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It's no secret that Manchester United are a team with a lot of issues right now. Whether it be primadonnas in the dressing room kicking up a stink, or veteran players way past their peak hogging up first-team spots and denying youngsters their golden opportunity to show what they're made of; there is much work to be done.
United finished in 6th place last season with just 66 points; to put that into perspective, that's a whole 32 points behind the champions (and bitter rivals Manchester City. Once upon a time, these roles were reversed, and City were a languishing mid-table side whilst United were flourishing under the mighty reign of Sir Alex Ferguson. Those days are seemingly long gone, however, and it'll take some doing to return to the glory days they enjoyed throughout the late 90s and noughties.
In this list are five players that are unfit to play for Manchester United:
#5 Ashley Young
Many people thought that Ashley Young's time at the club was over when Louis Van Gaal arrived on the scene. Back then, Luke Shaw was a very promising prospect and was far more suited to the role than his ageing counterpart, but, for some reason, Young kept finding himself on the first-team sheet despite mediocre-at-best performances week after week.
The fact he's still in a United shirt is a shock and actually quite a sad reflection on the state of Manchester United as a club in general. If players like Ashley Young are seen as first-team fixtures, then there really is little hope for the team. After all, he's 33 years old now and would struggle to get into any Premier League side, let alone one challenging for the title.
He needs to be shipped out before next season begins, if United want to show fans that they have any ambition at all going into the upcoming campaign.
#4 Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez has had it very easy at Manchester United since he joined them from Arsenal back in January 2018. He has essentially been paid to walk his dogs around and watch on from the sidelines as others do his job with much more proficiency. Does this worry him? I doubt it; he's on £500,000 a week.
Aside from slipping down the player rankings at United and being on an exorbitant wage which he simply doesn't deserve, there is little more that can be said about Sanchez now.
He is a shadow of his former self; he's nothing like the dynamic speedster we saw rip up defences whilst playing for the Gunners a few seasons ago, and with Juventus and Inter Milan reportedly knocking on the door for his signature, we could see the last of him before the next season begins.
#3 Luke Shaw
Once an up-and-comer regarded as the best young left-back in England, Luke Shaw's development has been stunted over the past couple of seasons. Injury has been the main problem, but his performances since returning from his time out haven't been great, either. It's naturally led to many fans questioning his role at the club and whether he's really deserving of a first-team place at all next season; after all, there's plenty of better options out there.
Perhaps United have simply kept him on the books to meet the Homegrown players requirement, and given how expensive English players are in general, they've probably opted to stick with him rather than gamble and purchase a replacement who could be even worse. This would make sense if it were the case, but if it isn't and they just aren't sure what to do with him, the best thing to do right now would be to offload him for as much money as they can get.
From there, invest heavily in a replacement, someone with the calibre of Ben Chilwell, who is homegrown, and work with whatever that brings.
#2 Fred
Fred was supposed to be the Brazilian trickster who would light up the Premier League last season, but his debut campaign turned out to be anything but a success. His physicality let him down in the majority of games, which led to him only making the starting eleven in 34% of his 17 appearances for the Red Devils. In that time, he scored just one goal and one assist.
To put it bluntly, Manchester United made a grave mistake by signing Fred. He doesn't fit their system and he doesn't suit the Premier League. The speed and the ferocity with which opposition teams play at in this divison was quite clearly far too much for him to handle, and when you pay £50m for a player, you naturally expect a great deal more than what he gave throughout the last campaign.
I can't see things getting much better for the 26-year-old; these are the years when a midfielder is meant to peak and perform at his best; well, if this is the best he can offer, it's time to say goodbye. United should try and squeeze as much money out of his sale as possible and attempt to forget this ever happened.
#1 Marcos Rojo
Marcos Rojo had a strong start to life at Old Trafford when he was first signed by Louis Van Gaal but from there it has been one long decline, both in terms of his ability and play time. He seems to be frequently out injured with one thing or another, and even when he is available, he isn't picked for the squad, so why is he still here?
There was some talk earlier in the year about him being sold back in January, but nothing materialised. This summer, United will undoubtedly be looking to move him on permanently, but there hasn't been any real interest whatsoever. The only club linked right now are Club Estudiantes de La Plata, an obscure Argentinian side who can only really give him the chance to return back home to see out his career.
Safe to say, things look bleak for Rojo, but he's certainly not up to par anymore, hence why he's made the list.
