4 Players Manchester United should off-load

Jose Mourinho is gone, and so are his antics on the sidelines and his constant outbursts on the media. Since they've won the Europa League back at the end of 2016/17 season against Ajax it'd seem the Portuguese was always in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. His gesture against Juventus fans after a last minute Bonnuci own goal which gave Manchester United the win made it seem he just loved the spotlight.

Never one to shy away from the cameras and say what is on his mind, Mourinho just constantly fed the media monsters. Be it by publicly announcing his discomfort with Manchester United officials or his displeasure with his players, he just always had something to say.

His success shouldn't be undermined however. He did give Old Trafford European glory, something they had not seen since Sir Alex Ferguson's famous 2008 Champions League win in Moscow against heated rivals Chelsea. In that first season he accomplished to win the League Cup and Community Shield against Leicester.

It seemed to just go down hill from there however; his public battles against his team captain Paul Pogba were never going to add comfort towards the dressing room. His failure to figure out his preferred back line certainly didn't help. With so many different combinations and tactics being used in the back, there was never a sense of continuity and regularity.

So here we are, Jose Mourinho is gone and it's now up to the players to demonstrate they are not the one's to blame. That their current bad run of form is behind them, and they are ready to fully represent and play to the standards of Manchester United. However, some players have been given far too much time and a transfer somewhere else is for the best in both parties. Here I take a look at who should go sooner rather than later.

Chris Smalling

He was touted as Manchester United's center-back for the future when he signed for a reported $8 million transfer fee from Fullham back in July of 2010 (transfermarkt.com). And in a sense he has, he still remains in the club and is still a regular first team player.

He just signed a new contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until June 2022, with an option to extend a further year (BBC) amid interest from fellow Premier League rivals Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. But was it the correct decision from Manchester United's board room?

Chris Smalling just turned 29 which means he should be in his prime. However, he's constantly been a weak link in the back line and has failed to be the senior figure someone 9 years at the club should be. He's a decent performer in the Premier League but when faced with world-class opposition he stumbles and falters.

As a result Manchester United have been forced to spend heavy sums of cash on further under-performers Eric Baily and Victor Lindelof. Last season saw even Marcos Rojo and Daily Blind above Chris Smalling in the pecking order.

It's a strange decision for Manchester United to extend his contract, seeing he has not featured for the England National Squad and seemed surplus to requirments just over two months ago. His best years are behind him, Manchster United would be better off promoting a hungry player from their youth academy or purchasing a valuable solid centerback this January.

Phil Jones

Following a promising start under Sir Alex Ferguson which saw Alex Ferguson even say,

"Jones, arguably the way he is looking, could be our best ever player. I think Jones may be one of the best players we have ever had, no matter where we play him. At 21 years of age, he is going to be a phenomenal player. I think he can play anywhere on the pitch."

It's safe to say things haven't gone according to plan. Plagued by injuries and far often committing way to many simple errors. He's been a great servant for Manchester United since his transfer from Blackburn Rover's, but he's not up to Manchester United standards.

He's just played 3 games in the Premier League campaign and a further 2 in the Champions League. His recent display in the 2-1 defeat against Valencia in the Champions League demonstrated Phil Jones is not up to an elite level anymore. Although the own goal was unfortunate, he should not have had Batshuayi go off in that run in the first place.

At 26 he's still at the prime of his career, and if can avoid injuries still have a long successful career. Manchester United need a better quality center-back in front of De Gea however, and although a loyal servant he does not have it in him to compete at the highest level. For the best intrest in both parties, Phil Jones should move to another team were he'll regular playing time, and Manchester United can get compensated as a result.

Nemanja Matic

Nemanja Matic has not lived up to the reportedly $44.7 million (transfermarkt.com) price tag Manchester United payed Chelsea to acquire his services back in July 31, 2017. At the time it made perfect sense for both parties, Chelsea had N'Golo Kante and it made no sense to play two players with exactly the same style of play playing at the same time.

Manchester United was not satisfied with what Andre Herrera was offering, and they desperately needed to cover their defense. However, Matic at best has look spotty with his body not up to the physical style of play Nemanja Matic plays.

In his best day, Nemanja Matic is arguably one of the greatest defensive midfielders to play the game. His physical and tall figure makes playing against him an unwanted test. His great coverage of the ball and interceptions offers great coverage towards the defense.

But those days are far in between with Nemanja Matic far too prone to the "off day". He's not a bad player, it's just his diagonal passing offer Manchester United nothing going forward. He's 30, the age where players usually start to decline, and his body will soon start to falter and break down.

Manchester United have Paul Pogba, Andre Herrera, Scott Mctominay and newly acquired Fred to count on. Manchester United would be better off trying to recover the money they spent on Matic, and refunding it on a more play making defensive minded-midfielder barely starting to emerge. Adrien Rabiot will not renew his contract, and therefore would be available on a free should Manchester United like to pounce.

Alexis Sanchez

It wasn't necessarily a bargain, but it wasn't a drastic amount of money spent either. The reported amount had been $34 million (transfermarkt.com). Manchester United were signing arguably Arsenal's best player at the time. The Chilean god who had dethroned Lionel's Messi's Argentina twice to Copa America glory.

This was a player who the season before had recorded a 24 goal and 10 assist campaign in which he single-handedly carried a demoralized Arsenal squad towards a Europa League place. Plus they had beaten rivals Manchester City to his signature. On the flip side, this was a 29-year-old player with only 6 months left in his contract.

What a downfall it has been ever since, Alexis Sanchez has looked like a shadow of the man that tore Premier League defenses to shreds and in the process became one of the best strikers to play the game at the time. This season has seen him record just 1 goal and 2 assists, he just turned 30 and is earning a jaw-dropping $391,000 per week.

He's looked far off-pace, has lost many duels he would usually win and above all looks demoralized. He does not have the same confidence, regularly being seen with his head down. Alexis Sanchez has it in him, to again reignite that fire within him that made him one of the most prolific most skilled dribblers on the planet. But Manchester United is not the place for him.

With wages like that you expect to be getting 20+ goals a season, Alexis Sanchez does not seem like that sort of player at Old Trafford. On paper, he was seen as the perfect partner to Romelu Lukaku with his pace and trickery being able to open up space for Lukaku. It has been anything but, with Mourinho having decided to drop the Chilean before he sustained his hamstring injury.

A move to where he'll be the main focal point of attack is the best move for a player who's playing days are winding down. It'll be good for United to recoup some of the absurd amount of cash they spent on him. Seriously, what were they thinking!?

Edited by Emeka Monyei