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Gary Neville and Roy Keane play 'keep, last straw or ditch' for Man United squad along with Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover - so which stars did they give the chop?

11 months ago 56
  • Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment in Manchester United is finally set to go through 
  • The INEOS chief faces tough decisions over which players and coaches to retain
  • There's a lot of anger at Man United - it's them against the world! Listen to It's All Kicking Off 

By Tum Balogun For Mailonline

Published: 15:50 GMT, 7 December 2023 | Updated: 17:53 GMT, 7 December 2023

Gary Neville and Roy Keane have discussed whether Manchester United should keep Erik ten Hag as manager when Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally completes his £1.25bn minority stake purchase. 

The two former Man United stars were joined by Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright in evaluating which players the club should keep, who is on their last straw and who should be ditched.

INEOS chief Ratcliffe will soon complete a £1.25billion purchase of 25 per cent of United that will hand him control of football operations at Old Trafford. 


It has led to speculation over the changes the British billionaire could enact when his minority takeover finally goes through. 

A midweek win over Chelsea saw Ten Hag's side climb to within three points of Manchester City in fourth but United have struggled for large parts of the campaign.

Ex- Premier League stars Gary Neville , Roy Keane , Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright gave their views on which players should remain at Old Trafford after the minority takeover

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £1.25bn investment in Manchester United is still yet to be officially ratified

The quartet were divided in their opinions of whether Erik ten Hag should continue as United boss

Off the field issues have compounded individual errors that has seen the squad suffer disappointing losses which, among other things, has left their Champions League hopes hanging in the balance. 

As a result, former United defender Neville led a game of 'keep, last straw or ditch' of United's current roster with his fellow former Premier League stars on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast.

The quartet were united in their opinions of 16 players, although that union was most frequent for players they'd be happy to see the back of, among them Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Antony, Christian Eriksen, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.

Summer loan signing Sofyan Amrabat was another player that Neville and Co unanimously decided to 'ditch', despite being only a few months into his career at the club. 

On the other end of the spectrum was Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount. 

Marcus Rashford eventually received an harmonious 'keep' but not before some hesitation from Keane, who believes the 26-year-old needs to start showing consistency.

Raphael Varane (left) and Victor Lindelof (right) are two players that Neville and Co would like Ratcliffe to dispense of when he arrives at Old Trafford

The group were united their decision to 'ditch' both Anthony Martial and Sofyan Amrabat

'I wouldn't be sure about Marcus,' the former United skipper said. 'It's the whole package. His personality, the mood swings - he's a talented player. 

'He's having these dips where we're always talking about his confidence, off the field stuff; it seems to be constant with him. Just turn up every week and do the business.'

The group was most divided on the issue of the manager. Both Red Devils legends decided to 'keep' the Dutchman, deciding that he remains the best person for the mammoth job. 

However, Carragher opted for 'last straw', while Wright chose to 'ditch' him - despite Wednesday's 2-1 win over Chelsea affording the Dutchman a brief reprieve from the near constant pressure he has faced this campaign. 

Roy Keane was hesitant on whether United should 'keep' Marcus Rashford amid his dismal start to the campaign

But there are tests before the end of the year with the tough fixtures against Liverpool and Aston Villa, as well as a visit from Bayern Munich that will decide their fate in Europe.  

Mail Sport understands that officials had hoped to broadcast the arrival of Ratcliffe ahead of the clash with Thomas Tuchel's side on Tuesday but sources in the US have disclosed that 'legal structural' matters have pushed the date back.

There are not thought to be any obstacles or concerns but the delay may well frustrate supporters who see the arrival of the United-supporting local businessman as the beginning of the end for the Glazer family, who will retain a majority stake.

Should matters remain unresolved the upcoming Christmas break could push the announcement into the new year, although those involved hope that is not the case.

Keep, Last Straw or Ditch  Neville  CarragherKeane  Wright 
Ten Hag KEEPLAST STRAW KEEPDITCH
Onana LAST STRAW LAST STRAWLAST STRAWKEEP 
Lindelof DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Maguire  LAST STRAW DITCH DITCH LAST STRAW 
Martinez  KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 
Varane  DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Dalot  LAST STRAW DITCH DITCH KEEP 
Shaw  KEEP KEEP LAST STRAW KEEP 
Evans  DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Wan-Bissaka LAST STRAW LAST STRAW LAST STRAW KEEP 
Amrabat DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Mount  KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 
Eriksen DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Casemiro  LAST STRAW DITCH KEEP KEEP 
McTominay LAST STRAW LAST STRAW LAST STRAW LAST STRAW 
Mainoo KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 
Fernandes KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 
Antony  DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Martial DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Rashford KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 
Sancho DITCH DITCH DITCH DITCH 
Hojlund  KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 
Garnacho KEEP KEEP KEEP KEEP 

IT'S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It's All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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