Jesse Lingard is the Solution to United’s Memphis Problem
Memphis Depay has been a big disappointment at Manchester United. He was brought in as the solution to United’s problem on the left wing. Ironically, the solution to that issue was at Old Trafford all along in the form of young Jesse Lingard.
If only Lingard’s name was Lingardo or he went by just Jesse. If that was the case, maybe United never would have felt the need to search for their left wing solution outside their own ranks. Instead, they went out and splashed serious cash on Memphis Depay.
The irony is, that Memphis has looked lost for much of the season while Lingard has really begun to come on. His performance in today’s Champions League win over CSKA Moscow might have been Lingard’s coming out party. His terrific volley assist for Wayne Rooney’s goal proved to be the difference for the home side.
Typically I back this type of assertion with a litany of statistical evidence, but that’s not my tact here. Mainly because Lingard hasn’t gotten consistent playing time for United yet this year. In contrast, Memphis has gotten every opportunity to succeed. This skews the statistics to such a level that they can’t be relied upon.
Instead, you have to go with the eye test on this one. While Memphis doesn’t look as if he can find the goal with a map at the moment, Lingard has been confident and decisive with the ball. If you take reputation away from both players, fans would be salivating over the young English winger and calling for Memphis to be sold.
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Lingard has the speed and athleticism to be the perfect complement for United’s other attacking players. Louis Van Gaal seems married to the idea of playing Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney together in the attacking midfield despite their combined lack of pace. They simply have to play a fast, direct threat in concert with their other options.
This does work on the assumption that eventually, Van Gaal will see the light and play Martial as the primary striker. He has clearly been the most effective option there as opposed to Rooney, who has been better in the No. 10 role. Martial can stretch the field vertically as a striker, but they would still need a player to stretch the field laterally. Lingard has shown the skill to do just that.
He’s not a finished product yet by any means. He spent last season at Derby, not exactly a Champions League side. He will go through his ups and downs on the season, but the talent is undeniable. If Van Gaal can see past his lack of reputation then he will pay large dividends.
As the season progresses we will see if Van Gaal and United fans can settle on the superior domestic option. If they do, Jesse Lingard could be the difference between a solid or historic season at Old Trafford.