Incredible XI of Man Utd misfits and deadwood that would still beat Ruben Amorim’s flops on current form
MANCHESTER UNITED are enduring their worst domestic campaign in the modern history of the club.
But while their squad of strugglers are languishing in 16th in the Premier League, there’s a squad’s worth of stars shining elsewhere.
In recent seasons it’s felt like the key to success for Man Utd players has been leaving Man Utd, with so many stars who have exited Old Trafford going on to impress elsewhere.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka showed what a United farewell can do for you on Sunday when he played a huge role in both goals against his former club as West Ham leapfrogged the Red Devils with a 2-0 victory.
And he’s not the only one who has been excelling elsewhere.
In fact, you could make an entire starting XI of players who have swapped Man Utd for greener pastures.
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson left Man Utd in search of first team minutes in 2023, now he’s the Eagle’s first choice goalkeeper and about to play in an FA Cup final.
Meanwhile United have been riddled with issues in between the sticks as Andre Onana continues to struggle since his £47m arrival from Inter Milan.
At full-back, the misfit XI could boast West Ham’s Player of the Season Wan Bissaka and January exit Tyrell Malacia.
Malacia joined PSV on loan in the winter window and has jumped from a 16th place United team to a side in a title race, with Eindhoven just one point behind league leaders Ajax in the Eredivisie.
Amorim and Ratcliffe’s reputations have been minced by a rotten, stinking Man Utd
SunSport’s Dave Kidd has his say on the dire situation at Manchester United…
THEY brought in the second-richest man in Great Britain and the hottest young coach in Europe.
And yet, as the fans mourned the 20th anniversary of the Glazer family’s takeover yesterday, Manchester United are worse than ever.
This ruthlessly brilliant businessman, this local-boy-made-good, was going to lead the Red Devils back to the place he once held in the Forbes Rich List.
Now Ratcliffe’s ruthlessness is regarded as hateful penny-pinching, that business acumen has not translated into football — and United are two places above the relegation zone.
This rotten, stinking football club minces the reputations of the best of men.
As Amorim seems to have realised, according to his extraordinary round of media interviews in the wake of Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat by West Ham…
Read the article in full HERE
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Villarreal centre-back duo Eric Bailly and Willy Kambwala would make up the rest of the back line, with the pair on the brink of earning Champions League football with the La Liga club this season.
The heart of the midfield would be occupied by the un-affectionately nicknamed ‘McFred’ – a pair who were mocked during their time at Old Trafford.
Now Brazilian Fred is flying high in the Turkish league at Fenerbahce under the management of Jose Mourinho, where with five league goals this season, he has scored more than United front man Rasmus Hojlund.
As for McTominay – he has been a revelation at Napoli under Antonio Conte.
Napoli are leading Serie A with two games remaining and McTominay has racked up 11 league goals and four assists at the heart of their midfield.
Wingers Antony and Anthony Elanga would offer width in the makeshift XI given their success away from the Theatre of Dreams this season.
Elanga has been one of Nottingham Forest‘s most important players as they’ve made a push for Champions League football – and he even netted against Man Utd last month.
While £82m ‘flop’ Antony is looking a lot closer to matching his price tag with Real Betis in Spain.
Since being loaned out in January, a move that many Betis fans are hoping is made permanent, Antony had weighed in with crucial goals as Manuel Pellegrini‘s side battle for a place in the Champions League places.
Fans even took to the streets begging that the move was made permanent after he helped them reach the Conference Legue final last week.
A front two could be made up of two of United’s very own academy products.
Marcus Rashford has been a man transformed at Aston Villa – before his hamstring injury – and has made the decision to loan him out look baffling.
Rashford has racked up ten goal contributions in 17 appearances for the Villans, doing so in a Champions League quarter-final and huge clashes with Manchester City and Chelsea.
Partnering Rashford would be Mason Greenwood, who has reignited his career in France with Marseille.
Only Ousmane Dembele has scored more goals than Greenwood in Ligue 1 this season, with the one-time England international finding the back of the net 19 times.
While his goals haven’t been in vain either, helping Marseille secure a return to the Champions League next season.
It appears that Manchester United have become a vast footballer recycling centre which buys good players and makes them bad, before selling bad players who become good again.
Even Ruben Amorim seems to be confused as to why things aren’t clicking for his side, claiming that it’s not the players’ fault.
Seemingly threatening to quit if he can’t turn it around, Amorim said: “I don’t want to talk about the players. I’m talking about myself and the culture in the club and the culture in the team. I have that feeling.
“We need to change that and we need to be really strong in the summer and to be brave.
“Because we cannot have a season like this next year. If the feeling is still here, we should give the space to different persons.
“So it’s a big problem that we have here at the club. It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club. We need to address that.”