There have been multiple reports, across several different outlets, that many members of the Manchester United squad are currently very unhappy to be there. Some of these reports indicate that numerous players want out of Old Trafford, as it appears interim manager Ralf Rangnick has lost the dressing room; or at least a significant portion of it.
According to the Daily Mail the problem is so severe that a total of 17 players are unhappy, and that a majority of them want out. How many want to leave as soon as possible depends on who you talk to, or what you’re reading, but the consensus number seems to be somewhere around 11.
We already know a few for sure: Anthony Martial (who has made it clear via his agent), Paul Pogba (what else is new?), Donny van de Beek (he doesn’t get to play), Dean Henderson (ditto for him), Eric Bailly (same situation) and Phil Jones (also wants more playing time).
The Jesse Lingard situation has been well documented too.
Meanwhile Edinson Cavani is attracting interest from Barcelona, Juan Mata wants to go back to Spain You also have Fred, Diogo Dalot and Nemanja Matic all entering the final seasons of their current contracts.
Rangnick himself admits that some of his players aren’t all too interested or ambitious right now, and those that fit into this category should or will be shown the door.
“When you have a big squad, in the last two games, we had most players available and only 10 field players can play and three substitutes,” Rangnick told a news conference on Friday.
“Then you have quite a number of players who don’t even play or not even in the squad. Those players are unhappy about the situation — it’s obvious, clear.
“I tend to explain to players every two or three weeks why they are not playing and that is an issue in our team and other clubs.
Are we going to see a clearout this month? In the summer?
It would certainly be for the best, as the current set up just isn’t working. It didn’t take long for the players to turn on Rangnick, as he’s only been there a few weeks. It’s probably time to blow it up.
“We have players with contracts expiring in the summer, we have maybe also one or two players who want to leave and are under contract,” Rangnick continued.
“It is about the players dealing with that in a professional way, to show in training, to show up and get a chance to play.
“If this is not the case, the player, club and agents need to discuss the situation.”
Big changes should be coming, and these changes are long overdue. United are just a total mess right now, and they could easily miss out on finishing in the top four this season.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.