After a brilliant first year in charge of Manchester United, in which he led them to third in the Premier League and League Cup glory, life has been hard for Erik ten Hag.
Instead of kicking on in the league and making a good go of things in the Champions League last season, the Dutchman's side fell to eighth and were booted out in the group stage.
It would be fair to say that aside from one or two youngsters, last year was a bit of a disaster for everyone in the squad, although perhaps the biggest disappointment was Marcus Rashford.
The Englishman went from one of the most dangerous players in Europe to a total non-threat who was so ineffective that a former United flop sold in 2021 outscored him.
Rashford's 23/24
There was a lot expected of Rashford going into last season, as across 56 matches in the campaign prior, he scored a frankly outrageous 30 goals and provided 11 assists for good measure, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games.
Unfortunately, like the team as a whole, the Manchester-born dynamo seriously underdelivered and ended the campaign with a paltry tally of just eight goals and six assists, meaning he could maintain an average of a goal involvement once every 3.07 games.
Unsurprisingly, this dire run of form saw the 26-year-old dropped from the England squad altogether, meaning he missed a major tournament for the first time since making his debut for the Three Lions in 2016.
It wasn't just on the pitch that he was giving Ten Hag headaches, either.
In January, he was dropped from the squad after not turning up to training due to an 'illness' and then being spotted on a night out in Belfast – talk about being discreet.
In all, last season was nothing short of a disaster for Rashford, and he'll have to dramatically improve this season. Otherwise, he could risk losing his place in the team altogether, and it's certainly not a good sign when a former United flop manages to outperform him.
Daniel James' 23/24
Yes, the player in question is Welsh speedster Daniel James, who joined United from Swansea City in the summer of 2019 for a fee of just £15m plus around £3m of add-ons, and while life in Manchester got off to a flying start thanks to a goal against Chelsea on his debut, it became quickly apparent that he wasn't good enough.
Just a couple of years later, Ole Gunnar Solskjær sanctioned the sale of the then-23-year-old to Leeds United for around £25m, although after spending a middling campaign with the Peacocks in which he produced eight goals and assists, he was sent to Fulham on loan for the 22/23 season.
He was less productive at Craven Cottage and returned to Elland Road in May of last year, scoring just three goals and providing a single assist in 23 matches.
At this point, it wasn't entirely clear whether he would remain with the Whites in the Championship or look for a move back to the Premier League, but luckily for Daniel Farke and the Leeds faithful, he stayed in Yorkshire, where he enjoyed his best campaign to date.
In 46 appearances across all competitions, the player Micah Richards, once branded as a "nightmare", found the back of the net on 13 occasions and provided eight assists to boot, meaning he beat out Rashford and averaged a goal involvement once every 2.19 games.
Appearances
46
43
Goals
13
8
Assists
8
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.45
0.32
Ultimately, while James is thriving in the second tier, he is not a better player than Rashford, and the decision to sell him in 2021 was the right one. Still, the Englishman should note how quickly the club got rid of him when the Welshman was deemed not good enough, as another season like the last one, and it could be him who is shown the door.
Man Utd flop sold by Van Gaal is now outscoring both Rashford & Garnacho
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1 ByJack Salveson HolmesSep 9, 2024
