*This is part 2 of a previous post*

Manchester United were known for decades playing attractive, attacking football which brought incredible success under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, over the past 10 years, the club stalled their metaphorical bus while teams around them steamrolled on.

Under Moyes, the ignition didn’t really start the bus back up after Ferguson turned off the engine with the 4-4 draw against WBA. Van Gaal got into the drivers seat and actually got into 2nd gear, but the passengers (fans and players in this weird analogy) hated the bumpy ride. After the club left Louis and his army at the service station, drinking Costa coffee out of his FA Cup, Mourinho buckled up and parallel parked the bus to near perfection. He found the most crowded car park possible and parked into the tightest free spot he could find, locked Pogba in the tiny bus toilet and ran into the petrol station garage, screaming something about ‘a treble’ and leaving Fellaini to babysit the team.

Then, in March 2019, Ole finally got at the wheel. He cranked up the players’ favourite CD and everybody has seemingly got a smile on their faces as they look to get into 4th gear and 4th spot. However, the bus at this point is in serious need of some repair, and needs some improvements in the form of maybe a Sancho, Grealish and a lick of paint. But most importantly, what the bus needs right now is a good clean, a deep scrub of the carpet and hoover out of some cobwebs.

If you’ve kept up with my weird story time, what I’m saying is that Manchester United need a clear out of players in order to forge ahead with their plans. So, I’ve got their first team squad list and I will go through every player and explain whether they should stay or should they go.

Midfielders

Paul Pogba – STAY An ever-controversial character, Paul Pogba has made headlines consistently since his 2016 return to the club and a record-breaking £90 million transfer fee. If I had made this list in December/January I would have reluctantly stated that it was time for Pogba to leave after spending most of the season on the side-lines and not really showing to the fans a desire to get back on the pitch. However, the signing of Bruno Fernandes and improved performances of the whole squad has brought about a renewed optimism for Pogba. Suddenly he seems to have turned it all around to become a player who is desperate for the club to succeed and perform well, he has finished the season reasonably impressive and smiling whilst doing so. Everything seems to have lined up perfectly for Paul, with a supportive coach, talented teammates and a guaranteed starting spot in the 11. Despite playing just 16 league games and getting only 1 goal throughout the 19/20 campaign, the verdict seems to have turned on its head for Pogba. The likes of Souness and Roy Keane will continue to criticise the lifestyle aspects of modern footballers, however with football inflation, the transfer fee appears fairly average for a player of Pogba’s quality. In the 19/20 league season, Pogba managed just 1 goal, 3 assists and 8 shots on target from his 16 appearances. By his standards this would be below average, however if he can get a full season with full fitness, playing alongside Bruno and perhaps another superstar midfielder of Van De Beek then a long-term contract seems inevitable and we will hopefully see him at his best.

Juan Mata – STAY/GO I love Juan Mata both on-field and off-field. I think he’s been massively underrated in the Premier League throughout his time at both Chelsea and United and I think his experience, calmness and ability is perfect for a youthful United team going through a key transitional phase. However, in thinking about his future at Manchester United, I have tried to avoid my own cognitive bias and placed him in the ‘Stay/Go’ zone. The reason behind him staying would be that quite simply he is an experienced and still very talented player who can play a variety of positions, whilst also seeming to be relatively content with substitute appearances and rotation games. To have a player on the bench who has won pretty much everything in his career, it shows some serious strength in depth at the club. While United are obviously looking to the quick, youthful attacking play of the Ferguson mould, Mata offers something a bit different with his vision, passing and chance creation. Should any of the attacking players get an injury, Mata can step into their role and do a good job. In contrast, the reasoning for him leaving would be pretty much the same reasons as him staying. He isn’t going to get much game time, he doesn’t fit the system as a straight swap for a specific player and his wage of £100,000 + per week makes him an expensive bench player. Many fans have criticised this kind of business from United as they give spaces on the bench for this type of player instead of an eager youth prospect. Overall, my personal opinion can lean either way with Juan Mata, I would love to see him go finish his career maybe back in Spain or in Italy where he will get guaranteed game time, however for this coming season I think I am leaning more towards him staying at United, helping where possible and offering a calm, experienced head in the dressing room.

