Home » Jesse Lingard’s poor performances caused by manager, journalist claims

Jesse Lingard’s poor performances caused by manager, journalist claims

by Red Billy

Jesse Lingard must leave Manchester United in order to return to his best, according to The Independent’s Mark Critchley.

Fans, reporters and pundits have all been highly critical of Lingard’s performances this season, with some claiming he is the worst player to ever wear the red shirt.

Lingard’s dreadful performance against Club Brugge on Thursday night was his 200th for the club – a figure higher than those of Dwight Yorke, Eric Cantona, Ray Wilkins and Teddy Sheringham. Whilst many feel that is a sad indictment on the club’s slump into mediocrity in recent years, the journalist thinks that ‘no player reaches such a point without having the talent and application that is required to succeed [at United] … it is … a proud and commendable achievement.’

Critchley believes that Lingard is a good player and that it is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s management style that is the cause of his poor performances.

‘This pervasive idea that Lingard is a worse player than the majority of his team-mates is wrong’ Critchley writes. ‘It foregrounds the most challenging 18 months of his life and career and it forgets the previous two-and-a-half years of progress and personal development under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.’

‘Solskjaer, by contrast, has not managed to elicit the same level of performance.’

The reporter believes that the 27-year-old must leave Old Trafford in order to become fulfil his potential.

‘Lingard … does not fit neatly into any of the Norwegian’s preferred systems. There once was room for the bustling, energetic and hard-working presence that Lingard was when at his best.’

‘There is no reason why he cannot be that player again. But in order for him to rediscover that form, a change of scenery feels more and more necessary.’

Aiming to help Lingard make that move is Mino Raiola, who Lingard has recently employed at a time when the superagent is at war with the Red Devils.

This and Lingard’s obsessive social media presence has fuelled fans’ discontent with the Englishman even further.

‘Whether you believe he is a talented player or not, it is becoming increasingly clear that he is in need of a new start’ Critchley concludes. And there are few Manchester United fans left who would argue with that.

With all the recent publicity about whether some of the current squad is good enough to play for Man United, why not remind yourself of some of the worst flops to ever appear at the Theatre of Dreams by doing our quiz below?



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