“Only a miracle” can revive Memphis Depay’s Manchester United career

As Manchester United travelled to the Netherlands for their Europa League group opener against Feyenoord, Jose Mourinho made eight changes to the side which lost the city derby last Saturday.

The competition gives the manager a chance to rotate his side, as the ‘normal team’ as he described it, challenge for the Premier League title.

Though the De Kuip was the scene of one of the club’s greatest triumphs in the 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup final victory over Barcelona, there wasn’t much that will live long in the memory for the United supporters this visit round.

One of the few players given a rare chance to impress was Memphis Depay. The winger hadn’t featured in the squad since the opening day victory at AFC Bournemouth, where he was only on the bench to cover Paul Pogba’s absence through suspension.

The Netherlands international joined United from PSV Eindhoven back in June 2015 – Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

Depay, who was left out of Louis van Gaal’s matchday squad for the FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace in May, suffered the same fate for a second successive time at Wembley Stadium when Mourinho elected to leave him out before lifting the FA Community Shield against Leicester City.

So here the Dutchman was — low on confidence, deprived of opportunity and his fringe player status seemingly invariable — brought on with 30 minutes left in Rotterdam to make an impact and impress, yet ultimately to salvage some esteem.

But despite his efforts, the 22-year-old cut a peripheral, spiritless figure once again as United succumbed to their fourth straight European away defeat.

No shots on target, one successful cross, five forward passes, and no take-ons. A vital opening to remind why he was given the No. 7 in the first place led to another humorous performance.

His brightest moments in the red shirt, netting a brace against Club Brugge, a superbly controlled volley at Watford and an immense display in the home win over FC Midtjylland, showed glimpses of his potential.

However, the futile Depay that descended into anonymity last season has never looked like resuscitating his career at Old Trafford, with flashes of form inadequately scarce.

United fans immediately take to a player who see their club as the best place for their development above many others, getting behind them, wanting them to succeed and becoming irrational about how good they really could turn out to be.

But unfortunately with Depay, it has turned into a different story. Beliefs have waned and hope is deteriorating, denoted by many fans who have argued his view that the player could still become what Van Gaal first anticipated after labelling him the best of his generation on his arrival, until now.

Even his teammates epitomised the ill feeling around the Dutchman. During Wayne Rooney’s testimonial in August, Depay attempted a bicycle kick when the ball was way beyond him, a rather embarrassing fall ensued and the captain alongside his son spilled into laughter.

Rooney tapped the shoulder of Anthony Martial as if to indicate the effort was another justification of something they had agreed on before — how useless he is.

His transfer is also said to have been the catalyst for a tweak in United’s transfer strategy. They were reluctant to pay an extravagant fee for a young and unproven forward in Gabriel Barbosa this summer, since Depay, could cost up to £31m.

Fellow highly-rated Red Devils winger, Januzaj, has been loaned out to Sunderland for the 2016/17 season – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.

Mourinho has already given the cold shoulder to Adnan Januzaj, another young winger with a big reputation, though it wasn’t a surprise to see Depay failing to follow the Belgian out the door after being made available.

The former PSV man should be feeling even more insignificant after Bastian Schweinsteiger was officially written off as a player asset in the club’s accounts, where United became the first English club to record over £500m in annual revenue.

There is no personality in their actions, just calculation. If a player the calibre of the World Cup winner is on the end of a Mourinho reprimand, then you can’t help feel the sooner Depay finds new pastures, the better for everyone.

Under the Portuguese boss, Depay’s future looks firmly set. Like it or not, only nothing short of a miracle will stop the winger depart a relic of a failed Oranje era at Old Trafford.