Former Newcastle United boss Allan Pardew has claimed that Manchester United is failing because Erik ten Hag underestimated the club by signing players who do not know what it takes to play for the Red Devils.

Erik Ten Hag oversaw a spending spree of around £170m last summer to bring in the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat.

However the Red Devils have had a rough start to the Premier League collecting just nine points in seven matches.

Allan Pardew believes that the Dutch manager has no place to hide this season having already brought in the players he wants.

‘He managed Ajax to great success and he’s comes through to Man United and he’s earned the right be at Man United,’ Pardew told talkSPORT.

‘At the moment the question marks have got to be around the signings of the players, the choice of signings and what that club is.

‘In my opinion, they’ve underestimated what a true Manchester United player should be. I’m not just talking about a great technical footballer, but the right character with that kind of hunger in them to drive the team on; Steve Bruce, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona – you could name so many different characters – Gary Neville.

‘I look at this team and Bruno Fernandes is the skipper but he doesn’t strike me as that type of characters. He’s a great footballer, but not that type of character and I look in that group and I’m wondering who that is.

‘Amrabat coming into the team and has only played a couple of games, maybe. Casemiro, I’d like to see a little bit more from him on that front.

‘For me, that’s what that team needs. Where’s the heartbeat? Where’s the ‘boom, boom, boom’ of that team?’

‘Style can be put to bed if you don’t have the right players and he’s been in charge of the players coming in – Antony, Mason Mount, Casemiro – all coming into the team.

‘They’re his players and there’s nowhere to hide when they’re his players. I’ve been there, I know that, so when one or two of those players are failing it’s a massive problem.’