Manchester United will come up against a familiar face in Anthony Elanga when they travel to play Newcastle, and he’s a player who is exposing the anti-Man Utd narrative in real time right now.
Anthony Elanga had to take a step back to launch himself forward in his career, as he impressed at Nottingham Forest before joining Newcastle.
Joining Forest for just £15m, he soon made a mockery of that transfer fee by flourishing and eventually becoming a key player for the club and making his international debut.
However, he has struggled immensely for any sort of form this season after joining Newcastle for £55m, and therein lies a United narrative getting exposed.
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Anthony Elanga’s struggles expose anti-Man Utd narrative
Elanga was one of the players who was always the manager’s favourite, especially under Ralf Rangnick, for his relentless running and effort.
At Forest, those physical gifts were harnessed perfectly as he became the outlet for the team’s counter-attacks.
That is the role he flourished in at United as well, but his limitations as a player soon became clear when he was asked to play against low blocks.
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That nuance was lost as United were hammered for letting another player leave who flourishes elsewhere, because it fit the agenda of United being a “graveyard for talent”.
After less than a season at Newcastle, there has been radio silence since Elanga is working out exactly as expected by Man Utd fans.
He has become a fringe player at the club who can never produce raw stats, and whose best strength lies in attacking the space.
When he was flying at Forest, United were getting pelters. When he’s struggling at Newcastle despite costing £55m, there is absolute silence.
He has become the player who perfectly encapsulates the anti-Man Utd agenda.
Confirmation bias is strong against Man Utd
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The confirmation bias is so strong that whenever a player does well after leaving United, it’s automatically a judgment on the club.
On the other hand, poor player performances, which vindicate United’s decision to sell, are swept quietly under the radar.
There were a lot of things wrong and self-serving about Jose Mourinho’s infamous “Football Heritage” rant at Old Trafford, but he was spot on about one thing.
He challenged people to look at the careers of players post-United and ask themselves, “where they play, how they play, IF they play”.
The list on which Elanga’s name is now is much longer than the list that has McTominay’s name.
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