As each year went by under the Glazer’s ownership, the way Manchester United functioned as a club worsened.
From out-of-date facilities to the obvious underperformance on the field, the Red Devils were riddled with issues, but potentially the biggest problem was the amount of money wasted on overpriced talent.
However, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in charge, it now finally seems that the strategy in the transfer market will be shifted towards signing players who represent value.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a former United player who is proving to be valuable to his side this season, even having a better campaign than Mason Mount, who took his spot in the squad.
Mason Mount’s start to life at United
Mount’s start to life at Man United has been far from ideal since leaving his boyhood club Chelsea for a large sum of £55m.
The expectation was that the ex-blue would be the final piece to Ten Hag’s midfield puzzle, adding energy, tenacity, and technical ability to the side.
However, unfortunately, the England international has spent the majority of the season on the sidelines, missing a huge 27 games across all competitions this campaign – scoring only once to boot.
Although injuries can’t be predicted, in hindsight, Man Utd may have been better off keeping last season’s loanee, who’s had a much better campaign than Mount.
Marcel Sabitzer’s revival this season
In January last year, Marcel Sabizter was brought to Man United by Ten Hag to reinforce the midfield, joining on a loan deal until the end of the season.
The Austrian was known as a versatile midfielder who could play in an attacking role or as a box-to-box, therefore allowing the boss to be tactically flexible – Ten Hag lauding him as a "quality player" upon his arrival.
His stint in Manchester spanned over 18 appearances, where he scored three goals and provided one assist, including a brace against Sevilla in the Europa League quarterfinal.
However, the 30-year-old is now playing his football back in Germany for Borussia Dortmund, where he’s scored six goals and provided eight assists, but it was his Champions League heroics this week that put him in the spotlight.
Goals
1
Assists
2
Key passes
2
Shots
4
Interceptions
2
Going into this week’s second-leg clash against Atletico Madrid, BVB were 2-1 down on aggregate, but at full-time, they had booked themselves a spot in the semi-final.
But as you can see, the Bundesliga side have Sabitzer to thank for their progress, with the former Red Devil scoring and providing two assists.
The former RB Leipzig icon has become the definition of clutch in the last week after scoring a brace against Borussia Monchengladbach as well, while he also has more goal contributions than Mount all season.
The midfielder often plays on the fringes of the game as he waits for an opportunity to impact the game in the final third, and he’s certainly not afraid to force the ball into the attacking players, as shown by his two key passes and the fact that he's now the highest assister in the Champions League with five.
However, Sabitzer can produce a moment of magic out of nothing, as shown by his wonderful cross for the equaliser and his left-footed strike from outside the box, which proves that he “shoots like a horse,” as described by journalist Uli Koelher.
Although he wasn’t the most influential signing at United, he’s proved that he has the ability to compete against the very best this season, and he would have been a valuable asset to have in Ten Hag’s squad.
Rather than splashing out what looks to be wasted millions on Mount, the Red Devils could well have been better served keeping hold of Sabitzer – who joined Dortmund for just £16m – instead.
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