Manchester United booked a place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup on Monday night, coming from a goal down to beat Preston North End 3-1 at Deepdale.
Second half goals from Ander Herrera, Maraoune Fellaini and a controversial Wayne Rooney penalty set up a showdown with Arsenal in the last eight, and kept Louis van Gaal’s hopes of silverware in his debut season alive.
A top four finish and a trophy would be a decent return in what has been an up and down season for United’s supporters.
The team has suffered some embarrassing defeats (MK Dons and Leicester City immediatley spring to mind), whilst the standard of football hasn’t lived up to expectations given the club spent close to £150million on new players in the summer.
But United continue to grind out results, and look set to spend further in the summer in order to get back to where they once were – England’s dominant force.
At the moment there are too many players on the books who don’t cut it, and here we have identified five United fans wouldn’t be shocked to see depart in the summer.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on Louis van Gaal to reveal 5 Man United stars Red Devils fans want rid of this summer
[/ffc-gallery]
Marouane Fellaini
The Belgian has improved this season under van Gaal, but few United fans see him as the long term solution to their midfield problems.
He showed in midweek he is a decent option as a target man in order to change the game, but beyond that there are few who consider him to be Manchester United quality.
Napoli were heavily linked in the summer, and it would be no surprise if he made way for a top class midfielder once the transfer window re-opens.
Radamel Falcao
Big things were expected when Manchester United announced the loan signing of Radamel Falcao on deadline day in the summer.
But six months and just four goals later, the Colombian has struggled with the demands of English football, and has done very little to suggest he is worth the reported £200k a week wages.
Monaco are demanding a fee of £40million to make the deal permanent, and for that figure United would expect to sign a forward better suited to Premier League football.
Ashley Young
Ashley Young is someone who falls into the same category as Fellaini. He has shown an improvement this season under van Gaal, but again you will find few Manchester United fans who reckon he has a long term future at Old Trafford.
Young has struggled for consistent form and fitness for too long, and will spend the rest of this season fighting for his future.
We reckon he will be fighting a losing battle however, and expect to see him at another Premier League club by the start of the next season.
Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling has had a major opportunity to establish himself as the first choice defender at Old Trafford this season, with the summer departures of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, and the fact van Gaal failed to add defensive reinforcements.
He has done very little to suggest he is the long term first choice centre back however, with a lack of leadership and silly mistakes the story of his season.
His red card in the Manchester derby in November was branded ‘stupid’ by van Gaal, and served as a further example he has not matured in the way he should have as the top class centre back United were hoping for.
Arsenal were linked with a £10million move previously, and United would surely sell once they sign a replacement.
Jonny Evans
The Northern Irishman falls into the same category as Smalling. A decent enough Premier League defender, but again – is he Manchester United quality for the years to come?
He will never get a better opportunity to establish himself as the first choice centre back at Old Trafford, and like Smalling he has simply not done enough, whilst mistakes have been too frequent.
Had it not been for the consistent heroics of David De Gea, but Smalling and Evans would surely be coming in for heavy criticism at Old Trafford.
