Football News: A view of the current Manchester United squad without the red tinted glasses on.
Many supporters claim we have a great squad, i beg to differ.
When Jose Mourinho arrived, he took over the worst performing Manchester United squad in 30 years, with them finishing 6th 4th 5th in the previous 3 seasons.
So far he has bought 8 players in:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Did well in his 1st season but after the injury, he should not have got a second year. He may well be off this month to USA.
Victor Lindelof - Started poorly but has improved somewhat. However, very underwhelming so far it has to be said. Time is on his side.
Paul Pogba - No doubt a huge talent, needs to do better in my opinion. Playing in the wrong position in my opinion. Would do better in a midfield three like he played at Juventus.
Eric Bailly - A super defender, unlucky with injury, needs to stay fit and will become the best in the league if he does stay fit.
Nemanja Matic - Looks knackered after a great start. He needs more help than Pogba gives him. A great signing and for me one of the main reasons for this seasons improvement in results and League position.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Gone and not before time. A talented player that will do better at Arsenal, but still will do better again in a slower tempo league.
Romelu Lukaku - Doing as well as he always has. His all round game is improving but the service to him has been non existent at times.
Alexis Sanchez - Just started .
Now, to those players he inherited:
David De Gea - Best in the world and Romero is probably one of the best back up keepers in the world too so we are in great shape there. Although according to some reports both see their future elsewhere which is a concern.
Antonio Valencia - He is not a top class right back. He does the defensive part quite well but slows attacks and his final ball is not good. Rarely gets to the end line. Plus he is will be 33 soon. Needs replacing badly.
Ashley Young - Enjoying his best season for a while but not a top class right or left back by any stretch of the imagination.
Luke Shaw - Has done well this last 3 months but 3 months in 4 years does not fill me with enough confidence and another left back is badly needed.
Tim Fosu-Mensah - Sent out on loan and has had a couple of good games, but nowhere near a good enough right back for us to win the League. Not always in the Crystal Palace team this season either. Has potential but miles short of a top team standard for the moment.
Phil Jones - Been here years, a bit part player due to injuries. I'd keep him as 2nd or 3rd back up choice.
Chris Smalling - Here for years, when he has played the most, our league position is poor at the end of the season. Not United standard not even a semi good player.
Marcus Rojo - Here four years at the end of this season, nobody will miss him when he is sold.
Daley Blind - A good professional at the wrong club, in the wrong league and has made little or no positive contribution in his 4 years and will never win an EPL title.
Matteo Darmian - Is Useless.
Marouane Fellaini - Like Blind, Rojo, Darmian their signings brought the quality of our squad down and in his four completed years we have had four of our worst league finishes for 30 years. These guys lower expectations, lower the quality of the squad and it's no coincidence that since their arrival, we have had lower finishes.
Michael Carrick - Is finished.
Ander Herrera. A great heart but like Darmian, Blind, Rojo, Fellaini, came from a much smaller club and has failed to make any real sort of impact, despite him having a decent season last year. It goes to show if Herrera was player of the year last season, how far our standards have dropped.
Anthony Martial - Needs to improve quickly. I don't think he will be a top player ever to be honest i think Rashford has more of a chance. For those that want to slag off that opinion, i said the same about Wellbeck, Adnan and Cleverly when many thought they were the next big thing.
Marcus Rashford - Needs to play up front. I'd like to see him rotated there with Lukaku.
Juan Mata - Has delivered in spurts, but with no decent full backs creating space and with poor movement around him it's twice as hard.
Joel Castro Pereira - Will leave.
Jesse Lingard - Been doing really well.
So now on to the manager:
I think Jose Mourinho has the squad in a higher position that they deserve to be. He has got them playing mostly poor football. But to be fair he has got a lot of poor players to choose from.
The 1st 11 needs 3 or 4 new faces. The squad needs to be cleared out and the mediocre players sold.
Players like Blind, Darmian, Fellaini, Rojo, Carrick, Smalling, Young need to be sold and possibly Herrera, Shaw and Martial given squad places for another year.
5th, 4th, 5th, 6th, for the last 4 seasons. Those saying this is a really good United squad are in danger of looking silly.
We can win a cup with this squad, but not the Premier League. At least 5 new players required for a League challenge and more importantly 5 players out. Mediocrity needs to be stamped out and accepting players who wear the Manchester United jersey that are not good enough has to stop.
Article written by ken
Written by ken February 13 2018 11:28:28