“We are being the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United,” said Ruben Amorim following their 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
These comments came just a week after the Old Trafford side held out for an hour with ten men to defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup third round on penalties. This looked like it could mark a turning point in the club’s season.
Amorim has plenty of work to do, but the supporters must remember that he has inherited this team, with several players perhaps not fit to perform in his tactical system.
It may take a transfer window or two for the former Sporting CP boss to acquire those who will fit his approach, thus he must be given time to adjust.
The Red Devils have been a laughing stock since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. Embarrassing results on the pitch, controversies off it and a multitude of poor signings have led to a decade-long malaise.
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In light of Amorim’s recent comments, we have taken a look at the worst Man United players since Fergie’s retirement over 11 years ago.
10 Paul Pogba 2016-2022
Paul Pogba looked like he could be the next big thing when making his way through the academy under Fergie’s tenure, making seven appearances during the 2011/12 season.
He left to join Juventus that summer, emerging as one of the finest young midfielders on the continent across his four seasons in Turin. This led Jose Mourinho to splash £89m on bringing the Frenchman back to Old Trafford in 2016.
He won the League Cup and Europa League during his first season back at the club, while the 2018/19 season saw Pogba register 27 goal contributions – 16 goals and 11 assists – for the Red Devils.
The rest of his spell was underwhelming, to say the least. A series of injuries reduced his effectiveness, and in the end, he departed for nothing.
9 Angel Di Maria 2014-2015
Louis van Gaal paid what was a British-record transfer fee of £59.7m to sign Ángel Di María from Real Madrid in 2014, but he would fail to live up to the hype.
The Argentinian lasted just a single campaign in Manchester, making a total of 32 appearances in all competitions, netting just four goals in the process.
In terms of value for money and effectiveness on the pitch, Di Maria has to go down as one of the worst United players since Ferguson retired.
8 Radamel Falcao 2014-2015
Van Gaal certainly meant business by signing Di Maria and Radamel Falcao in the same window. However, like the former Real Madrid star, the Colombian would also fail to shine at Old Trafford.
A £6m fee was paid to secure the striker on a season-long loan deal, while the club also covered his £265k-per-week wages. Given how impressive he had been since moving to Europe in 2009, it looked like a solid signing.
But Falcao was nowhere near his sparkling best for United, scoring only four goals for the Red Devils. Considering his staggering wages, it was yet another big-money move that failed to work out for Van Gaal.
7 Donny van de Beek 2020-2024
Donny van de Beek joined the Old Trafford side for £34.6m in 2020. Given his stature as one of the finest players to emerge from the famed Ajax youth academy in recent years, it appeared as though Ole Gunnar Solskjær landed the missing piece of the jigsaw.
“Donny has all of the technical attributes needed to perform in this team and has the personality required to succeed at Manchester United,” said the manager upon his arrival. Unfortunately, it would turn out that this was not the case.
The Dutchman played just 62 times for the club, scoring twice in the process, indicating that United failed to get proper value out of the midfielder. He was allowed to join Girona last summer for £420,600 – quite a drop from the near-£35m they paid to sign him just four years previously.
It was yet another case of money wasted in the transfer market, which has become a habit since 2013.
6 Morgan Schneiderlin 2015-2017
Morgan Schneiderlin was the cornerstone of the Southampton team that secured back-to-back top-eight finishes in the Premier League during 2013/14 and 2014/15.
This led Van Gaal to spend £24m on securing his services, hoping that the Frenchman would add some steel to his midfield options.
He made 39 appearances under the Dutch boss throughout 2015/16, but when Jose Mourinho took over, it was evident that Schneiderlin wasn’t going to be in his plans, playing just eight games under the Portuguese manager.
Whether it was the pressure or the lavish transfer fee, Schneiderlin couldn’t quite fulfil his potential at United, moving on after 18 months to join Everton.
5 Antony 2022-present
Erik ten Hag managed Antony during his time at Ajax, with the Brazilian winger enjoying a stunning 2021/22 campaign for the Dutch club, scoring 12 and registering 10 assists to put some of Europe’s biggest clubs on alert.
It was United who won the race for his signature, although the £82m transfer fee was deemed extravagant, especially as the player wasn’t quite the finished article.
A return of just 8 goals in 44 games for the Red Devils in his first season was poor, to say the least, with every effort costing the club £10m.
It now looks like Amorim is keen to offload the former Ajax starlet, who is no doubt one of the worst players in a United shirt over the previous decade considering the fee paid out to sign him in the first place.
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ByRoss KilvingtonJan 15, 2025 4 Alexis Sanchez 2018-2020
Alexis Sanchez had enjoyed a productive spell with Arsenal, having joined the Gunners in 2014 from Barcelona. 80 goals and 44 assists in just 166 games was no mean feat, and when United showed an interest in signing him, he had the star power to take them to new levels.
In a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sanchez moved north in January 2018, but he would fail to showcase his true talents in Manchester.
The Chilean scored a paltry five goals for United across his 18 months at the club. Considering he was earning £350k per week, he surely ranks among the poorest signings made by the club in the last decade.
3 Jadon Sancho 2021-present
What is in the water at Old Trafford that turns players who have shone at previous clubs into ones who fail to showcase their true abilities? Is it the managers, or perhaps the fees paid out to sign said players?
Jadon Sancho should have been a hit for the club. The winger had emerged as one of the best attacking talents on the continent during his spell with Borussia Dortmund. 120 goal contributions across 158 appearances for the German club was a staggering return.
His tally at United? 18 goal involvements in 83 matches. This was way below expectations, especially with the club spending £73m on bringing the Englishman to the Premier League.
He is currently on loan at Chelsea, and it remains to be seen whether Amorim will have a place in his squad for the 24-year-old next term.
2 Anthony Martial 2015-2024
Anthony Martial burst onto the scene with AS Monaco, scoring 11 Ligue 1 goals as a teenager during the 2014/15 season.
Of course, United began to show interest, and a deal of around £36m to bring him to Old Trafford made him the most expensive teenager of all time.
He scored against Liverpool on his debut, endearing himself to the supporters, but this would be one of his finest moments during his near decade-long association with the club.
90 goals in 317 appearances was a more than respectable return, but given his potential when he joined, Martial never did live up to the hype. He is now playing for AEK Athens in Greece.
1 Casemiro 2022-present
Casemiro played a key role in Real Madrid’s 2021/22 campaign, which saw them win La Liga and the Champions League. However, it was evident he was somewhat on the decline.
When Ten Hag offered £60m plus £10m in add-ons, Carlo Ancelotti was more than happy to take the money and run for the Brazilian midfielder.
The 32-year-old may have made over 100 appearances for the Red Devils since joining in 2022, winning the League Cup and FA Cup, but his lack of pace has seen the club suffer some dismal defeats.
His time as a world-class midfielder is over, yet he is still at the club, taking home around £350k per week, making him the highest earner at United.
As of January 2025, he still has 18 months left on his current contract, but Amorim will surely be looking to move him on sooner rather than later.
Judging by his transfer fee and lack of impact during games for the club, Casemiro is certainly one of the worst pound-for-pound signings United have made since 2013.
