MANCHESTER United’s playing style has been criticised by Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer, who agreed a £750 million sponsorship deal with the club last year.

United endured a dismal end to 2015, slipping out of the Barclays Premier League top four and exiting the Champions League after embarking on their worst run in 26 years.

Although they did start 2016 with a win over Swansea, United ended the previous year with a damaging run of eight matches without a win.

Some fans have become concerned at the slow, possession-based style United play under manager Louis van Gaal and it seems they are not the only ones who are worried.

Adidas paid a world-record £750 million sum to become United’s kit supplier for 10 years last summer.

Adidas is reaping the rewards from United’s global reach financially, but in terms of what is happening on the pitch, the sportswear giant is not completely satisfied, it seems.

“Business with Man Utd is going very well,” Hainer told German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.

“We sell more jerseys than expected, the foreign share is 60 per cent.

“We are satisfied, even if the actual way of playing of Man Utd is not exactly that what we want to see.”

Hainer is not the first person to criticise Van Gaal’s playing style this season.

United fans have regularly chanted “attack, attack, attack” at the team while they slowly build from the back.