THEY say you should start as you mean to go on.
But Manchester United fans will hope that is not the case with Jesse Lingard after a forgettable opening to 2020.
The England international failed to register a single goal or assist last year despite playing in an advanced role.
And Lingard offered precious little hope of a turnaround until being hauled off for Andreas Pereira before the hour mark.
At 27, the midfielder is one of the oldest promising ‘youngsters’ in football and needs to do more to justify his selection at No10 for one of the world’s biggest clubs.
The Old Trafford academy graduate has survived all three of the failed Alex Ferguson replacements so far and No4 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has kept faith with him.
A lack of talent in a struggling squad can go some way to explaining Lingard’s continued status as a starter but at some point the Red Devils may have to move on.
He has shown a knack for scoring important goals in the past – including his stunner in the 2016 FA Cup final – but they are few and far between.
And Lingard often disappears in matches – as shown by comparisons to opposite number Mesut Ozil.
The rejuvenated German completed 42 of his 49 passes for an 86 per cent completion rate, while Lingard only found a team-mate 20 times from 26.
He also recovered the ball ten times to his United rival’s two as he continued his revival under Arteta.
United need at least one top quality midfielder – two if Paul Pogba goes – if they are ever going to reestablish themselves as contenders.
And with Solskjaer under increasing pressure, is Lingard going to see a fifth manager through the exit door or will his employers finally open the chequebook to secure a high-quality replacement.
