Sir Jim Ratcliffe, in a recent interview with Gary Neville, former Manchester United player and current TV pundit, has given a very harsh verdict on some of the current United players.
The co-owner of the club has singled out some players like Rasmus Hojlund, Jadon Sancho, Andre Onana and Casemiro, saying that those players were overpaid and lacked quality.
It may come as a huge shock for a casual onlooker, but any serious United fan will know that Sir Ratcliffe is not much off the mark in his assessment.
Several Manchester United Players Have Fallen Short on Quality
The ones Sir Ratcliffe mentioned have largely been failures at the club.
Hojlund is still only 22 and has a long career ahead of him. However, his record of two goals in 23 Premier League matches is definitely not something that should be acceptable at a club like Manchester United.
Hojlund has simply forgotten to score it seems and has played 18 consecutive league matches without scoring. The Dane has not quite been an imposing presence inside the opposition penalty box.
Then there is Sancho, who is on a loan to Chelsea at the moment after his acrimonious exit from the club.
While Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim’s predecessor, might have been harsh to Sancho, it cannot be denied that the English winger’s 12 goals and six assists in 83 matches for the Red Devils did not exactly do justice to the price at which he was signed from Borussia Dortmund.
What is even more concerning is that Sancho has failed to do much for Chelsea either since moving to Stamford Bridge.
He might have won the battle off the pitch with Ten Hag, but on it his performances need improvement.
Casemiro’s case is a bit different. A five-time UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid, the 33-year-old Brazilian is among the best defensive midfielders of recent times.
What is more is that he had a great debut season for United as well. He has since been impressive only in patches.
The Brazilian’s contract that runs until 2026 is probably forcing United to still have him. He no longer has the legs required to close opposition attackers down and that has been quite evident. The fact that he was awarded a four-year contract after attaining the age of 30 seems a bit baffling.
Andre Onana, too, has been guilty of letting United down on a number of occasions. The Cameroonian goalkeeper has shown the tendency to have contrasting form, brilliant one day, quite ordinary the other.
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A Club Like Manchester United Should Set a Higher Standard
The culture at a club like Manchester United should not encourage mediocrity.
The club’s current position in the bottom half of the league table is not even mediocre, it is just bad.
Sir Ratcliffe has taken a number of steps like cutting down on personnel costs, but he can do little if already-recruited players cannot perform well, other than, maybe, selling them.
However, the 72-year-old businessman’s faith in Amorim seems to be quite steadfast, which is a good sign for the club.
It remains to be seen whether the team can rally in the near future to put a smile on the club’s owners’ faces.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
Recording Date: 29.09.2024