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One of the more tenable criticisms lodged against Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the indifference he has shown towards rotating his squad. The Red Devils have enviable depth in a number of positions but of late, Solskjaer has been too reliant on his starters.
He has banked on them to the point where they have been forced back into the side quite early from injury. It is a great disservice to the kind of talent that Manchester United have on the bench.
Manchester United squad depth to come in handy in second half of the season
As the season trudges on, the Red Devils will face more injury concerns like all teams. Solskjaer will do well to rotate the personnel available to him and make use of the depth that the squad has.
It is also necessary for underperforming players to be shown that unless they can maintain a high standard, they will end up facing a spell on the sidelines.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who deserve more opportunities at Manchester United.
#5 Alex Telles
Alex Telles' arrival at Manchester United certainly did something to bring the best out of Luke Shaw. The Englishman was in sublime form last season and was one of Manchester United's best players. While Shaw was formidable defensively, he became a creative force in attack.
However, Shaw's levels have dropped considerably in the 2021-22 season. Despite that, Manchester United's backup option at left-back, Alex Telles, has struggled to get a look in. The Portuguese international has hardly had a steady run in the first team and it definitely looks like the team could use him now.
Perhaps the consistent pressure and criticism has worn Shaw down. He definitely looks like he needs some time to gather his bearings as he has been quite awful at times this term. Telles is a much better crosser than Shaw.
Players come to their own when they are getting minutes on a consistent basis. Shaw's poor form ought to be reason enough to give Telles a run in the first team now.
#4 Dean Henderson
Towards the end of the 2020-21 season, Dean Henderson had become Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper in the Premier League. However, Henderson missed the opening weeks of the 2021-22 season through illness.
During that time, David de Gea turned in some impressive performances to earn back his place between the sticks. Even though the Spaniard has been impressive with his shot-stopping this term, recent performances have shown a worrying trend.
De Gea is too hesitant to come off his line and often remains rooted near his goalline. He made two poor calls against Atalanta in the 2-2 draw against the Serie A side and both resulted in goals.
De Gea used to excel in one-on-one situations. In recent seasons, his close range performance in one-on-one situations has been poor. This underperforming Manchester United backline also needs a goalkeeper who can command his area and can sweep behind them when need be.
De Gea is not good at either of those things and Henderson has too much quality to be sitting on their bench.
#3 Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard has already shown that he can help this Manchester United side. Lingard had an exceptional loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season. He scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers in the 2020-21 season.
Lingard's directness and ball-carrying abilities have helped Manchester United gain some valuable points this term. He scored a late winner in the game against West Ham United. He then set up Cristiano Ronaldo for the all-important last-minute winner against Villarreal in the Champions League.
Lingard offers something quite different to Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba in the final third. While he may not exactly warrant a starting spot over them, he definitely deserves to feature more.
#2 Eric Bailly
If not for his persistent injury problems, Eric Bailly could have easily been Manchester United's first-choice centre-back. The Ivory Coast international can do things on the pitch that no other player can. He regularly hurls himself in the way of shots and is one of the most brave and audacious centre-backs in the Premier League.
Anybody who saw Manchester United's 2-2 draw knows what Bailly is capable of. Not only is he a stalwart in defense, but he is also excellent with the ball at his feet. He does have an erratic streak in him but those things can be ironed out if he gets a consistent run in the first team.
However, he will need his body to not betray him first and foremost if he is to accomplish that. But given how poor Harry Maguire has performed this term, Bailly deserves a steady run in the starting XI at least until he goes back to the nursing room.
#1 Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek has started just four Premier League matches since joining Manchester United in the summer of 2020. The Dutchman has failed to impress in the limited opportunities he has been given. It is also nearly impossible to displace Bruno Fernandes from the starting lineup.
Van de Beek is not a holding midfielder as his strengths lie in exploiting spaces in and around the final third. But with Paul Pogba proving that he is pretty incapable of playing as a central midfielder or as a defensive midfielder in a double pivot, Van de Beek ought to be given a chance.
Pogba's distribution has been ridiculously bad whenever he has been deployed in central midfield this term. He has also been awful at dispensing his defensive duties and shows no bite in midfield. Whatever the Frenchman currently does in central midfield, Van de Beek can do better. That much is for certain.
While Solskjaer cannot exactly be blamed for Van de Beek's lack of minutes thus far, he really has no excuse now.
