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Manchester United have been on the down for quite some time now. Fans and pundits alike have been placing the blame on some players but are their assessments of these players warranted?
In some sense, they have been warranted but there are others who have picked up none of the blame for the team’s poor run. The likes of Paul Pogba and David De Gea have taken a huge chunk of the criticism from the fan but are they solely responsible for United’s poor run?
Now that’s the question that has started to ring in the minds of fans. In truth, they aren’t the only ones to blame and they are targeted because they are the ones considered superstars.
On the other hand, there are players who aren’t taking the flak for various reasons.
Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard came through the ranks at Old Trafford and finally broke into the first team a couple of seasons back. While he has been performing quite commendably for the club, he’s one that should take responsibility right about now.
Ever since he suffered a hamstring injury earlier this season, he hasn’t been performing on the level that was seen from him when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over the club. Majority of the team started performing poorly around that time and Lingard shouldn’t be left out from being criticised any longer.
Because Lingard came through the ranks, he has been spared especially by the fans, but his performances haven’t been good enough. While De Gea and Pogba have been the center of the wrath of the fans, he has so far escaped unscathed. When Ole’s system was working, he was one of the players that made it work quite effectively.
Lately, he looks like he doesn’t even know what to do, where to run to create space like he used to. It just isn’t working for him and it’s high time he pulls up his socks.
Ander Herrera
A player that has been dividing opinions of late is Ander Herrera. The Spaniard is one of the fan-favourites and his unwillingness to commit to a new deal at the club hasn’t gone down well with some at the club.
Subsequently, the player has been suffering from a number of injuries and also has been off form. Since his injury which looked like it had messed up his rhythm, the team has been down. He was one of the driving forces of the team before that and it seems the players haven’t gotten used to playing without him on the field.
He too should be taking the blame for not keeping it professional and playing his guts out even if he had decided to leave the club. As one of the most influential players in the team, he should have done much better in training and on the field when he was called upon.
And while the blame has been put on the board for not securing him to a new deal, the player too should take some responsibility.
Anthony Martial
Another player who has not taken much criticism this season is Anthony Martial. It does look like he has been spared because his more senior colleagues have been messing up. But it’s time everyone takes a closer look at the Frenchman. He has simply not been performing to the standards that were expected of him.
He looks like he's about to run down a blind alley every time he has the ball and he also delays too much with the ball at his feet. The other thing to note is that Martial, for all his talent, has seen very little improvement in his end-product.
You simply cannot compare to other French sensations like Mbappe. Being a young prospect is now an excuse which is getting old with every year. At his age and for the price that United forked out for him, he should be terrorizing defenders and scoring close to 20 goals a season.
He should now get out from underneath the umbrella of protection afforded him by his senior colleagues and start taking games by the scruff of the neck.
Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling is one of the senior squad members of this United side at the moment and one of the most regular figures in the starting XI of the team of late but as much as he has received criticism, it’s not on Pogba's or De Gea’s level. His critics majorly have come from trolls and rants that bear no meaning.
If there was a time that United fans were right to complain about Smalling it should be now. Smalling being a senior member of that defence should now be the organizer and the one that leads that team, but he simply isn’t up to it.
He has built a good understanding with Victor Lindelof but that partnership has kept the fewest clean sheets in the top six. At almost 30 years of age at the moment, it may be time for United to ship him out and bring in another defender.
Nemanja Matic
The most senior member on this list, Nemanja Matic needs no introduction. He has been quite poor for the majority of this season. He only got his game up during Ole’s first few months at the club, but he’s now back to the poor form that has exemplified him this season.
Being that he was one of the team’s best performers last season, fans should be expecting much more from the Serbian defensive midfielder. Matic has been slow across the grass and has been failing to offer any kind of cover for the back line.
He too suffered an injury around January and his form hugely affected since then. But it will be foolish to blame his form entirely on his injury because he has been the same Matic this season.
Lucky for United they have Scott McTominay who has been showing great potential and heart whenever he has been called upon.