Jesse Lingard – STAY/GO In a very similar situation to Mata, Lingard also sits in the ‘Stay/Go’ zone for me, with a lot of the same reasoning. I think Lingard is a good ‘company’ man for Manchester United, he knows the club well and has a pretty solid relationship with the fans. It’s hard to really judge his latest season performances, as despite making 38 appearances for the club over the 19/20 campaign, many appearances were from the bench and there were some obvious personal issues which he himself has acknowledged in recent interviews. Everyone at the club understands that the last season for him wasn’t his usual standard, and he has discussed this himself. As a result his future could go either way with United. If he stays, he needs to be willing to make impact substitute appearances and fight for a first team place, or alternatively he should look to head off to another Premier League club who can guarantee playing time. I’d be happy for him to stay for at least next season, as I think he offers the club some good depth, is a positive dressing room personality and genuinely seems to have a passion for the club. With quite a hefty weekly wage, United need to have confidence in whatever decision they make. For the wage he earns, United could be spending that on a player like Grealish or Jimenez, and so if we show faith in keeping Lingard at the club he needs to be working hard for his spot.

Andreas Pereira – GO Unfortunately, between Mata, Lingard and Pereira, at least 1 of them has to go in my opinion. 3 players in the same position taking up spots on the bench ahead of some young players, and the threat of further competition coming into the club makes their worth to the club diminish significantly. For me, Pereira is the one who has to be moved on for definite as even after 6 years in the first team setup, he hasn’t truly shown his talent besides being a pre-season Pele. In his 74 appearances for United, he has managed just 4 goals and just 4 league assists. For an attacking midfielder trying to compete for a spot these stats aren’t good enough if United want to progress. At age 24 it could be suggested he has room to still develop, however I think he has had enough chances to have proven his worth by now. Valued at £14.4 million by transfermarkt, it would be quite a good time to cash in on Pereira and let him continue elsewhere.

Fred – STAY Has Fred proven his £50 million transfer fee to be good business? Probably not in the 2 seasons we’ve had from him. However, his 2nd season has shown his considerable talent and ability to perform on many key occasions. After the average initial season at the club, I was left questioning the clubs transfer negotiation skills, however between Christmas and the lockdown in March, Fred was arguably one of the clubs best players, putting in strong midfield performances despite missing Pogba alongside him. I am keen to keep hold of Fred for now at least as I think he is a decent talent, however I’m still not entirely sure what his best role in the midfield is, and if we successfully recruit a top CDM to play with Pogba and Fernandes, Fred is again going to have to work for his starting spot in the team. As a bench option though, an article I read recently demonstrates that actually seeing someone as talented as Fred as a bench player, shows the progress United are making and highlights the depth we are building in the squad. Additionally, a stat I saw about Fred was rather surprising, as he was listed as the 9th fastest player in the whole league with a speed of 23.17mph.

Bruno Fernandes – STAY 20 appearances, 10 goals and 8 assists. Nothing more to add.

Dan James – STAY What a start Dan James had for United. The first few games made him look like a gem of a signing with 3 goals in his first 4 league games. His pace seemed to frighten defenders and it made him a real threat down the wing. However, this form dipped and never really recovered for the rest of the season, getting just 1 Europa League goal since that blistering start. This poor end to the campaign however does not worry me, as its clear that he has key areas to work on such as his first touch and finishing, and I have faith that this will be addressed. There was talk of a loan deal for next season, however for me he has to stay at United for the foreseeable. He needs the coaching at United and support of a positive and successful dressing room environment. As a young player he will understand that he has to fight for his place, and by picking up chances as an impact sub, or playing the lower importance games I have serious faith that he will be challenging the likes of Rashford, Greenwood and maybe even Sancho up top this coming season.

Nemanja Matic – STAY Recently signing a 3 year contract extension, Matic seems to be seeing out his best playing days in a United shirt, and given his good performances this season I am happy with that. At the start of the season it looked like Matic was done and way past it, however at times this season he has been a rock in our midfield, partnering Fred and Pogba on some big games. In the post-lockdown squad, Matic was part of the midfield trio which had United fans believing in the top 4 ambition. Therefore, he is an obvious stay for the club as it seems that Ole likes Matic in the midfield 3, however he seems to acknowledge that Nemanja isn’t able to play each and every game, so he is being used to nurture and mentor the likes of McTominay and I am hoping whoever gets brought in as a new signing in the CDM role. At this point in his career, Matic can come in, do the job that’s required and then take a back seat during midweek games.

James Garner – LOAN The young midfielder has captained United at U-23 level on may occasions and now at 19 years of age he has been involved in 7 first team games. With United having several players battling for the 3rd midfield spot alongside Pogba and Bruno, I think a loan move would be his best opportunity to display his talents. With several Championship clubs apparently looking at him, a full Championship season would be a real battle for a young player and a chance to demonstrate his ability on a big stage. With Matic, McTominay, Fred and potentially a new player all fighting for the 1 place in the starting 11, he can go off and keep working hard to eventually lay claim to the first team role.

