Manchester United: Harry Redknapp blasts transfer dealings of Louis van Gaal and quality of team

Harry Redknapp has accused accused Louis van Gaal of spending Manchester United's money badly. The former Queens Park Rangers boss thinks the Red Devils' squad is full of uninspiring players, and he doubts whether they will finish in the top four.

United slumped to their sixth league defeat of the season against Southampton on Saturday (23 January 2016), leaving them five points outside of the Champions League qualifying positions. Redknapp thinks United's struggles under the Dutchman can be traced to his failed recruitment policy.

"Nobody was really that surprised when Southampton went there and won, which tells you everything about the current United squad," he wrote in The Telegraph. "They are top-six material but that's about it. They've got nobody special, no exciting individuals and nobody that can change the game, like a Ryan Giggs, or control the game like Paul Scholes used to do every week. United supporters are used to winning titles and playing sparkling football but those players aren't there any more. You are only as good as your players."

However, Redknapp does not think van Gaal is exclusively to blame for United's recruitment woes. "United have also underlined just how important recruitment is nowadays. They have spent a lot of money and spent it badly," he said. "I would love to know who signed those players. What always amazes me is that you never see the recruitment people when things go wrong. It's been the same at Liverpool and Aston Villa – the managers are expected to just go in there and wave a magic wand."

Redknapp's remarks come shortly after van Gaal admitted the club are actively looking to sign a full-back due to United's ongoing injury troubles. "I have started with Valencia, Shaw, Rojo, Darmian and Young, sometimes, and they are all injured," van Gaal said, according to United's official website.

"So, I need full-backs and you have seen how I have used youngsters like Borthwick-Jackson and Varela, who are doing great, but the level of Manchester United is high," the United boss added.