Player Focus: Underwhelming Memphis Still Needs Time to Settle

Only Memphis Depay knows what was going through his head on Boxing Day. In a mundane Manchester United showing at the Britannia Stadium, all the Dutchman did was prove he couldn’t perform on a windy Saturday afternoon in Stoke. The Dutchman has failed to live up to expectations following his arrival from PSV Eindhoven last summer having taken over the famous number 7 shirt at Old Trafford, and is undeniably confident in his own ability. 

However, his outing in United’s 2-0 defeat to Stoke effectively summed up his time in England so far. Memphis’ poor excuse for a header meant for his own keeper allowed Glen Johnson to nip in and pass to Bojan, who put the Potters ahead. The attacker was hauled off at the interval having gained a WhoScored rating of just 5.27. This season, Memphis has garnered a rating of 6.49, the worst of all United players to make five or more league starts this term. 

While he requires a period of adjustment in order to settle into his new surroundings, the youngster has shown little in the way of encouraging signs. Of course, much of this has been down to the stagnant approach under Louis van Gaal. The United manager has drawn the critics due to the way his team approaches games, with the onus more on ball retention rather than allowing his attacking players to express themselves in the final third. 

This has limited the influence of his creative players, with Memphis the main player clearly struggling to match the demands of his manager. He proved for PSV last season just how effective he is when shouldered with the attacking burden and freed from his shackles to hurt the opposition. Only former teammate Luuk de Jong (7.96) gained a better WhoScored rating than Memphis (7.92) in the Eredivisie last season. The youngster’s 22 league goals was more than any other player in the Dutch top-flight. Yet, a tally of two league goals this term certainly leaves a lot to be desired. 

Under Van Gaal, though, Memphis has been restricted in attacking positions. His average of 1.3 successful dribbles per game is a major drop from last season (2.7), though that in part could be down to the gulf in quality between the Premier League and Eredivisie. Nevertheless, it’s a worrying dip between the two campaigns for a player whose primary offensive threat is his ability to run at the opposition defence with the ball. 

Furthermore, while his main strength has failed to help him settle in at Manchester, the number of shots per game has also dropped from 5.4 to 2.3. With the Netherlands international struggling to get the better of opposition defenders, his ability to test the goalkeeper has been limited, with it little shock that he has just two league goals to his name as a result. An inability to beat his man is clearly having a negative effect on his impact for United. 

He has failed to pick up any earnings whatsoever in Buabook's season market, with those that tipped the Dutch international to hit the ground running ruing that decision. There's no question that if he finds his feet and begins to use his head better than he did at the Britannia that the 21-year old can still be a success in Manchester. Nevertheless, under Van Gaal's tutelage he seems to have stagnated, so buying shares in the forward for anything above £2.00 would represent a significant risk.

Only Romelu Lukaku (56) and Harry Kane (54) have been dispossessed more times in the Premier League this season than Memphis (45). While the restrictions in place by Van Gaal have limited his offensive influence, the attacker is not making life easy for himself. The panache from his game that saw him courted by Europe’s finest 12 months ago appears to have deserted Memphis, who in turn looks devoid of confidence. 

Of course, writing the youngster off after less than a year in England would be foolhardy. Yes, Memphis has struggled at United, but he isn’t the only player who has failed to hit the heights expected of him this season at Old Trafford. He is still young and with the right guidance has ample time to realise his potential, though it remains to be seen whether or not that will be under Van Gaal. 

Memphis needs to work hard if he is to make a name of himself in the Premier League or run the risk of joining the infamous list of players who failed to make their mark in the Premier League following a move from the Eredivisie. It’s been a disappointing start to life in England for Memphis, of that there is no doubt, but he still has the skills to make a career at Old Trafford.

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