Ever since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United have struggled to exert their dominance in English football.
Despite hiring a host of talented managers over the years, including David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, the Red Devils are still wrapped around a layer of mediocrity.
Current manager Jose Mourinho hasn’t been able to fix that either and given United’s struggles this season, it’s probably to fair to infer that some players have clearly failed to live up to the expectations.
And without belittling the quality of the players, we will talk about three Manchester United stars who are not adding much to the team and face a bleak future at the club.
Phil Jones
Phil Jones has been a Manchester United player since 2011 and the fact that he still remains at Old Trafford is beyond astounding. Indeed, the English international is one of the most criticized players for the Red Devils, thanks to a number of inconsistent and incompetent defensive performances with the club throughout the past few seasons.
Although Jones does manage to rise to the occasion, at times, his lack of consistency and a terrible injury record has always denied the former Blackburn defender to make a serious breakthrough.
Jones has made only two league appearances this season and hasn’t been able to find a regular spot in the starting lineup, despite Eric Bailly’s fallout with Mourinho and the absence of Marcos Rojo, who has struggled with injuries.
And with Mourinho reportedly keen to sign a new centre-back in January, shipping out Jones might be a logical move for the Red Devils and indeed the player himself.
Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic’s career at Manchester United started off on a positive note as the Serbian international made 36 league appearances in his debut campaign. His work ethic and physicality provided solidity in the United midfield but it’s quite been the opposite this season.
Indeed, Matic’s performances have been beyond shambolic so far, as the former Chelsea midfielder has struggled to provide any sort of solidity in midfield. On the contrary, the Serbian has been dispossessed far too often and his lack of diligence has repeatedly allowed the opposition to assert their dominance over the United midfield.
In fact, the 30-year-old averages over one unsuccessful touch per game as well as a dispossessed ratio of 1.2 per game, which is highly unacceptable for a player of his calibre.
His lack of ball-playing qualities hasn’t helped either, often slowing down United’s build-up play in the middle of the park. Therefore, Mourinho certainly needs to find a better option in the holding midfield role if he is to start thinking of mounting a title tilt.
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku is normally advertised as a clinical goalscorer, who can also create chances for himself, using his physical prowess. But, his performances have been far from impressive and as a matter of fact, the Belgian international has served as more of a curse for Jose Mourinho’s men so far this campaign.
His fitness levels have caught attention in recent months. His bulked up frame seems to have affected his mobility and pace in the final third. This has caused numerous problems for Manchester United as Lukaku’s lack of pace has been detrimental to a host of counter-attacking opportunities.
The Belgian has also wasted a lot of clear-cut chances while four of his five goals so far have come in the first five matches this season, meaning he has scored only one goal in his last eight league matches.
Although it is unlikely that Lukaku will be sold by United anytime soon, the Belgian certainly needs to improve his overall fitness as well as his potency in front of goal, if he is to have a future at the club.
Stats Courtesy: Squawka
