Manchester United had their FA Cup hopes ended by former player Danny Welbeck on Sunday – one of a number of players who have enjoyed life away from the Red Devils.
Danny Welbeck’s goal knocks Manchester United out of the FA Cup (Image: )
Manchester United’s reinforcements over the past decade have, understandably, been consistently criticized for failing to overspend and under-supply players.
However, their retention rates are not necessarily that great. For a long time, they were fooled by the continent’s shiny new things, fashionable names, and missed out on some of the less flashy players already in their ranks. Some have come through their own systems.
Compared to their lack of success to date, United’s spending has been astronomical, and while their shortcomings often come with squads of players who have spent huge amounts of money, other parts of the country and Europe have excelled with players they have deemed able to afford their demands.
On Sunday, Danny Welbeck scored the fifth goal of his Brighton career against the Red Devils. His strike ultimately knocked the team out of the FA Cup, as former players celebrated in the stadium they once called home.
He is one of a number of players who have enjoyed a successful career since joining United. Many took notice and claimed the veteran frontman could do the job at the top of the Manchester team.
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Welbeck is just one of a number of players who have found life far more rewarding away from Old Trafford, but questions still remain as to why they were sold in the first place. Let’s take a look at some of the names of players leaving Manchester and those who have since left the club.
danny welbeck
The 35-year-old is by no means an easy player, but he more than contributes in the final third, both as a linkman and as a poacher. He was good enough to be trusted by Sir Alex Ferguson in his later years, but those who followed the Scot’s footsteps don’t always agree.
He was sold to Arsenal in 2014, scored several times at Old Trafford and is now at Brighton after joining Watford. He is one of the top English scorers in the Premier League and continues to be an example of how United should not praise players outside the team’s four walls and underestimate the players they have.
Scott McTominay
Even the best players in Serie A were no match for Manchester’s players. Ironically, he probably had his best season the year before he left.
Scott McTominay in action for Napoli (Image: Getty Images)
Having played in a defensive position for a long time, he showed his hunger for goals under Erik ten Hag, scoring 10 goals. But that wasn’t enough to keep him, so Napoli came calling and signed him for just £25m. Within a year he was Serie A champion and a symbol of Napoli. United just didn’t seem to understand what they had.
Romelu Lukaku
His numbers alone probably speak volumes about his post-United years. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had signed Jose Mourinho and fit the profile of the striker he wanted, sold him at the first opportunity as the Belgian’s playing time became shorter.
Although his return to Chelsea was disappointing, Lukaku won titles in Italy, scoring regularly with Inter Milan and Napoli.
Dean Henderson
He was at United by his mid-teens, but his departure was largely due to his inability to read manager Sulskaya. The club had to make a choice about when to move on from the aging David de Gea to Henderson, who had been tearing up trees during his loan spell at Sheffield United.
Dean Henderson won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace last year (Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
The goalkeeper was overlooked many times before his patience ran out and he joined Crystal Palace after an open search at the club. At the Eagles, he found himself winning the FA Cup and saving a penalty in the final, while the club he left remained No.1.
angel di maria
Looking back, the Argentine was perhaps the first example of Manchester culture going in the wrong direction. Gary Neville himself declared it a “player’s graveyard”. Di Maria was signed by Real Madrid following his man-of-the-match performance in the Champions League final.
After an underwhelming year in Manchester, he was sent to PSG, where he once again became a star. He won the World Cup with Argentina and scored the goal in the final. How the Red Devils failed to find a way to utilize his talent is beyond many.
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