The Red Devils cannot afford a bad start to the 2024-25 season, and much will depend on who is selected to start on the flanks
“We want this club back to where it was more than a decade ago, to a club that wins the Premier League, which can win Champions Leagues,” Erik ten Hag said in an interview with Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad last week. “We are really a long way away from that, I think.”
Heading into the third season of his reign, the Manchester United manager is still desperately trying to temper expectations among a fanbase starved of tangible success over the past 10 years. It could be argued that the Red Devils are no better off now than when Ten Hag initially joined the club from Ajax in 2022, with an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League last term representing an all-time low. He has, however, somehow managed to convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS that he is the right man to lead their revolution.
The minority owners have handed Ten Hag a new two-year deal, mainly as a reward for his role in the development of United’s younger players and May’s unlikely FA Cup triumph over noisy neighbours Manchester City. But as we all know, new contracts don’t serve as a security blanket for managers in the modern era. If United don’t hit the ground running in 2024-25, Ten Hag’s future will once again be called into question.
To keep the wolves from his door, the 54-year-old has to settle on his strongest line up, and the biggest conundrum he faces is in wide areas. United’s 2-0 pre-season win over Rangers on Saturday could go a long way to making the decision process easier, though, with Amad Diallo and Jadon Sancho both reminding everyone of their frightening potential – to varying degrees.
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GettySancho’s last chance
United’s new £52 million ($68m) signing Leny Yoro was the headline act at Murrayfield, and the 18-year-old defender didn’t disappoint, justifying comparisons to club legend Rio Ferdinand with his elegance on the ball and imposing physical stature. But the second-biggest story of the day was Sancho making his first appearance for the Red Devils in almost a year, after finally mending his fractious relationship with Ten Hag.
Sancho was shipped back to Borussia Dortmund on loan in January after publicly criticising Ten Hag, but he’s now back in the first-team picture at Old Trafford, and looks set to be given a final chance to prove his worth. “Everyone can make a mistake. If the player reflects on this well, you draw a line and move on,” Ten Hag added in his sit-down with AD. “This club needs good players, and one thing is certain: Jadon Sancho is a very good player. I hope that we will still click and that he will contribute to our success.”
It didn’t quite click against Rangers. As was the case throughout his first two seasons at United, Sancho only showed glimpses of his quality as he struggled to make a decisive impact in the final third. But he did at least take some risks on the ball, and considering it was his first outing after his summer holidays, the performance was encouraging enough to suggest he does still have plenty to offer.
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Getty‘Has to be Amad’s year’
Unfortunately for Sancho, he was eclipsed by the man on United’s opposite flank. Amad’s first few years at Old Trafford have been equally frustrating, in part because of injuries, but the Ivorian’s persistence paid off at back end of last season as he started to earn regular minutes on the right wing.
Against Rangers – a team where he spent a forgettable loan spell in 2022 – Amad was electrifying, utilising his pace and dazzling dribbling skills to create numerous openings for United. The 22-year-old also managed to cap an impressive display by opening the scoring, cutting in on his left foot before firing an unstoppable low shot into the far corner.
This was the same version of Amad that netted the winner against Liverpool in an epic FA Cup quarter-final tie in March, before going on to inspire a 3-2 home win over Newcastle – one of the few bright moments in United’s dismal Premier League campaign. He can be the difference-maker on his day, but the time has come for him to show he can deliver on a consistent basis.
“We have to see Amad in a different way. Of course, he’s still young but he is not inexperienced anymore,” Ten Hag told MUTV after the game. “At the end of last season, he had a very good time in our first team and played some good games. Now for this season, this has to be the year.”
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GettyMove aside, Marcus
Amad’s versatility gives him an edge over Sancho when it comes to nailing down a spot in Ten Hag’s XI. The two-footed Ivory Coast international can function on both wings, as a No.10, or potentially even as a false nine – a position he took up on occasion while on loan at Sunderland.
Sancho was initially signed to solve United’s problem on the right, where he excelled for Dortmund last term, but Amad looks set for an extended run there now. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for Sancho, though. He’s naturally right-footed and has the capacity to cause far more damage when cutting inside, while he also tends to make more vertical runs from the left.
That is where Sancho’s future could lie, but up to this point, Marcus Rashford has been blocking his path. The once-beloved academy graduate was United’s best player in 2022-23 as he reached the 30-goal mark for the first time, inspiring Ten Hag’s side to Carabao Cup glory and third place in the Premier League.
