Manchester United can sell 15 players – Casemiro is finished and replacing David de Gea with Andre Onana was ‘calamitous’ mistake

I wouldn’t be disappointed if Manchester United sold 15 players this summer – we need to make massive changes, a major overhaul.

The player profiles are incorrect. If you give this team to Pep Guardiola, they won’t pass it on like Man City did. If you give Jürgen Klopp this team, they won’t press high, dominate possession and won’t create many chances.

Man United need a major clean-up this summerPhoto Credit: Getty Images
Man United need a major clean-up this summer.

If you sack Ten Hag and sign Thomas Tuchel or Roberto De Zerbi, they have a certain style of football that doesn’t suit these players either. It always comes back to the players, we have to change them.

There is a core group of players that we should definitely keep – there’s Lisandro Martinez, who was injured all season, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot, who had a good season.

Bruno Fernandes is another. He didn’t have a great season, but when he’s not on the team they’re even worse!

There are others I would give a chance like Mason Mount and Andre Onana, I think they should be given another chance.

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Younger players like Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo should be in an environment that protects and nurtures them, but they are being hung out to dry. They are expected to go to Crystal Palace and be the focal point of the team.

Look back at the Class of 92 and these young players played with the likes of Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel, but now there is no protection, there is no seniority at Manchester United at the moment.

These three players are 100 percent players that I would keep and develop for the future.

But it’s not a big list of players I would keep. We need a clearing out.

There are far too many expectations placed on our young players and there is not enough protection and leadership from experienced players in the dressing roomPhoto Credit: Getty Images
There are far too many expectations placed on our young players and there is not enough protection and leadership from experienced players in the dressing room.
Onana has been suspect all season but it is only his first year in the Premier LeaguePhoto Credit: Getty Images
Onana has been suspect all season but it is only his first year in the Premier League.

Catastrophic mistake from De Gea/Onana

Look, it’s still the first season for Onana. Looking back at his career at Ajax and Inter Milan, his distribution is very good and he was one of the better goalkeepers in Europe.

Man United haven’t been able to play like this this year due to the injuries at center back. We don’t play with a goalkeeper who can’t really play to his strengths.

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But as a normal goalkeeper, I’ve said all season that I don’t have a lot of confidence.

Positioning, ability to get down, cover the front post – these are basic goalkeeping skills that David de Gea was much better at.

I do think it was a mistake to get rid of De Gea. I think we did it a year too early.

You just have to hope that Onana improves his basic goalkeeping skills in year two and we become a team that actually plays from defense, because then you’ll see improvement from him.

But there are problems.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Casemiro is a “great guy” but he has to go

It is strange. Casemiro has been one of the best players in his position over the last decade and was very good for Manchester United last season, but in recent weeks his play has been almost casual.

The way he took the penalty [against Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final] and simply shot it through the middle, tried to run the ball out against Crystal Palace, rushed into tackles as the last man and scored a header against Burnley as he tried to head the ball back into a crowded penalty area.

We lost that game and we would have won it if he hadn’t done that, so he’s effectively costing us goals and points and he’s on £300,000 a week – that’s not good enough!

I really like Casemiro, but I wouldn’t expect that from him. He was the captain on Monday night [in the 4-0 defeat to Palace] and his standard lies on the ground. People are right when they say it.

Casemiro's status as one of the all-time greats is assured, he has won five Champions League titles, but he has hurt United this season and must goPhoto Credit: Getty Images
Casemiro’s status as one of the all-time greats is assured, he has won five Champions League titles, but he has hurt United this season and must go.

In my opinion he is still a great player – that doesn’t change his performance for Real Madrid – and he also played well for Brazil at the World Cup.

But he plays in the Premier League and it’s much faster there than in other leagues, the Champions League and international football.

I’m not saying it’s better or not, but it’s much faster and for players like Casemiro it’s too fast even though he plays out of position.

I don’t think it’s hurting his reputation, but it’s definitely hurting Man United at the moment.

He will be a high priority player to move forward given his style of play and salary.

EAn embarrassing time of yearbut it’s not over yet

I’m not surprised Chelsea are now above Manchester United.

They’ve had a terrible season, but I think United, Chelsea and even Newcastle are very similar in many ways – they don’t have anything to shout about, which is pretty embarrassing.

All three clubs had major injury problems and I think Tottenham and Aston Villa were lucky that all three of those clubs underperformed.

It's a season to forget for United and Ten Hag, but I still think staying with the manager is the best optionPhoto Credit: Getty Images
It’s a season to forget for United and Ten Hag, but I still think staying with the manager is the best option.

But what’s happening now is that Chelsea and Newcastle have managed to field teams that can get results, especially with a back four and a midfield – Manchester United doesn’t have that.

We had an injured Jonny Evans, Casemiro and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at left-back, Christian Eriksen doesn’t seem to be anywhere near that level anymore.

There isn’t much between the teams, but Chelsea and Newcastle have found a way to put together a team that actually has structure, that’s been the difference in the last few weeks.

I think all three have had really forgettable seasons, but if you can get the last place in the Europa League you can at least salvage something.

However, there won’t be Man United in the league, we won’t finish above Chelsea or Newcastle.

So it all comes down to the FA Cup final… against Man City.