Man Utd's Sofyan Amrabat has had 'one of the most disappointing years'

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·21 December 2023

Man Utd's Sofyan Amrabat has had 'one of the most disappointing years'

Manchester United star Sofyan Amrabat has not lived up to the hype or expectation placed on his signing at the start of the season, with the Morocco international currently struggling to adapt to life at Old Trafford, journalist Dean Jones has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.

United pushed hard to secure the signing of Amrabat, and the midfielder arrived from Fiorentina on an initial loan until the end of the season, with the Greater Manchester outfit holding the option to make it a permanent switch in the summer.

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And Jones believes it's part of a wider trend with players at the clubs failing to live up to their potential.

It was a signing that had sparked plenty of optimism, given United's desperate need for midfield reinforcements, but less than six months into Amrabat's Red Devils career, some are asking whether the fit doesn't work at all. Billed as a Casemiro back-up upon arrival, such has been the amount of time spent in the treatment room by the Brazilian, Amrabat has ended up shouldering most of the midfield workload for United.

Of United's first 28 matches of the campaign across all competitions, the midfield anchor featured in 17, including starts in four out of six Champions League group matches. His impact - or lack thereof - on the United side is reflected in Amrabat's WhoScored rating, with the ex-Fiorentina star managing an average score of just 6.41 in the Premier League.

That ranking even comes in lower than veteran defender Jonny Evans, illustrating just how ineffective Amrabat has been at United.

Criticism of Amrabat growing week after week

His performances aren't going unnoticed either, with fans and pundits alike happy to call out Amrabat's shoddy showings in a United shirt. One of those was Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher, who following last week's 0-0 draw against Liverpool, publically shamed the 27-year-old:

"I don’t know why they’re playing a man-to-man system. He [Amrabat] can’t run (via The Metro)."

A harsh assessment, but one which goes to show Amrabat's current frailties and just how exposed the United midfield can be at times. During the draw against Liverpool, the World Cup semifinalist completed just 21 out of his 33 attempted passes, while completing zero tackles and managing no interceptions throughout the 90 minutes.

By no means the first performance of this kind from Amrabat this season, some claims underperforming like this is part of a wider trend at Old Trafford which appears to be plaguing many of United's new signings.

Dean Jones update - Sofyan Amrabat

When quizzed on Amrabat's start to life at United, journalist Jones admitted that his early showings have left plenty to be desired, with the Moroccan failing to match the levels shown during the 2022 World Cup. Indicating he isn't the first United new arrival to suffer from this problem, the reliable reporter questioned the culture at Old Trafford and why it was producing such poor results:

“You probably have to have him down as having one of the most disappointing years in 2023 across football, because the levels that we've seen previously of him and when he was talked about for his Morocco performances, the level of expectation and hype, especially as United pursued him all summer, you're expecting big things. “And he's come so far short of that. Some people are questioning his fitness. It's very different, I guess, judging someone playing in an international tournament, and judging them on a week-by-week basis at club football, in a team that's struggling already. “Also he has been moved around a bit, had that spell at left back and stuff. So I'm disappointed in Amrabat in terms of what we've seen from him compared to what the hype was, but there's obviously a trend at Man United, and players probably get hyped up beyond what they should have been in the first place.”

Amrabat improvement needed for struggling Man United

With talk of Casemiro leaving United when the January transfer window opens, there is every chance Amrabat remains in the starting-11 for the remainder of the season. But should that be the case Erik ten Hag will be hoping for a major improvement, or else United's results could continue to pay the price.

The 20-time English champions face a tough test next time out, with high-flying Aston Villa the visitors to Old Trafford, while United will be hoping they don't fall victim to the new manager bounce when they take on Nottingham Forest just before the new year.