But Rashford should no longer be considered untouchable. The 26-year-old didn’t just fail to live up to the same high standards last season; he let the club, the fans, and most importantly himself down on his way to posting just eight goals in 43 appearances.
The injury-enforced absence of Luke Shaw came as a real blow for Rashford, but that doesn’t excuse his dramatic decline in performance or his disinterested body language. United were exposed constantly down the left side because Rashford shirked his defensive duties and he squandered countless attacks by misplacing passes or attempting shots from ridiculous angles.
It has been suggested United could sell Rashford if a suitable offer comes in this summer, which would be in the best interests of all parties concerned. But if he stays put, Sancho or Alejandro Garnacho – who can also switch between the left and right – should be ahead of Rashford in the pecking order.
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GettyTen Hag’s biggest mistake
That being said, Rashford is not the most disappointing winger in United’s ranks right now. That unwanted title actually belongs to Antony, the mercurial Brazilian who has proven to be all style over substance since his £85m ($110m) move from Ajax two summers ago.
United have confirmed that Antony missed their first two pre-season outings against Rosenborg and Rangers due to a “niggle”, but even when fully fit, it’s difficult to see how he gets back into the team. Antony has managed just 16 goal contributions in the iconic red shirt to date, a total that doesn’t even come close to justifying the club’s huge financial outlay.
But far more worrying than any statistic is the fact that Antony has looked completely out of his depth in English football. The 24-year-old has plenty of tricks in his locker, and a dangerous left foot, but he’s surprisingly slow and far too predictable.
The Brazil international yet to come up against a Premier League defender he can beat one-on-one, which has been a huge problem for United. When he plays, the Red Devils’ threat down the right is almost non-existent.
Getting Antony off their books may be out of the question for United this summer because of how far his stock has plummeted. It doesn’t help that Ten Hag still has his head in the sand either, with the delusional Dutchman “still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club”.
Make no mistake: it would be a travesty if Antony plays ahead of Amad again in the upcoming campaign. Ten Hag has made plenty of mistakes in his time in Manchester, but letting a talent like Amad go to waste in order to accommodate such a limited footballer would be unforgivable.
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Getty/GOALPSG temptation
Still, there is less on the line for Amad than Sancho when looking ahead to the new season. If things don’t go to plan for Amad, few would begrudge him a move to a new club that gives him more opportunities to unlock his full potential. But if Sancho fails again, he could depart as one of the biggest flops in Premier League history.
United’s £72m ($93m) investment in Sancho felt like a real coup in 2021, after he’d established himself among the most exciting wingers in Europe at Dortmund. Sancho was also a regular in the England squad at the time, with some even touting him as a future Ballon d’Or winner.
He’s strayed a long way from that path. Returning to Dortmund enabled Sancho to restore some lost confidence, but the jury is still very much out on whether he can cut it in the Premier League.
According to reports in France, Paris Saint-Germain have offered Sancho a completely fresh start, after identifying him as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappe. The temptation to jump ship and join Ligue 1’s dominant club will be strong, because success would be almost guaranteed.
Staying at United is much more of a risk for Sancho. Supporters will be straight on his back again if his end product is still lacking when competitive action resumes. The rewards could be greater if he silences his doubters, but he’s got to really want it.
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(C)GettyImagesWhat’s next?
The next six weeks could be crucial for not only Sancho and Amad, but all the wingers in Ten Hag’s squad. United are set to embark on a tour of the United States this week, where they will face Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool in a series of glamour friendlies.
A Community Shield date against Manchester City will then come into focus, before United open their new Premier League campaign with games against Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool. The transfer window will slam shut at the end of that seven-game run, and it would be a huge surprise if United’s current crop of wide men, which includes Uruguayan outcast Facundo Pellistri, has not been trimmed down.
The new INEOS regime has already overseen a number of backroom changes, with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake drafted in to assist Ten Hag on the coaching side of things, and more new signings will be expected in the coming weeks to compliment Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee – who will likely compete with Rasmus Hojlund for a centre-forward berth. Solid foundations are being put in place, but Ten Hag needs to show his ruthless streak again if he is to build on them.
That means casting aside expensive prima donnas like Antony and Rashford, who will never have what it takes to join United’s list of great wingers. For the likes of Zirkzee and Hojlund to thrive, they need top-class service, and between them, Amad, Sancho and Garnacho are capable of providing it. It is just a matter of whether all three of them have the mental toughness to reach the next level.
Source goal.com
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