
