Mauricio Pochettino may describe taking charge at Manchester United as his "dream" job, but he walks into a difficult situation given the club's lowly Premier League position and unsettled playing group. The Argentine will aim to halt the slide at Old Trafford, yet even with his past reputation for attractive football and sound tactics, the squad is unlikely to look competitive without at least a transfer window or two.
The team is packed with underperforming players, and Pochettino will need to offload a significant number of them, something many believe has been overdue for some time. Gary Neville recently explained on Sky Sports how the 54-year-old, during his time at Tottenham, drew up a list of players he knew he had to move on and those he could work with in the squad he inherited.
A Clear-Out That Will Take Time
Pochettino will have to take a similar approach in Manchester, where a clear-out is long overdue. It will not happen overnight, and with the club sitting in 18th place, there is a strong argument that more than half of the squad needs to go. The process will be gradual and likely painful at times, but building another list of players to axe and those worth keeping could be a sensible starting point.
Here is a look at which players should survive the cull and those the club may be better off without.
Goalkeepers and Defenders
Among the goalkeepers, Karl Darlow and Tom Heaton should stay. Both know their roles within the club and appear happy to play them. Darlow recently arrived knowing he would serve as back-up, while Heaton has been at Old Trafford for years, making limited appearances. His experience and role within the club have value, and it would be a mistake to let that walk out of the door.
Senne Lammens, however, should be sold. He arrived last year and, after the departure of Andre Onana, was quickly installed as the No 1. Initially things looked promising, but mistakes have become more regular and the pressure of being the United goalkeeper is beginning to tell. A team challenging for honours needs better than the Belgian.
In defence, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Matthijs de Ligt should be kept. Two of these three should be retained with the long-term in mind, though the club need to constantly reassess if they do not develop as planned. Heaven looked good when he slotted in last year, but given his tender age is still raw. Yoro is further on in his development but is making more errors than you would like from a centre-half. De Ligt's fitness is his biggest problem, and the fact other top clubs have moved him on has been cited as a red flag. But United cannot remove every defender at once, and the Dutchman seems worth keeping more than some of his colleagues.
Those to sell include Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu and Diogo Dalot. This is a mix of players who have underperformed, are past their best, or are too attached to previous managers. The six were signed by five previous bosses: Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. They were all signed for different systems at different times, and the club simply need to move on. Maguire's best days are past him, Martinez cannot replicate his Argentina form in Manchester, and Shaw's fitness has been an issue for years. Mazraoui, Dorgu and Dalot, all full-backs or wing-backs, are solid when they want to be, but no team pushing for silverware would likely have them in a first-choice back four.
Midfield and Attack Decisions
In midfield, Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes should be kept. Two of the four only arrived in the summer, and their previous bodies of work merit them sticking around to see what they can add, especially Baleba, who has time on his side. Mainoo has already been through enough ups and downs to define a career but is too talented to see walk out of the door at this stage. Fernandes' talent makes him the best player at Old Trafford, but his attitude remains something that needs to be managed. His impact on the team, for better or worse, is huge, and he needs a more designated role on the pitch if he is not to prove a counterproductive influence.
Andrey Santos, Manuel Ugarte and Mason Mount should be sold. If it were not for injury, Ugarte would likely already be out of the door; his move from PSG has simply not worked. Santos seemed like a bizarre signing from the start, and when a rival is so willing to sell, red flags should be raised. Mount's time at the club has been frustrating, with the overriding issue being just where he fits in. There is obviously a player there, but in an ideal world he would play in Fernandes' position, which is not happening. There is also too much flair on the flanks in the final third to afford him a regular role, all of which points to a mutual parting of ways.
Among the forwards, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Amad and Shea Lacey should stay. Last summer United invested heavily in their frontline, and it paid off with their attackers proving to be some of their best players, winning games singlehandedly. Mbeumo and Cunha would command major roles at any Premier League team. Sesko's injuries have proved frustrating and untimely, but in the latter half of his debut season he looked increasingly effective and is still in the infancy of his career. Lacey has shown huge promise, and Amad, not necessarily as a regular starter but as part of an attacking unit, offers plenty.
Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford should be sold. Zirkzee, like Ugarte, was someone the club wanted to offload in the summer, and the end of his time in Manchester is a case of when, not if. Rashford has had over a decade in Manchester and, despite periods of quality, consistency has been an issue. He is also one of the club's top earners on more than £300,000-a-week, and too many managers have felt they could get the best from him, only to be disappointed. Had Barcelona activated an option clause, United would have waved goodbye to him in the summer.
