Manchester United saw their FA Cup hopes ended by Danny Welbeck on Sunday with their former player excelling – one of a number of players who have enjoyed life away from the Red Devils
Manchester United’s recruitment over the past decade has, rightly so, got pelters for the constant failings, over spending and under delivering of players.
That said, their retention hasn’t always been that much better. For so long they were conned by the shiny new thing on the continent, the fashionable name, and so overlooked some of the less flashy players they already had in their ranks. Some whom had come through their own system.
United’s spend is astronomical when compared to the lack of success they’ve had and whilst their shortcomings have often come with squads of players who cost huge sums, in other parts of the country and in Europe players they deemed surplus to requirements have excelled.
On Sunday, for the fifth time in his Brighton career, Danny Welbeck scored against the Red Devils. His strike ultimately dumped them out of the FA Cup as their former player celebrated at the stadium he once called home.
He is one of a number of players who have enjoyed their post-United career. Many have looked on and claimed the veteran frontman could still do a job up top for the Manchester outfit.
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Welbeck is just one of a number of players to find that life away from Old Trafford is far more fruitful, but the question remains why were they sold in the first place. We take a look at some of the names to depart Manchester and have since left the club second guessing themselves.
Danny Welbeck
The 35-year-old has never been the easiest player on the eye, but he can more than contribute in the final third, both as a link man but also a poacher himself. He was good enough to be trusted by Sir Alex Ferguson in his final years, yet those who’ve come after the Scot haven’t always agreed.
Sold to Arsenal in 2014, he has scored at Old Trafford on more than one occasion and now finds himself at Brighton via Watford. He’s among the top English scorers in the Premier League and has continued to be an example of how United shouldn’t look to admiringly at players outside their four walls, whilst undervaluing those they have.
Scott McTominay
The best player in Serie A wasn’t up to scratch for those in Manchester. The irony is he perhaps had his best season the year before his exit.
For so long deployed in more of a holding position, he showed just what an appetite he had for goals under Erik ten Hag, scoring 10 times. That wasn’t enough to keep him though and Napoli came calling – landing him for a mere £25m. Within a year he was a Serie A champion and an icon in Naples. United never seemed to understand what they had.
Romelu Lukaku
His numbers alone probably speak for themselves in the years post-United. Signed by Jose Mourinho, fitting the profile of striker he wanted, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had less time for the Belgian and sold him at the first opportunity.
Whilst his return to Chelsea was underwhelming, in Italy Lukaku has won titles with Inter Milan and Napoli, scoring with regularity.
Dean Henderson
He was at United by his mid-teens but his exit was largely down to Solskajer’s inability to read the room. The club had a choice to make regarding when to transition from the ageing David de Gea to Henderson, who had been tearing up trees in a loan spell at Sheffield United.
The goalkeeper was overlooked again and again before his patience broke and, after some public digs at the club, he joined Crystal Palace. With the Eagles he’s found himself winning the FA Cup, saving a penalty in the final, all whilst the club he left have been juggling their No 1.
Angel di Maria
When you look back, the Argentine was perhaps the first example of a culture gone wrong in Manchester. Gary Neville himself has declared it a ‘graveyard for players’. Di Maria was signed from Real Madrid off the back of a Man of the Match performance in the Champions League final.
His one year in Manchester was underwhelming and he was sent packing to PSG, where he was again a star. A World Cup winner with Argentina, scoring in the final. Quite how the Red Devils didn’t find a way to harness his talent is beyond many.
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