Manchester United put on a truly pathetic performance in Seville. Credit: Fermin Rodríguez/Getty Images
Will there be a message this summer of hitting the club in the face for longer than most Manchester United fans would like to remember it's finally gone?
Or do United have to go through another season with more of those humiliating defeats while still trying to fool themselves that a lot of the players on this team are good enough to represent a club of this size and stature?
The cuts should be deep and sweeping, but the same has been said for each of the previous four summers since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promised change after a miserable 4-0 loss to Everton in April 2019. weeks after he got the job for good, only for a long-awaited overhaul to never materialize.
To his credit, Eric ten Hag was as ruthless as any of his managerial predecessors in the post-Ferguson era. may match, and proponents hope the ax will swing hard and fast. However, you can forgive them for not holding their breath.
The club's recent history has been one of indecision and indulgence, a dangerous cocktail at the best of times, but all the more devastating when the rebuilding effort is so great. .
United need to sell hard to raise money, but more than that, they need to sell hard because until they do, nights like that embarrassing episode against Sevilla will keep raising their heads too often and separation from the top will be close. cannot be connected.
Sevilla 3-0, Newcastle 2-0, Liverpool 7-0, Manchester City 6-3 and Brentford 4-0 should tell Ten Hag everything he needs to know about the abyss of quality and mentality that exists between those he can rely on and rest. And, if this horror quintet isn't enough to convince him, there's a whole list of references from previous campaigns to turn to. Liverpool 5:0, Watford 4:1, Liverpool 4:0, Brighton 4:0, Spurs 6:1, Istanbul Basaksehir 2:1. The list goes on.
Eight of the 14 players that played against Everton under Solskjaer that day — Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelof, David De Gea, Fred, Diogo Dalot, Scott McTominay, Phil Jones and Marcus Rashford — are still at the club. Of those players, the only one you'll be fighting tooth and claw for is Rashford, the top scorer with 28 goals this season, who was kicked out at half-time after coming back from injury in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation. . Indeed, he is the only one of this group who deserves to stay.
Eternal sick leave, Martial, lasted 54 minutes against Sevilla before limping back to injury. When will United realize that he can't be relied upon and that he must leave?Anthony Martial has become Manchester United's walking health insurance. Worst results for United on a dismal evening and if Ten Hag wants to optimize United's defensive game, he needs a goalkeeper who can kick and doesn't petrify under pressure like the Spaniard.
Terrible night for Manchester United just getting worse…
David De Gea won't want to watch this game 😬#UEL pic.twitter.com/z9iiPlCDZE
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 20, 2023
Lindelof, like Harry Maguire, had more chances than seems right. Fred is Fred. Dalot has fallen behind since returning from injury in February and is not the right-back to help you win the league. McTominay, who missed here with an injury, is of interest to Newcastle. If the money offered is good, United should accept it.
As for Jones, who has not yet had a training session under Ten Hag, his continued tenure at the club is as powerful a symbol of United's turning down the ball as any. He will leave as a free agent at the end of the season.
And there are plenty of other players who should also join the exodus: Anthony Elanga, Donny van de Beek, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wang. -Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Dean Henderson. Loans like Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer can't stay.
Of course United can't afford to let that many players go at once, but a major clean-up is needed that will belatedly set the tone for the future . United may claim it started last summer, but five of those who left had no contracts — Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata — and the only sales were Andreas Pereira, James Garner and Tahit Chong.
This time United have to go much further.
What do you think Manchester United should do to improve their results? Share your thoughts in the comments section below
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