Ronald Koeman has spoken of his desire to sign Memphis Depay but admits that is very unlikely to happen anytime soon. He was quoted as saying:
“If one day he will be on the market, I’m interested yes but I don’t think so because I believe in that player.”
Depay has failed to make a significant impact at Old Trafford since his big money move from PSV this summer. He managed to land the golden boot last season in the Dutch Eredivisie, bagging 22 goals in the process. Life has not been as comfortable this season, and the premier league has proven to be a tougher nut to crack and Depay needs to up his game if he is to turn his fortunes around.
It is no surprise Ryan Giggs took the opportunity a few weeks ago to have a word with the Dutch sensation, to explain the importance of concentrating on his football and less on his party boy image. Giggs knows more than anyone, what a guiding hand on the shoulder can achieve. This support led Giggs to amass 13 league title and 2 Champions League winners medal amongst many more trophies in a very successful career. Were Depay to manage even half of what Giggs achieved it would be a very fruitful career.
Depay certainly needs to be afforded the time to settle at United; he has been thrown in at the deep end, in a team that is still in transition. For a young talent still finding his feet, that is a major ask, and it would be unfair to judge him overall at this stage.
Van Gaal took Depay out of the firing line at the weekend; this move could well benefit him in the long run. He had just returned from international duty with the Netherlands, which was a culmination of a disastrous campaign, Van Gaal may have felt with the poor form shown by Depay in the Premier League coupled with Netherlands failure to qualify it would be an ideal time for Depay to have a rest.
It now remains to be seen if Depay will feature against Moscow tomorrow, with the Manchester derby looming at the weekend.
What is for certain is Depay is a talent that needs to be nurtured, he is not the finished article, and it remains to be seen if he will go down as a United legend or a United flop.
