admin At the end of Erik ten Haag’s first season as manager, Manchester United find themselves in a rather unusual position for a club of this level.
On the other hand, qualification for the Champions League and trophies were arguably more to be expected given the undeniable progress made in the 2022/23 season and a top four finish was hardly expected. It exceeded.
United must sell well and strengthen their squad in a summer of reckoning for the Old Trafford hierarchy
It is a reflection of the mismanagement at Manchester United in the nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired that a club that has been continuously rebuilding over that period approaches this summer requiring its biggest overhaul yet.
That United head into a critical transfer window still unclear about who their next manager will be and with doubts over the futures and suitability of so many players only reinforces the scale of the job in hand at a club that cannot keep repeating the same mistakes.
After a succession of failures, no decision is more important than getting the right manager in and that process is gathering pace. In turn, there has to be a dramatic improvement in the quality, profile and character of players recruited with a clear identity and cohesive structure in mind.
But, running parallel to that, is the need for a complete rethink in terms of how United approach selling and moving on players. After a 4-1 loss to derby rivals Manchester City on Sunday, Roy was criticized when the former captain suggested there should be ‘five or six players’ who will never play for the club. Keane probably summed up the feelings of many disgruntled fans. But the success of this summer’s rebuild may depend on how well the club manages and closes. Especially if they miss out on Champions League berths and income from Europe’s top club competitions and have to make ends meet on a reduced budget.
While opponents which includes City, Liverpool and Chelsea have frequently acted hastily and decisively on the subject of offloading gamers and intentionally saved opposition and motivation excessive withinside the process, United – frightened of choices coming again to hang-out them – have lacked backbone, foresight and imagination. The repercussions were severe, with period in-between supervisor Ralf Rangnick inheriting a bloated, demotivated, Frankenstein squad assembled through 4 special managers and left to struggle with the disillusionment and unrest that has festered as a consequence.
Lucrative new lengthy-time period contracts were dished out in which they had been now no longer deserved in a few cases (assume Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo), upfront in different situations (Anthony Martial, Dean Henderson and Eric Bailly) and gamers saved on that rival clubs, eschewing sentiment, might lengthy in the past have discarded (Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic, for example). Financially, it has price United fortunes, denied them treasured finances to reinvest withinside the squad and left them caught with overpaid gamers who now no longer make the grade and frequently emerge as leaving on loose transfers.
That’s not possible this summer. Now, belatedly, United must finally show their ruthlessness. There is a limit to how many players can be realistically waived and signed in the face of chance, but Ferguson must be ready to be bold and win against leaner and weaker teams next season. Javier Hernandez, Daley Blindt, Chris Smalling and Daniel James are the only four players to have been profitably acquired without going through the club’s academy since leaving, with transfer fees exceeding £10m at the time. Only eight players received the
United urgently need to create room for rising staff costs and free up money for contracts. The immediate futures of up to 12 players are in question, five of whom are out of contract at the end of the season, including Paul Pogba. Players like Martial, Henderson, Bailly and Donny van de Beek could make a decent income from sales.
Perhaps with the arrival of a new chief executive in Richard Arnold and greater autonomy given to football director John Murtaugh, United will become more determined and nimble in the market when it comes to dismissing players. deaf.
But they remain accountable to the Glaser family and the January transfer window is further proof that United’s owners are making unrealistic demands and that rival clubs are simply unwilling to comply. became. Newcastle refused to yield to United’s demands for a £12m survival bonus and a £2.5m rental fee for Jesse Lingard. Martial joined Sevilla on loan after United waived loan fees and the French forward accepted a reduction of £200,000 a week.
The huge salaries United pays their players certainly help clubs struggling to pay decent wages for their out-of-form, unpopular and aging players. There is also a general reluctance to sell quality players, even if they are underperforming or showing signs that their best years are over. That’s also true of Pogba, and it’s also true of goalkeeper David De Gea, who is in the midst of an ongoing crisis ahead of a dramatic comeback this season, signing a new four-year contract in September 2019. I was just inside. Compare this to Chelsea’s decision to sell Eden Hazard to Real Madrid for £130m or Liverpool’s decision to move Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona for £145m.
A better buy will be essential for United’s next manager. But clubs must stop hoarding players and regenerate their squads more urgently and accurately.
Manchester United team review
Roy Keane perhaps when former captain suggested ‘five or six players’ who will never return to club should surrender after Sunday’s 4-1 defeat , likely spoke for the feelings of many disgruntled Manchester United fans. Derby rivals Manchester City.
United are facing their biggest turnaround since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, but the situation is further complicated by the fact that the club are still looking for a new permanent manager. there is Here, The Telegraph Sport looks at who United should keep, sell or keep until they get a great offer.
Keep
- Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Tom Heaton
- Defenders: Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw
- Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay, Fred
- Forwards: Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo
It feels like the pool of players that form the base of our build continues to dwindle. United desperately need better defenders to back up Rafael Varane and Luke Shaw. David De Gea has been United’s standout player this season, but if the new manager really wants to play from behind with determination and conviction, even when the Spanish keeper has the ball on foot. The question remains whether he is good enough when he has more balls. A pressing issue that needs to be addressed.
Midfield needs major surgery, but both Fred and Scott McTominay are natural defensive midfielders who have not been able to play as often due to the lack of strong replacements, but have had difficult Two of the few regulars willing to hit the road, struggling talisman Bruno Fernandes needs leadership. Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga are exciting young strikers, but Marcus Rashford, who is in the worst form of his career, is hungry for a comeback and top-class strikers are a priority.
Sell / release
- Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Lee Grant
- Defenders: Eric Bailly, Phil Jones
- Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira
- Forwards: Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard
Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are out of contract this summer. United want to postpone a decision on Pogba’s future until they decide who will be the new manager, but after six years of mediocre results, many fans are left with a moody French midfielder. wants to see the back of
United must finally sack Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic, Anthony Martial and Andreas Pereira. That could mean starting next season with a smaller roster, but after playing too long with a bloated roster that could boil over, paychecks are released and important funding is raised. can. Second goalkeeper Dean Henderson isn’t ready for another season on the bench.
Stuck with for now / listen to offers for
- Defenders: Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Diogo Dalot, Alex Telles
- Midfielders: Donny van de Beek
- Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo
There should be a limit to the number of players a club can realistically buy or sell in the summer. With too many turnovers creating problems of their own, requiring compromises and a long-term view, United must retain certain players for the foreseeable future despite questions that may surround them. means that you must
Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been cited as examples of United’s success in finally signing the squad, but those two, who signed for a combined £130m in 2019, are not. , the season ended disastrously.
Donny van de Beek’s future may depend on how many other midfielders leave the club or what offers the Dutch player receives. The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo is also a headache. He continues to be United’s top scorer, but at 37 he cannot play every few days or work at the same pace as a young striker. But given his position and £775,000 a week salary, he needs to play, and if he doesn’t, it’s a problem. He has a year left on his contract and no other club in Europe would sign him for such a sum.
