Alexis Sanchez
The Chilean superstar was supposed to be Man United’s next great number seven, but since his shock move from Arsenal back in January, he has looked a shadow of the man that tore defences apart for fun during his four-year stay at the Emirates.
Sanchez has scored just three Premier League goals in 22 matches for the Red Devils, often looking completely isolated on the left-wing, unable to link up with anyone in attack and predictable when running at defenders.
The 29-year-old thrived at Arsenal because they are a team that favours quick passing interchanges while moving constantly off the ball to create openings in the final third.
Mourinho’s United were static, negative and lacking in a clear identity, which became a clear source of frustration for Sanchez, who has thusly been unable to have any real impact at the Theatre of Dreams.
A mysterious muscular injury has kept him out of the United team for a few weeks now, but in truth, he had already fallen out of favour with Mourinho, amid speculation linking him with a move to Paris Saint Germain – as the Daily Express reports.
If brought back into the fold by the new manager, Sanchez could finally get the chance to show what he is capable of and if he can reach anywhere near the same level he managed at Arsenal, United will have a lethal weapon within their ranks.
Fred
Next up is the Brazilian who was brought in during the summer transfer window for £52 million from Shakhtar Donetsk – as per the Telegraph – but has since only managed to feature in eight of United’s 17 Premier League matches this season.
The 25-year-old was billed as a box-to-box midfielder with a superb engine and technical ability capable of driving the team forward and breaking up play in midfield. Alas, there has been little sign of that kind of dynamism in his play over the last few months, as he has seemingly struggled to adapt to life in English football.
As per the Telegraph, when referring to Fred during a press conference on the 7th of December, Mourinho stated: “I think [with] Fred, when the team is defensively stronger and doesn’t need in midfield people that is more worried in giving some balance to the team than being involved in creation and attacking dynamics, the day we are stronger defensively, I think the horizons for Fred change completely.”
The current crop of United defenders are the same players that finished last season with just 28 Premier League goals conceded. They have not just become bad footballers overnight, it is more a case that they have lost all confidence in themselves the longer the Mourinho mayhem off the pitch has gone on.
Under a new head coach, do not be surprised if the Red Devils suddenly stop leaking goals, or if Fred gets the chance to start showing exactly why the club decided to fork out such a huge fee for his services during the last transfer window.
Andreas Pereira
This man’s luck may be about to change drastically, after being forced into the background by Mourinho despite proving himself to be a superb centre midfielder capable of adding a new dimension to the United team on several occasions.
Pereira returned from a loan spell at Valencia this summer with a point to prove and was arguably United’s standout performer during an otherwise poor pre-season campaign.
The Brazilian started United’s opening two Premier League games this season against Leicester City and Brighton, the second of which ended in a 2-1 defeat and he hasn’t featured in the starting line up again since.
Six appearances across all competitions for a player as talented as Pereira is criminal, particularly given the fact that without him the Red Devils have still fallen 19 points behind table-toppers Liverpool and 11 behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
The 22-year-old is still something of raw talent, with plenty of room to improve, but his versatility could be a real asset for United at the moment, as he is able to play as a traditional number eight, a deep-lying midfielder or even as a winger.
Whoever the new boss may be, it is hard to believe that they will overlook Pereira in the same way Mourinho did, which means United fans could be about to witness the rise of a new Old Trafford hero.
