As the next step in his Manchester United ambition, Erik ten Hag is “planning a merciless squad clear-out” this summer.
After a strong few months, United’s season is starting to slip as they presently sit fourth in the Premier League after losing to Newcastle 2-0.
Despite United having just one chance on goal, the Magpies dominated the game and scored twice in the second half through Joe Willock and Callum Wilson.
Given that Newcastle has moved ahead of the Red Devils to take the third position, the outcome was particularly detrimental for them.
Even though they will have played two more games, Spurs can knock United down to fifth with a draw against Everton on Monday.
The Manchester Evening News reports that players like Alex Telles, Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams, Dean Henderson, and Anthony Martial are also expected to be made available for transfer, which looks to be Ten Hag’s solution to his team’s recent troubles.
Due to Jadon Sancho’s issues with fitness, the manager has reportedly “grown more irritated” with him and may be willing to let the England international go.
Sancho did come off the bench against Newcastle over the weekend, but he had little effect as United only managed one chance on goal.
After the game, Ten Hag made his thoughts known and may have highlighted his justifications for demanding significant team changes when he said: “[Newcastle] was more determined, had more aggression, and more drive.”
I was taken aback that we weren’t able to match the opponent’s tenacity and fervor. I didn’t see any maturity, which is necessary if you want to win important games.
The Red Devils may yet have a chance to win the unusual triple this season, despite the present doom at Old Trafford.
They’ve already won one prize, they’ve advanced to the FA Cup semifinals and they’ve made it to the Europa League’s last eight, where they’ll play Sevilla in a quarterfinal the following week.
League form is the main worry. United has gone seven weeks without scoring a Premier League goal, and even though they may still be able to hold onto fourth place, the clubs around them are outperforming them.
The Red Devils’ next game is against Brentford on Wednesday. This match has a sordid history because United lost 4-0 to the Bees in ten Hag’s debut as manager. The Red Devils will play Everton on Saturday to round off a busy six days.