Martin Keown has named the Manchester United summer recruit that he believes has weakened Ruben Amorim's side in the wake of another chastening Premier League defeat for the Red Devils.
United were beaten by Spurs on Sunday in a bottom-half scrap with fellow Big Six strugglers Tottenham, falling 1-0 to Ange Postecoglou's side.
The visitors were undone by a 13th-minute goal from the returning James Maddison, and currently sit 15th in the table after a difficult weekend.
While a long way off a relegation battle at present, Man United are only two points ahead of 16th-placed West Ham, and have work to do next weekend when they travel to Goodison Park to face a resurgent Everton under former manager David Moyes.
But Arsenal legend Keown suggested that one star should be left out of the line-up for their next Premier League clash.
Former Bayern Munich and Ajax star Matthijs De Ligt found himself in the firing line after Sunday's test, with Keown bemoaning the 'obscene' amount former manager Erik ten Hag spent on tempting him to Old Trafford.
Since last summer, De Ligt has struggled to assert himself in United's back line, with Keown highlighting that some of his decision-making has heaped pressure on the team as a whole.
'Look at De Ligt, the amount of money they spent on him by the way is almost obscene for a centre half,' Keown said of the £42.9 million defender on talkSPORT. 'He's playing like a robot.
'There's times he can clear the ball and he puts it out for a corner. He just creates issues for the team. Ruben Amorim needs to empower him with confidence, I'm not seeing any of that with him.'
Keown's comments echo those made by former Man United man Paul Scholes, who has heavily criticised De Ligt this season.
Scholes pointed out that he was 'concerned' by De Ligt's age - 25 - as well as the amount of clubs that he has played at since breaking out under Ten Hag at Ajax.
'He was brilliant at Ajax, he seems to be getting worse as he gets older,' Scholes said on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet. 'Bayern Munich, Juventus, they've let him go for some reason.
'Where are your ambitions?' Scholes asked of his former club. 'I'm talking about getting a team to win the Premier League. Are you going to win the Premier League with De Ligt and (Leny) Yoro as your centre halves?'
While winning the title might be some way off for Amorim's injury-hit side, the Portuguese manager was bullish about his job security in the wake of defeat to Tottenham.
Amorim was without 12 players and had to pack his bench with teenagers from the academy as United lost in the league for the 12th time – their most defeats in the first 25 games of a season since they were relegated in 1974.
'I am not worried,' he said. 'I understand our fans, what the media think about it. I hate to lose, that feeling is the worst.
'The rest I am not thinking about. I understand my situation, my job, I am confident in my work and I just want to win games.
'The place in the table is my worry, I am not worried about me.
'I have a lot of problems, my job is so, so hard here. But I stick with my beliefs. We just need to face it and not run away, that is my feeling. Today will hurt, it is a tough pain to lose so many games.'
