Jose Mourinho has been far from subtle in his handling of his Manchester United players this summer, making it abundantly clear when they are not in his plans.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Adnan Januzaj were the most notable stars to fall victim to the his ruthlessness, but at times it seemed no player was completely safe from the axe.
That included Memphis Depay, who even struggled to impress his biggest advocate Louis van Gaal towards the end of last season.
And when the Dutchman failed to make an impact in pre-season, it seemed that his time at Old Trafford was over.
However, Mourinho has told reporters, as quoted by the club’s official website, that he still has faith that Memphis can deliver.
“All I know is the player that I watched in the 2014 World Cup and the player I watched many times at PSV [Eindhoven],” he said.
“With that player in mind, I know I want to keep him – I want to try everything.”
He also insisted that while it may initially appear that he’s not making the most of the depth in his squad, by September United will need to rotate as they balance the league, two domestic cups, and the Europa League.
Memphis will know that he needs to impress when handed his chance as he still has plenty of United fans to win over, even if – at least publicly – he’s got his manager’s backing.
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