When Manchester United announced the signing of their new number seven, Memphis Depay, Red Devils fans were right to be excited about the prospect of the mercurial winger plying his trade at Old Trafford. Instant comparisons were made with Cristiano Ronaldo. Finally, the club had signed a traditional Manchester United winger with pace, trickery and an eye for a spectacular goal.
Despite a bright start in pre-season and a sensational brace against Club Brugge in the Champions League the young Dutchman has majorly underwhelmed. His well taken goal against Watford yesterday was only his second in the Premier League, Compared to the league-leading 22 goals he scored last season, already having seven at this same time in the season at PSV. His man of the match performance at Vicarage Road suggests that there may be light at the end of the tunnel after his recent poor form. This could be a turning point in his career, but to look at how he can improve one must ask: what was wrong with Memphis Depay?
During United’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal last month, which was his last start before Saturday, Memphis was dispossessed twice as many times compared as any other United player. Louis van Gaal is obsessed with maintaining possession, and this will have infuriated him. This statistic also shows Memphis’ main weakness: his decision making. He has lost the ball due to an “unsuccessful touch” 49 times in his eight Premier League games.
At times it seems that he is trying to do too much, always taking on another man or trying his luck with a shot when a pass to a team-mate seems more suitable. He is not the first United number seven to be accused of this – a certain Portuguese winger was also similarly criticised when he was developing his talents at Old Trafford. All this seemed to point to a player eager to prove his worth to the team. As a result of this Memphis is forcing things rather than letting the chances come to him – although in this United team chances do seem to come few and far between.
Under the intense media spotlight at Old Trafford, his attitude has been questioned after his poor start to the season with his social life and even his dress sense being criticised. “Memphis needs to be corrected,” noted former Ajax coach Co Adriaanse recently. “He arrived as a Peruvian pan flute player at [Netherlands team hotel] Huis ter Duin. If you are a young boy and still have not done anything, do not play dress up as you report to the coach. Ronaldo does that, but at least he is proven.”
Co Adriaanse is not the only coach to have had something to say about Memphis’ behaviour. Both publicly and privately, through assistant manager Ryan Giggs,the Dutchman has been told to moderate his lifestyle, especially whilst his forgettable performances on the pitch continue.
Due to those performances which saw him, according to WhoScored.com, only create four chances in 589 minutes, Memphis has found himself sitting on the bench watching another United youngster, Jesse Lingard, impress in front of the Stretford End. Whether it’s that he is not used to the limited space allowed in the Premier League, or the fact he has reportedly put on five kilograms since joining Manchester United, Memphis was not producing the explosive performances that were expected of him.
There is reason to believe that this slump in form is only going to be temporary, and United fans should be looking to see more performances like what a more focused Memphis produced yesterday. While his attitude of the pitch may be in question, his attitude on the training field isn’t. He is known to be a meticulous trainer, willing to work hard and listen to the advice of his coaches. His vastly improved performance against Watford can probably be put down to this. Still just 21, the Dutchman can yet be moulded into the player fans expect him to become – especially under Van Gaal, a manager with a proven track record of developing young players.
Though with his designated “settling in” period quickly running out, and a host of injuries for a Manchester United team facing seven games in four weeks, it is time for Memphis to step up to the plate and justify his £31M price tag, something which he started to against Watford. With United set to face his former PSV side under the Old Trafford lights next Wednesday night, there may be a no better time to justify why the United faithful were so excited about his signing in the first place; his explosive pace, trickery all combined with a familiar swagger that is needed to excel as a United number seven.
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