After a forgetful 2021-22 season, Manchester United are under immense pressure to have a better season this time around. With a new manager at the helm and a new hierarchy up top, there is an expectation for a change in fortunes at Old Trafford. Despite the optimism, the fans are still reeling from a hangover of last season. The whole squad will be under fire if they do not have a stellar season but let’s take a look at 5 players who absolutely cannot afford another below-average season.
David De Gea
The first name on this list might not be the biggest concern for a lot of United fans, but I cannot see another season of hoofing the ball pointlessly every time the opposition presses. David De Gea has started his 12th season in goal for Manchester United. And to a certain extent, he hasn’t improved on his major weaknesses from the time he joined in the reds in 2011. He often gets bullied in the box and as a result, hesitates to come out and gather the ball during set pieces and counterattacking situations. Ball distribution is another major part of De Gea’s game that he needs to work on.
With the possession-based football that Ten Hag wants to play, the goalkeeper has to be good on the ball and cannot stay glued to his line. A lot of fans tend to overlook these shortcomings partly due to his service over the years and partly because of his shot-stopping “prowess”. Yes, De Gea kept United going through very turbulent times by being the best goalkeeper in the world for 2-3 years, but he hasn’t hit those heights in the past 3-4 years. Despite a good start to last season, De Gea conceded 57 goals in the league last season, which was 5th most in the league. Yes, De Gea was an incredible player for United, but if he wants to be the main man for years to come, he needs to show that he is improving his weaknesses this season.
Harry Maguire
With significantly less opposition to this name being on the list, Manchester United’s captain is the next one up. First off, the treatment of Maguire has been toxic at times over the past year by fans and those with an audience online. He has somehow become the butt of every joke and an easy target. That being said, the 2021-22 season was Maguire’s worst by a fair margin. Especially if we take into account that he was one of United’s top performers the previous season and had an incredible Euros run with the England squad.
Last year’s defining game was the one against Leicester where he was rushed back from injury. With Iheanacho bullying him off the ball leading to their first goal sticking out as a memory from that game. But Maguire has shown us that he has the quality in him. He lacks speed but has other attributes that can help him be a very good defender for United. This can be a career-defining season for Maguire at United. He will have to bounce back and perform at a high level to lead United’s defence regularly.
Scott McTominay
Like every opinion about a Manchester United player, this is going to be a controversial one. The majority of United fans will agree that Scott McTominay isn’t of the quality to start every week for United. In my opinion, he can be a valuable squad player but cannot have a starting spot week in, week out. He lacks quality on the ball and often shies away from being assertive in the middle of the pitch.
Everyone loves the goals against Leeds but he doesn’t have the discipline, passing range or positional awareness to be a solid, controlling midfielder for United. His passing and defensive stats do not justify a starting spot and make it clear why Ten Hag wants to bring in Frenkie De Jong to take over in the midfield. But I would argue that this season is crucial for Scott in order to maintain the position of a solid backup option for United. With the likes of Zidane Iqbal, James Garner, Charlie Savage, etc coming through the ranks, another mediocre season could move him further down the pecking order.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has seen a dip in form over the last 18 months or so. The English forward scored 22 goals with 9 assists in 2019-2020 and followed that up with 21 goals and 13 assists in the following season. Since that, the winger has seen a drastic downturn in his form and productivity on the pitch. This season might be the final opportunity for Rashford to prove that he has the quality to be the number 1 choice for United’s left-wing spot. A lacklustre 2021-22 season saw him start a mere 18 games for United, his lowest since he debuted for United in 2015-16. With Ten Hag at the helm, Rashford will get a clean slate like many others. But he cannot afford another season where he doesn’t live up to the expectations of the Old Trafford faithful.
Anthony Martial
The French forward has seen the steepest decline in form over the past 2 years. With only 8 goals in all competitions in the last 2 seasons for United, Martial looked almost certain to be heading out of the club. But with the uncertainty around Ronaldo and a thin forward line, the Frenchman looks likely to get a final opportunity to lead the line this season.
His season is off to a rough start with a hamstring injury that sidelines him for now. This is a huge setback for United and especially Martial, who needs every minute to show his worth to United. It is most certain that United will look for other striking options at least next year, but if Martial wants to save his career he will need to have a stand-out season.
Though this list includes only 5 names, there can be many more on here. A few assumptions made are that Malacia will replace Shaw and Ronaldo will head out this summer or the next. A few other players who need to have a much better personal season are Fred, Varane, Wan Bissaka, Dalot, Bruno, and Sancho. As I said, this list could include every single member of Manchester United’s squad.