Old Trafford set for mammoth summer clear out…
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Following Manchester United’s embarrassing 2-0 defeat Olympiakos, we run down ten players who are letting down the club and their manager David Moyes.
While it will be seemingly impossible to shift all these players in the summer, we reckon the vast majority of them will be shown the door…
10) Shinji Kagawa
Granted the Japanese playmaker hasn’t been given nearly enough chances by Moyes, but has he really deserved any? He started five of the Champions League group matches, but didn’t register a single goal or assist. He doesn’t look like he’s up for the fight, and will be better off heading back to Dortmund in the summer.
9) Alex Buttner
He hasn’t had much of a look in, but that’s because he isn’t good enough. The Dutchman offers little going forward, and is a liability defensively. Evra’s probably leaving in the summer, but Buttner certainly won’t be his replacement.
8) Patrice Evra
As mentioned, the Frenchman’s contract expires in the summer, and we can’t imagine he’ll be too keen on signing an extension when he looks at the quality of the players around him. Evra is ageing, and although he’s enjoyed a brilliant career at Old Trafford, it’s time United think strongly about getting in a replacement.
7) Rio Ferdinand
Ferdinand’s pace is non-existent, but he can be forgiven this because of his experience and positional sense. Recently though, he’s been holding on to the ball for way too long, and making poor decisions to pass to marked midfielders. His contract expires in the summer, and we reckon he’ll retire.
6) Marouane Fellaini
The Belgian powerhouse has been injured for most of the season, but when he’s played, he’s been awful. His strength and physicality doesn’t hide his lack of technical ability, and he doesn’t suit the anchoring role Moyes wants him to play. For Everton, he practically played off a striker, but with Wayne Rooney in that position, his role at United is confused.
5) Michael Carrick
Carrick can fit into a side where all the other players do the work. Providing he has a battling player alongside him to win him possession, and top notch playmakers to create chances in the final third, Carrick can tick tempo over in the middle effectively. United though have neither of these, so Carrick’s sideways passes and lack of drive merely slow the game down.
4) Ashley Young
The winger (who’s perhaps most known for throwing himself to the floor) rarely has an influence on matches. Against Olympiakos, he was particularly dire, and struggled to even pass the ball simply to teammates.
3) Chris Smalling
He certainly isn’t a right-back, and it doesn’t look like he’s good enough to be a future United centre-back either. Smalling’s versatility and his age are keeping him in the side at the moment, but he looked visibly drained of confidence against Olympiakos.
2) Tom Cleverley
Cleverley is a mid-table, decent central midfielder. That is all. He completely lacks the thrust and drive to consistently effect matches from the centre of the park. He slows the game down, and retains possession simply for the sake of retaining possession.
1) Antonio Valencia
Roy Keane is often harsh in his criticism of United players, but last night while working for ITV, it was completely justified. Valencia is completely average. His end product is virtually non-existent, and his flat refusal to lift his head up and asses his options is painful to watch.
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