Erik ten Hag has already proven he can be ruthless when the job requires and five Manchester United players know all about that side of the Dutchman after being culled from the first-team
By now, it is clear to Manchester United supporters that Erik ten Hag does not suffer fools gladly and is more than happy to exile anyone he deems an obstacle to progress.
The Dutchman is desperate to restore United to their former glories and five Old Trafford locals found that out the hard way when Ten Hag made clear they were surplus to requirements in his efforts to guide the club back into the Champions League via the top four.
Ten Hag inherited a bloated squad when he arrived and after making some of the additions he wanted, it was clear that some of the United dressing room needed to be culled. The new boss was quick to identify who he’d no longer need around the place.
A report from The Sun claimed the AON Training Centre’s first-team changing room is only able to accommodate a maximum of 24 players. As a result, the club were forced to pick a number of fringe players and put them into the U23’s changing area.
Mirror Football has identified the five players Ten Hag quickly cast aside and how they have fared since.
Phil Jones
Phil Jones has long been out of the first-team picture at Man United
The most high-profile of all the exiled players, Jones hasn’t really played much of a part in this United squad for the best part of three years, though he did enjoy a brief revival under the latter stages of Ralf Rangnick’s interim reign.
Remarkably, the England international is still on the books at United after penning a contract extension under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that sees him tied to the Red Devils until the summer of 2023, with the option to extend for a further year.
It seems incredibly unlikely that the option is one that will be explored, with Ten Hag making clear he has no interest in trying to reintegrate Jones into the first-team fold.
Brandon Wiliams
Brandon Williams has played five minutes this season
Having spent last season going through the motions during an uninspiring loan spell with Norwich City, Williams returned to Old Trafford hopeful of more first-team experience.
On the contrary, he is yet to make a league appearance and instead was offered just five minutes at the tail-end of United’s 2-0 home win over Burnley in the Carabao Cup.
Like Jones, Williams is still at United but stands little chance of actually forcing his way into the first-team fold with both England international Luke Shaw and summer signing Tyrell Malacia above him in the pecking order.
Axel Tuanzebe
Axel Tuanzebe’s career has stalled at Manchester United
At one time, Tuanzebe was widely regarded as one of the most promising players in the United academy set-up, having won both the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year and Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year awards.
However, a lot has changed since then and there have been plenty of failed loan spells.
Despite joining Aston Villa on loan on three separate occasions, persistent injuries meant Tuanzebe never managed more than 45 appearances for the club across all of his stints at Villa Park.
United clearly saw something in the defender, as he penned a two-year contract extension with the option of another year – which would take him to 2024, before another failed loan spell with Napoli.
He is back at Old Trafford without a single minute’s worth of action for the Red Devils since the 2020/21 campaign.
Teden Mengi
Teden Mengi was stretchered off in his last outing for United
A 20-year-old central defender that made his Europa League debut for United as a teenager, Mengi was also tipped to achieve big things at Old Trafford.
It hasn’t worked out as such, but the young centre-back endured another blow as recently as this month when he sustained a nasty-looking hamstring injury during United’s 1-0 mid-season friendly defeat by Real Betis.
Mengi looked all set to leave the club on loan next month, but any move now looks unlikely, though he has been backed to get through this difficult period by United academy coach Travis Binnion.
“He’s got the mental strength to deal with it and come back from it, so he’ll be fine, but it’s disappointing for him,” Binnion explained.
Shola Shoretire
Shola Shoretire has been training with the United firs-team in recent weeks
Perhaps the only name on this list that has a real chance of turning things around and playing his way into Ten Hag’s plans, Shoretire is causing plenty of excitement with his performances in the academy.
Earlier this month, ex-United ace Wes Brown conceded he hopes the manager doesn’t shut Shoretire out.
“Shola’s a top-end quality player,” he told TribalFootball. “That’s the best way to put it. He’s on the ball, he’s clever. When you come from youth level and start playing against grown men, that’s where the gap is, and you have to be able to stay with it.
“I’m pretty sure as Shola carries on, he will get opportunities to play and show what he’s all about. He’s very tidy, he can create, I’ve watched him many times at youth level, and he dominates, so you just hope the manager gives him that chance.”
While making the match-day squad on three separate occasions this term, Shoretire is yet to get any minutes under his belt.