Scott McTominay – STAY Should United have already signed a new CDM I would have been tempted to look at a loan for McTominay and ensure he gets playing time elsewhere. However, for now at least I think he is best off staying at the club, learning and developing his game from some midfield greats in Carrick, Matic, Pogba and Fernandes. When he has had chances for the first team he has seemed comfortable in the role he plays, doesn’t seem to feel the pressure of playing for United and has the fight and desire that you want in a CDM. I think he can easily play 20 games a season in the current squad and with Matic needing to be rotated frequently, McTominay has several opportunities to fully take the position from him.

Forwards

Alexis Sanchez – GO Go Go Go, that has to be the message from United towards Alexis Sanchez and the potential permanent move to Inter Milan. The rumours of ongoing talks seemed to be positive as Inter offered an obligation of £15 million next summer after another season loan, and for once United’s negotiators stood strong and said they are only looking for a permanent transfer and won’t be subsidising the obscene wages for Sanchez anymore. It’s clear that United will have to take a financial hit in some way to get Alexis Sanchez off their books, however they can do this in the right way. Sanchez is still seen as a hot property after his 19/20 season in Serie A, where he has been involved in 28 games for Inter, scoring 4 goals. As Conte seems keen to build an ex-Premier League squad in Milan, Sanchez is a star player who will hopefully be keen to make the permanent move to Italy happen and take the wage cut to ensure it can be done quickly. If we get towards the end of the transfer window with Sanchez still a United player, unfortunately we will have to accept whatever we can get and admit it was a disappointing transfer that never reached the potential.

Anthony Martial – STAY 22 goals this season, and 70 from 219 appearances for United, Martial can finally enjoy life as United’s no.9. Only going to get better and better in my opinion.

Marcus Rashford – STAY Joint top scorer for this season, and managed 67 from 212 appearances, at just 22 years of age, Rashford can be part of United’s attacking line-up for another 10 years at least. He finished the season quite lacklustre, however when he hits a run of form there’s no stopping the young Englishman. Similar to Martial, he will only improve over time.

Odion Ighalo – STAY There’s a nice sentimental feeling around Ighalo’s loan deal to United, and with the extension taking his contract through to January 2021, there’s nothing to really add around the deal. Once we get to January, I would probably end the fairy-tale with him however, as despite being a decent backup option for United, his style of play doesn’t really scare the opposition whenever he has made substitute appearances in bigger games. I don’t know the length of his contract with Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, however I am assuming they wouldn’t allow a permanent move for less than £15-20 million, and so I think United should be plotting a move in January for an alternative backup for Martial, perhaps with the rumoured Jimenez talks or Dembele from Lyon.

Mason Greenwood – STAY 17 goals in his first proper season in the first team, and just 18 years old. Nurture him properly, keep him rotating in/out of the squad even if Sancho comes into the club and he will become a superstar.

Tahith Chong – LOAN In the 19/20 season, Chong has made 11 appearances across all competitions, and hasn’t fully set the world alight as some may have expected. Now, at 20 years of age I think it is the perfect time for him to get a full season of first team football at a lower Premier League club or perhaps overseas for the next year. I think getting the full season of game time will help everyone involved as the player will be developing and learning from the experience, while United can observe his performances and see what the plan will be long term for the player. I think that failing to get a loan deal sorted this summer will lead to complications next summer as his contract expires in 2022 and so he might be looking at Angel Gomes who decided to move on elsewhere. Honestly, I cant see him playing much this next season, as he is probably 3rd choice for any attacking position, and so breaking through will be unlikely. If the right club are willing then I’d push for the loan.

Overall

With the suggestions I have made, Manchester United would be getting rid of potentially up to 16 players, with 10 transfers and 6 loans (assuming everyone in-between leaves) and would bring in an estimated £108,090,000 according to transfermarkt valuations.

What I do understand however is that this is not a FIFA or Football Manager video game, you cannot as a big Premier League club just get rid of 16 players and be left with no depth in your squad for a 60 game season (unless you’re Wolves).

What I am hopefully highlighting, is that there are a lot of players worth a lot of money not really pushing the first team for their places. This is a major moment in Manchester United’s long-term plans and a major transfer window for transitioning the squad. Several of the players we’ve looked at are wanting to leave and quite a few are happy to just collect their wage packet each week without playing a single game. So United need to be sensible, they need to take advantage of this unique transfer window where clubs aren’t really competing for players and a lot of bargain signings are out there. United could easily sign 3/4 quality players this summer and get rid of about 10, and United fans will be jumping for joy. If we start next season and the likes of Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard are 3rd and 4th choice players, we’ve clearly done good business and built a strong squad. We just need to be sensible, that’s all I’m asking from the club.

Ultimately however, I don’t have any say in anything. As I’ve mentioned I just wanted to go through the squad and just highlight that while everybody gets excited for Sancho and Grealish and everything else, for United to be successful over the 60+ game season, they need to sort the depth and have that spring (summer) clear out.