Manchester United are coming to an end with a miserable first half of the 2024/25 season. on Monday night when they face Newcastle United at Old Trafford.
United may have captured FA Cup in May, but 2024 is undoubtedly a year the club wants to forget.
A run of three defeats means the Red Devils are out of the Carabao Cup and languishing in the bottom half Premier League table. In short, things are bleak for Ruben Amorim at the start of his tenure and there is little sign of respite.
Goal-scoring Newcastle are up next for the Red Devils, and here’s the squad Amorim could pick to face the Magpies in their final outing of the calendar year.
GK: Andre Onana – Onana has enjoyed a fairly quiet 2024, but a few key mistakes have suddenly pushed his long-standing United future in doubt. The club does not have anyone in the reserves who could match the current number one.
CB: Leny Yoro – Yoro eased into his debut campaign after recovering from a broken foot, and there were no doubt a few positive signs amid United’s woes.
CB: Harry Maguire – Maguire is preferred to Matthijs de Ligt in the center of United’s back three, and that is unlikely to change for the visit of Newcastle. The Englishman will see a lot of red-hot Alexander Isak.
CB: Lisandro Martinez – The Argentine is great for the role on paper, but Martinez has struggled so far in his second season at Old Trafford. However, there is no one to enter in his place.
RWB: Noussair Mazraoui – Mazraoui has been a bright spark this term, but there are legitimate concerns about his suitability at full-back.
CM: Casemiro – The veteran midfielder hasn’t played much since Amorim was appointed, but the Portuguese coach is likely to turn Casemiro on Monday with the suspension of Manuel Ugarte.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo – It has been a quiet period for Mainoo, who boasts a profile that is unique to the club’s current midfield. He is a key figure in the engine room, although the young man did not stand out as much compared to when he burst onto the scene.
LWB: Diogo Dalot – The Red Devils require an overhaul across the board, but this is certainly a position that Amorim will look to improve at the first available opportunity. The right-footed Dalot featured heavily for the new manager.
AM: Amad Diallo – Some would argue that Amad would be better on the wing, but Amorim has used the Ivorian in his front three since dropping Marcus Rashford.
AM: Joshua Zirkzee – WITH Bruno Fernandes suspended, Zirkzee could be used as an intermediary between lines. The Dutchman could be decent for this role given his skills.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund – Amorim quickly realized that Hojlund is no Viktor Gyokeres, but he doesn’t have much choice but to stick with the young Dane – especially if he uses Zirkzee a little deeper. The 21-year-old has only two Premier League goals to his name this term.
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