When Vialli and Zola came to England the first thing they said was how great the EPL is. Double daily training sessions were the exception rather then the norm, there was no 'ritiri' (boot camps) when things go wrong and players could lose a game and still go out to the pub in the evening without risking getting hunted down by the fans. Vialli had a top career with Juventus, however Zola played most of his career with Parma whom, back then, were a bit like Spurs. So this rigid mentality was throughout the entire Serie A.
In 2009, the youth team came to visit Malta. This youth team had the likes of Pogba and Jesse in it. SAF broke the team into groups who were send at tables filled with fans. The fans were given around 15 minutes and then they would move to other tables. SAF INSTRUCTED us to ask players the most difficult and uncomfortable football related questions. The Supporters club committee were incredibly uncomfortable with that as they feared that this might lead burning bridges between the supporters club and some of the players. Yet SAF insisted on this session claiming that if these kids couldn't handle United fans who mean well then they would crumble against professional journalists in the future
SAF is gone and I very much doubt it that those who succeeded him could be bothered with the youth academy let alone in producing kids who are comfortable around criticism. We also signed many local players from small clubs on huge fees who are, quite frankly, overrated. That's a dangerous mix as on one hand the expectations are very high and on the other hand there's little talent to justify that. Also I very much doubt that the likes of Sheffield United or Crystal Palace had mentally trained Maguire and Wan Bissaka to face hordes of fans, from different countries, different cultures and with different ways how to express their disappointment, all of whom expect players to perform greatly week in week out. They might equip them in facing relegation with a brave face (how many times Maguire had been relegated?) but certainly not that.
United certainly doesn't help. We tend to buy pick up trucks for the price of a Ferrari only to suddenly expect them to perform as Ferraris would do. When things go wrong our manager vanishes to Norway for a holiday leaving behind club legends to shield his players and himself from criticism from the fans and sometimes other club legends as well. This parody is reaching new heights with the latest being with Robson who took cheap shots at Keane's managerial career when he himself didn't exactly covered himself in glory on that regard.