Thomas Hein
When you are a club as big as Man United, it is normal to have a large squad of players for the manager to choose from, and that tends to be even more the case at clubs where directors of football are plying their trade. This is because buying and selling players is literally what keeps them in a job.
That club structure, combined with the high managerial turnover at Old Trafford in the last few seasons, has created the perfect storm, whereby there are more talented players on the Utd books than the likes of Ralf Rangnick know what to do with.
This has led to certain players becoming outcasts at their own club, or even being farmed out on loan despite being fully-fledged international stars in their own right. Here we take a look at some of the forgotten men at Man Utd, who will be looking to kickstart their respective careers now that the madness of the January transfer window has passed.
Jesse Lingard – Bench Warmer Extraordinaire
There are some players in English soccer that clubs just refuse to let go of, usually because of the skills and ability they showcase on the training ground which they then do not want their rivals to benefit from.
However, problems arise when that same player does not produce the goods for one reason or another when they are given their chance in the first team. The 29-year-old Jesse Lingard is a perfect case in point; having thrilled when out on loan at West Ham, he then returned to Old Trafford only to find himself warming the bench again, even as soccer betting pundits were tipping him to revive his career.
The weird thing is that Lingard himself appears to be quite content with this arrangement, rarely speaking out against management or the fact that ageing stars like Ronaldo and Cavani have usurped him in the pecking order; their names are always above his in soccer picks and odds lines that are released on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.
West Ham tried again in January to prise the attacking midfielder/striker away from Old Trafford permanently but were rebuffed both by Utd and the player himself. Even Newcastle’s bottomless pockets were not enough to entice the baby-faced star, which surprised most sports bettors and observers.
So, now he finds himself in a familiar holding pattern. He will be hoping that, with some Man Utd strikers falling by the wayside due to events away from soccer, he may finally get an extended run in the first team. But he probably shouldn’t hold his breath.
Donny van de Beek – Sticky Toffee Situation
The case of Donny van de Beek is one of the strangest in recent times at Old Trafford because the young Dutch goal-getting midfielder was seen as the perfect fit for a midfield in need of support for the likes of Bruno Fernandes.
Unfortunately for De Beek, he has only made 27 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, and most of those were as a sub or in minor competitions, which is bizarre, seeing as he was signed for close to £40m.
To put the icing on the cake of this calamity, De Beek has now been farmed out on loan to Everton to try and help Frank Lampard save the Toffees from the threat of relegation. The move is probably a good one for the Dutchman, with him learning from Lampard while also showing what he is capable of in the Premier League. He should also link up nicely with quality players like Dele Alli, Richarlison, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Amad Diallo – Heading to the Old Firm Fight
While the likes of De Beek and Lingard constantly have their names bandied around in the sports media and social media, one recent star signing who truly is a forgotten man in Manchester is Ivory Coast international Amad Diallo.
Having only made one first team appearance for the Reds, Amad is now heading north of the border to help Rangers in their quest for the SPL title. With that race looking like it might go down to the wire, the loan signing may be able to join forces with fellow new signing Aaron Ramsey and make a name for himself in the process.
