Is time running out for Memphis Depay?

When Memphis Depay was unveiled as a Manchester United player last summer, the whole of Old Trafford licked its lips in anticipation; finally, Louis van Gaal had invested in a young, quick winger with bags of tricks and an eye for goal. Instant comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s last great No.7, might have been a little premature, but there was every reason to get excited about a return to the fast wing play that the Stretford End has revelled over for decades. It appeared that the Reds of old might finally be back.

Fast-forward to mid-March, and it has been anything but. An embarrassing Champions League group stage exit combined with the increasingly likely possibility of failing to land a top four spot in the Premier League is a bitter pill to swallow. Infuriatingly, though, the performances have arguably been worse than the results. This is a Manchester United side void of its identity, and it’s almost certain that the gaffer will be walking the plank come May. Unfortunately, a number of his signings may have to follow him out of the Old Trafford exit. Memphis might be one of them.

It’s hard to be too critical of a 22-year-old who still has his best years ahead of him, but he wasn’t signed as a hot prospect for the future. The Dutchman arrived from PSV fully aware of the expectation levels and knew he would be thrust straight into first team activities. By his own admission, his maiden campaign has been a major disappointment. As it stands, conceding that penalty at Anfield is the standout feature. For a £25m signing that arrived after almost singlehandedly firing Eindhoven to its first Eredivisie crown for seven years, the returns this year simply haven’t been good enough.

Those sentiments are echoed by Dutch experts onlinewedden.com, who believe Depay arrived at Old Trafford with the world at his feet but has failed to deliver: “Forget the vines of occasional brilliance, this is a young star that was once held in the same breathe as Neymar. For whatever reason, his career has stagnated terribly in England. It could be time for United to cut their losses.”

It’s certainly a little premature to throw the towel in and suggest that Depay can’t turn things around. But after seeing the 2014-15 No.7 leave after a far more effective, albeit still disappointing, campaign, it wouldn’t be overly surprising if the Dutch winger did leave.

Old Trafford isn’t a place where you can go missing, especially as a big money signing. Whether it’s Jose Mourinho or someone else, the next manager certainly has a huge call to make. It should be an interesting development to say the least.

More Stories Louis van Gaal Manchester United Memphis Depay

1 Comment

  1. Pure nonsense!!!! Cmon the guy turned 22 less than a month ago, were you waiting for his birthday before you wrote this article as 22 sounds better than 21. There’s no denying that he hasn’t lived up to expectations, but most genuine fans can see the potential there, in fact in the last month he has put in some very good performances. It is not his fault that we paid 25 mill for him, it took Ronaldo years before we saw the best of him, it wasn’t until he was 23/24 did we see the real Ronaldo,so give this guy a chance.

    The word stagnated in my opinion should not be used over a period of 7/8 months, especially when you are 21 and arriving in a new country and a far superior league . It is extremely rare that a young player makes this type of switch and performs as expected, Martial is unique.
    Neymar is 2 years older and moved to a club much more similar to his previous environment. Let’s compare the two when Depay is 24, it has been the last two seasons where we have seen Neymar really progress, anyway Depay might never reach Neymar’s ability, but that doesn’t mean he will be a failure.

    What an absolute joke to suggest we should cut our losses, whether you wrote it nor not, you are still publishing it. It is abundantly clear that he possess an enormous amount of potential and you think we should get rid of him

Comments are closed