Man Utd news: Eric Bailly has hit out at the Old Trafford outfit, accusing them of favouring English players.
Bailly had struggled for game time at Man Utd last season and had fallen down the pecking order, behind Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane. He featured in just seven matches for Man Utd last season.
The Ivorian defender effectively became Man Utd’s fifth-choice centre-back following the club’s signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax in the summer.
Bailly has since joined Ligue 1 side Marseille on a season-long loan deal from Man Utd. There’s also the option to make the move permanent at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Man Utd news: “The club should avoid favouring English players”: Eric Bailly
Bailly has now accused Man Utd of favouring English players, seemingly making a dig at Harry Maguire. He also said Man Utd should encourage competition for spots in the starting XI.
“The club should avoid favouring English players and give everyone a chance. [The club should] encourage competition in the dressing room, not just look out for some. I’ve always had the feeling that the national player was prioritised,” Bailly said.
Bailly also expressed hope that Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag can change that dynamic. He also said that favouring certain players does not happen at the other big Premier League clubs.
“That doesn’t happen at Chelsea or other big Premier League clubs. Some people take it for granted that they are going to start, and that weakens the team. Luckily [Erik] Ten Hag has a lot of character and I hope he can change that dynamic.”
Although Ten Hag is just six games into his stint as the Man Utd manager, he has already made some big calls. After defeats in their first two matches, Ten Hag dropped Cristiano Ronaldo & Harry Maguire from the starting XI.
Ronaldo, though, has made appearances off the bench in all of Man Utd’s four games since. However, Maguire has only featured once since, making an appearance towards the end of their match against Arsenal, which they won. Ten Hag preferred to partner Varane and Martinez at centre-back in all four games.
Meanwhile, Man Utd have bounced back from their dreadful start to the season. They are currently on a four-match winning streak. They began it with a 2-1 win over Liverpool.
Man Utd then secured 1-0 wins over both Southampton and Leicester. The latest win came against Arsenal, who they defeated 3-1.
With the win over Arsenal, Man Utd moved up to fifth in the points table. They have 12 points from four matches and are just three points behind league leaders Arsenal.
