Dwight Yorke is finding Manchester United difficult to watch these days. He won’t always bother and will just catch the highlights, if that’s the correct phrase.

Above all, he is still angry that his former club failed to prevent Manchester City from winning the Premier League title last season. ‘Our Treble,’ he refers to it.

Yorke, one of United’s heroes in 1999, still has strong feelings for his original club, Aston Villa, who are just a point behind United in the Premier League and pay a visit to Old Trafford on Tuesday. Right now, two teams are sending out quite different vibes.

‘Listen, I think Villa are in a lot better position than United,’ adds Yorke, who was a member of the last Villa team to come close to winning the title in 1993, when they were beaten by United.

‘However, no matter how poor United is, traveling to Old Trafford is always a tough challenge.

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke finds the club difficult to watch these days.

There is still resentment that they were unable to prevent Manchester City from winning the treble.

United had a disastrous first half of the season and currently lie eighth in the rankings.

‘Unai Emery has overseen a significant turnaround. He’s got them playing in such an exciting, energetic style. It’s extremely incredible, almost like a fairy tale story.

‘The inconsistency of the top boys, City and Liverpool, gives Villa an outside shot at winning the league. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to take advantage of.

‘We also expected this from Erik ten Hag. He got off to a great start, reaching two finals and winning one, and bringing back Champions League football. He checked every box.

‘You’re thinking, we’ve got the guy who’ll take the club forward now. He’s actually gone the other way.

‘He spent money on players. However, being kicked out of Europe must have been awful for them.

‘When you look at the group with Galatasaray and Copenhagen, these are clubs that United should be able to beat in a single leg.’ 

United’s unpredictable form has put Ten Hag in a hazardous position as INEOS prepares to move into Old Trafford in the New Year, with the club out of Europe and severely out of sorts in ninth place in the Premier League following Saturday’s devastating setback at West Ham.

‘These new owners have the authority to change things whenever they choose. That would be a problem,’ Yorke adds.

In contrast, Tuesday’s opponents, Aston Villa, are having one of their best seasons.

Yorke claims United have deteriorated following a successful first season under Erik ten Hag. 

‘Ten Hag must accomplish in order to win football matches. If you do this, you will put yourself in a situation where it will be very difficult to get rid of you.

‘At a club like Manchester United, the scrutiny can be excruciating at times. Most importantly, you must be able to overcome that.’ 

Yorke won six trophies at Old Trafford in four years, including the Treble. He had a legendary striking partnership with Andy Cole, but the other stars in a dynamic United attack were Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham.

Yorke found Ten Hag’s side unwatchable at times, despite a decade of mediocrity post-Ferguson. They are on a four-game goalless streak, the club’s longest since 1992. Only Sheffield United have scored fewer Premier League goals.

Yorke won six titles in four years at Old Trafford, including the Premier League title in 1998-99.

‘It’s been difficult to watch United,’ Yorke acknowledges. ‘There are no two ways about it. I won’t lie: I’ve walked away from the game, refusing to watch for a while and instead attempting to catch up on highlights rather than sitting through 90 minutes.’ Worse, City is sweeping everything in their path, including United in last season’s all-Manchester FA Cup final.

‘I’ll never forget how we let City recreate history by winning the Treble because we had a chance to stop them at Wembley and we didn’t,’ adds the former Trinidad and Tobago international.

‘The players did not do what they were obliged to do to defend the football club’s most important legacy. So I’m a little irritated by that, and I haven’t fully recovered.’

As a striker, Yorke sympathizes with new £72 million signing Rasmus Hojlund, who has yet to score in the Premier League, but believes United should have pushed for a more experienced frontman.

‘In my opinion, they should have spent £150 million for (Erling) Haaland. Harry Kane is a no-brainer. And (Victor) Osimhen is another name I would have considered.

‘I feel bad for Rasmus, he’s going through a lot. I knew nothing about him until he arrived at United for such a high sum. He’s 20 years old, has never had top-level experience, and is clearly in that developmental period.

Yorke claims he sympathizes with ‘rookie’ striker Rasmus Hojlund because of the guys around him.

‘You can’t put a rookie in charge of a man’s job. It just does not work. He’s making the game appear a little challenging. But from whom is he learning?

‘We had four exceptional players. Seasoned professionals who understood the glitz and glam of the Premier League and how to handle their game. I don’t believe United has anyone.

‘We just appear a little ragged in every sector. At United, players’ careers have come to a halt. Players who should not be at the team remain.

‘The manager establishes the tone at the football team. It is your responsibility to help these players progress. Ten Hag will perish as a result of his philosophy, but if I were in his shoes, I would handle things differently.’ 

Yorke, now 52, speaks with the zeal of a man who believes he has much to give in management. His first stint at Macarthur saw the Sydney club win the Australia Cup, but it ended in January after only six months.

Yorke applied for the Villa job before Steven Gerrard did two years ago and received no response.