Manchester United have the luxury of being one of the world’s best – boasting 20 top-flight titles (13 Premier League titles), 12 FA Cups and three Champions League trophies.
However, the Red Devils’ last piece of silverware came in 2017 when they won the EFL Cup.
Young players like Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have stepped up to the plate, with new signing Harry Maguire also helping steady the ship. But they must build on their midfield if they are to push to be champions again.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s recent midfield combination of Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay and Fred isn’t creating as many chances as it should on paper. Only McTominay has really made an impact from the middle of the park this season, tallying four goals and one assist. The weak links are blatant, with Fred, Matic and Jesse Lingard only mustering up one assist between the three of them this campaign.
United must look to re-emerge from the shadows and claim back their dominant status, but the uphill climb is going to be even harder with deadwood players. Since Fred joined the Manchester side, his market worth has done nothing but decline. Valued at £45m when he penned his future, the Brazilian has plummeted to a measly £15.75m in less than two years.
According to WhoScored, the 27-year-old’s only strength is passing. His lack of concentration is ‘very weak’ and he gives away a high number of fouls, which has earned him seven yellow cards this season alone – more than any other United player.
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As for Lingard, the Englishman has just four goals and three assists in the Premier League in his last two seasons and has also hit a dramatic market decline, matching Fred’s rank at £15.75m.
United welcomed the addition of Bruno Fernandes to their ranks in January, but must be willing to be ruthless in offloading some stagnant players and bringing in the quality the Red Devils deserve.
