Eric Bailly, the Ivorian football player came to Manchester United with a lot of expectations in 2016. His career at Old Trafford however did not go as he had planned. In eight years, the defender only played 70 matches for the English side as he could not become a regular at United.
Due to his poor form and frequent injuries the Ivorian defender has been loaned out to the French club Marseille in the recently closed transfer season. In what has come out as a shock to many, the 28-year-old has accused Manchester United of favouring English players over others.
“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 in an interview with The Time.
“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,” the 28-year-old continued.
Signs of change under Erik ten Hag
Eric Bailly explained his decision of moving to France and revealed his interaction with new coach ten Hag saying, “I was packing my things because my intention was to leave, but he told me he wanted me to stay because he was going to give minutes to everyone.”
‘I agreed to do the summer tour with United, and he kept his word, but I don’t want to play every now and then. I want to do it every week and feel important. I want to get my confidence back, “said the Marseille player.
Manchester United are going through a managerial change at the moment with the Dutch coach Erik ten Hag taking over from Ralf Rangnick. Despite a few stutters at the beginning of the season that saw them lose to Brantford and Brighton, United have now recovered with wins over arch-rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.
