Five forgotten Man Utd players who could thrive under Ten Hag like Henderson and academy goal machine
MANCHESTER UNITED'S disastrous campaign has almost come to an end, and as things stand they will have to settle for Europa League football next season.
Big-name individuals in Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba have failed to perform to expectation.
Other players have not shown the high intensity and hard work demanded by Ralf Rangnick, so it makes sense for the fringe players to show what they are capable of.
Currently sitting over 30 points behind both rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, it is the perfect time to drop the big-name flops.
With majority in the squad underperforming on a consistent basis, some of the players need a reality check - time on the bench.
Here are the five fringe players who should be selected in the United line-up…
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Dean Henderson
David De Gea has been regarded as one of the side’s best players this season, though, his lack of sweeper keeper ability and failure to play out from the back holds United back in possession.
On the other hand, Dean Henderson is more of a modern goalkeeper, but has not had the chance to prove himself as he unfortunately caught Covid-19 and was recovering at the start of the season after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had promised him the No1 spot.
Now, with United having nothing to play for the remainder of the campaign, the 25-year-old should be given the opportunity to show his qualities.
Should he fail to impress, Henderson can be offloaded in the summer, with both Newcastle and Tottenham interested in him.
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Eric Bailly
As United continue to have their defensive problems, with Raphael Varane proving to be injury prone, Maguire performing horribly and Victor Lindelof being inconsistent due to the liabilities around him, it is a surprise to not see Bailly starting at the heart of defence.
The last time the Ivory Coast international started was the 3-1 victory at home to Burnley on December 30, when he had to be taken off after the hour mark due to a knock.
Since returning back from the Africa Cup of Nations, Bailly has not been used by Rangnick.
However, playing the 28-year-old on a regular basis may allow the club to see if he can be part of a team that wants to play possession-based football, or if not, it would allow United to cash in on him for a reasonable transfer fee.
Phil Jones
Making an encouraging return into the team in January against Wolves after a two-year absence, Phil Jones has barely been utilised further in the starting line-up, despite his versatility and the strong mentality he has possessed from the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
With his proactive defending and ability to play out from the back, it is more of a shock to not see him starting than Bailly.
Jones, who has missed around 80 Premier League games over the last three seasons due to a knee injury, has been fit and available since the start of the year and allowing him to have regular game time would be a huge boost to his confidence and his mindset.
It is unlikely that he will be in the new manager’s long-term plans, though, if he shows key signs of availability and reliability on a weekly basis, then without a doubt, some of the mid-table teams would want his services.
Hannibal Mejbri
As Brandon Williams, James Garner and Tahith Chong are currently enjoying loan spells away from Old Trafford, Hannibal Mejbri remains as one of the few talented youngsters at United.
He can play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger on the left flank and with his ability to drive at the opposition with the ball, the Tunisian international is dubbed to have a great career, whether it’s at United or not.
When noting his qualities on the ball for the U23 team, from his constant passes between the lines to his individual brilliance in the final third, Mejbri’s introduction into the first team line-up would help to ease Jadon Sancho's burden, in terms of creativity and attacking quality.
Mejbri happens to be the main youngster that the Old Trafford faithful would like to see in the Premier League.
Charlie McNeill
United are lacking the most in the forward department, with Cristiano Ronaldo being the only striker available as Edinson Cavani has spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch.
On top of that, it is does not help for the Portuguese international to be starting on a regular basis with no rotation and within a team that does not play to his strengths, leading to his performances and his attacking threat to rapidly decline.
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Nevertheless, this would be the monumental moment for McNeill to have the chance to make a breakthrough at the highest level of English football.
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He previously scored over 600 goals in the Manchester City academy at youth level.