Erik Ten Hag is planning a ‘ruthless squad clear-out’ this summer as the next phase of his Manchester United project.
United currently sit fourth in the Premier League after losing 2-0 to Newcastle, with their season beginning to falter after a solid few months.
The Magpies scored twice in the second half through Joe Willock and Callum Wilson, but dominated the game as United recorded just one shot on target.
It was an especially damaging result for the Red Devils, as Newcastle have now leapfrogged them into third place.
Tottenham can push United down to fifth with a draw against Everton on Monday (yesterday), although they will have played two extra games.
Ten Hag’s solution to his side’s recent struggles appears to be refreshing the squad, with the Manchester Evening News claiming that the likes of Alex Telles, Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams, Dean Henderson and Anthony Martial also set to be made available for transfer.
The manager has also reportedly ‘become increasingly impatient’ with Jadon Sancho amid his struggles with fitness, and may be willing to lose the England international.
Sancho did make an appearance off the bench against Newcastle at the weekend, but he failed to make much of an impact as United recorded just one shot on target.
Ten Hag made his feelings clear after the game, and perhaps underlined his reasons for wanting dramatic squad changes, as he said: [Newcastle] were more determined, had more aggression and more desire.
“I was surprised that we couldn’t match the determination and passion of the opponent. If you want to win big games, you have to be mature, and I didn’t see that.”
Despite the gloom currently surrounding Old Trafford, the Red Devils could still be on for an unlikely treble this season.
With one trophy already in the bag, they have reached the last eight of the Europa League and will face Sevilla in a quarter final next week, while also advancing to the FA Cup semi-finals.
The real concern is league form. United have now gone seven weeks without scoring a Premier League goal, and while they could still cling on to fourth place, they are being outplayed by the teams around them.
The Red Devils are next in action when they face Brentford tomorrow, a fixture not without its trauma after United lost 4-0 to the Bees in Ten Hag’s second game in charge, before finishing a hectic six days with a game against Everton on Saturday. – MailOnline
Source:
www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh
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