Manchester United secured a remarkable quarter-final triumph over Lyon last night, producing a comeback Sir Alex Ferguson would’ve been proud of.
Ruben Amorim’s side looked to be on the verge of defeat, trailing 4-2 on the night, until three goals in seven minutes secured a place in the semi-final, setting up a clash with Athletic Club.
Bruno Fernandes scored from the spot before substitute Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire scored in the last couple of minutes to secure a phenomenal turnaround.
Such a win has kept the Red Devils’ hopes of ending the season with a trophy alive, now being just three games away from winning yet another European title.
However, despite the victory, numerous players failed to deliver at Old Trafford, potentially putting their starting role in the side at huge risk in the process.
Man Utd’s poor performers against Lyon
Striker Rasmus Hojlund was tasked with the responsibility of leading the line after Joshua Zirkzee was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury.
However, the Dane failed to take advantage of the opportunity handed his way, losing 12 duels – the most of any player on the pitch – whilst also failing to register a single effort on goal.
He wasn’t the only player to disappoint at the Theatre of Dreams, with Andre Onana shipping four goals on his return to the starting eleven after missing the defeat against Newcastle United.
The Cameroonian was helpless with a couple of the efforts, but only managed to complete 69% of the passes he attempted – often putting the backline under needless pressure.
However, despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other United player struggled to make a positive impact, with his time at the club needing to come to an end.
The United player who must never play for the club again
Whilst the side produced one of the best comebacks Old Trafford has ever seen, Amorim will have a few question marks to contend with over the next few months.
Hojlund’s lack of form will undoubtedly come into question once again, with his own future up in the air, potentially needing to be moved on to resurrect his once-promising career.
With the summer transfer window looming, a new striker will certainly be top of the manager’s shopping list, with serious firepower needing to be added to take the side back to the summit of the Premier League.
However, he also needs to make a brutal call on the future of Luke Shaw after his failure to impress off the substitutes bench in last night’s iconic turnaround.
The 29-year-old has been extremely prone to injuries over the last couple of years, adding to the list of reasons why he should be moved on during the off-season.
He was brought on to replace Noussair Mazraoui at the break, but struggled to make an impression, giving away the penalty that gave the visitors a two-goal advantage.
Shaw also only completed one of the four crosses he attempted, whilst also giving possession away five times – leading to journalist Adam Joseph labelling his showing as “disastrous”.
Minutes played
75
Touches
32
Passes completed
22/24 (92%)
Crosses completed
1/4 (25%)
Possession lost
5x
Penalties conceded
1
Ground duels won
0/2 (0%)
His disappointing showing didn’t stop there, losing 100% of the ground duels he entered, and failing to win a single tackle – struggling to make the desired impact at the back.
As a result of his showing, the defender was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst, highlighting how disappointing he was off the bench.
His inability to produce an encouraging showing, whilst also taking his injury record into account, it’s crucial that Amorim makes the brutal decision to offload him during the upcoming window. Indeed, it would be no surprise if he does not feature again before the campaign is out.
He’s been an excellent servant to the club, but unfortunately he’s no longer at the level required if the side are to return to Premier League glory, needing fresh blood to help them in their quest next campaign.
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