Why Manchester United should bring Memphis Depay back
Manchester United endured a calamitous campaign under David Moyes and the manager was fired just after ten months, with Ryan Giggs completing the season as the player-manager.
When Louis van Gaal took over the reins from David Moyes in the 2014/15 season, he brought in a whole lot of players to strengthen the squad.
The Dutch manager brought in players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Ander Herrera, Victor Valdes, Anthony Martial, Daley Blind, Memphis Depay and many others. Although Van Gaal failed to bring instant success to the club, some of his signings have gone on to become regular names for Manchester United while others have left the club seeking greener pastures.
The likes of Rojo, Herrera and Shaw and Martial are still at Old Trafford but names like Blind, Depay, Falcao and Di Maria are plying their trade for different clubs across Europe.
However, suffice to say, Depay was a victim of the managerial change at Manchester United. The 24-year-old Dutchman joined United in the summer of 2015 after a stellar season with Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven, where he finished as the top scorer of the Eredivisie with 22 goals.
Great things were expected when he came to Old Trafford and the Dutchman made an immediate impact, scoring a brace and assisting teammate Marouane Fellaini in United’s 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the Champions League playoffs.
However, the youngster struggled to get accustomed to the tedious training sessions at Old Trafford and the demanding nature of the Premier League clearly did not quite suit him. Although he made a total of 29 appearances in the 2015/16 season and scored a couple of goals, he was terribly out of favour following Van Gaal’s departure.
New manager Jose Mourinho did not include him in his plans and the Dutchman managed only four appearances in the Premier League, before shifting base to Ligue 1 club Lyon.
However, according to The Express, Jose Mourinho had encouraged the board to insert a buy-back clause in the deal which would allow United to bring the player back to Old Trafford when desired.
Memphis Depay seems to have regained his Midas touch for Lyon in the Ligue 1. The 24-year-old has been impressive with his scoring record, netting 25 times in 54 appearances.
A classical inverted left-winger by trade, Depay can bamboozle defenders with his pace and dribbling. He often utilizes his acceleration and flair to beat defenders and to buy himself that extra bit of time to cut inside and fire powerful shots with his stronger right foot.
An intelligent footballer, Depay combines pace, flair, dribbling nous and athleticism with his physical strength to shield the ball against the defenders. He is also a set-piece specialist and is adept at beating the goalkeeper with powerful free-kicks from outside the box.
United have lacked intent while going forward this season and the team hasn’t gelled well under Mourinho. Consequently, they have lacked that sense of cohesion in their attack, making the players look like a bunch of individuals. Furthermore, United have sat back in most of the games, thus preventing the attackers from getting enough touches in the final third.
Given that Depay has regained his touch in the Ligue 1 and is currently amongst the goals, United should look to exercise their buy-back clause to bring the Dutch international back to Old Trafford.
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The attacker could add vigour to United’s attack down the left flank and might just prove to be lethal for the Red Devils. Considering he wasn’t successful in his earlier stint at Old Trafford, Depay must strive to learn from his mistakes and return fitter and stronger to cope with the toughness of the Premier League. He certainly has the talent and the ability to do so.
