Alexis Sanchez came off Manchester United's bench with 10 minutes left on Tuesday night games and greeted by generous applause from the Camp Nou audience. It was some noise from 92.000 home fans and maybe some Man United fans.
The 30 years old came off the bench when his team lags behind Barcelona 4-0 on aggregate in their Champions League quarterfinal, second leg. But, you could say, the sentiments towards Alexis Sanchez were genuine, even though it's easier to be generous when your side is on the lead.
It is undeniable that Alexis Sanchez did well in his three years at Barcelona although not quite satisfying enough for fans to make him stay. Eventually, his career at Camp Nou has to be ended when the club decided to sell him and use the money to buy Neymar.
The Catalans won The Champions League months before Alexis Sanchez arrived and next trophy is a season after he left the club. At that time, he scored 21 times in 54 games.
Otherwise, he's scored just 5 times in 42 games for Manchester United. You can tell, he's in a huge flop. He's considered as a massive disappointment and surely has given The Red Devils a big headache. He seems finished not only as one of the top level players that he was but even one good enough to get to England's sixth-best team at this time. He just started eight league games this season. Alexis Sanchez should be one of United's top three scorers; instead, he boasts a solitary league goal. Heis also notched just three assists.
Injuries Hit Sanchez Hard
Injuries hit Alexis Sanchez hard this season. But the injuries itself is no real excuse of his flop. He might become the player he was, but eventually, he turned 30 last December. He is no longer a 22-year-old player whose game can be changed as time goes by.
In the past months, Manchester United manager; Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has been diplomatic and positive about Alexis Sanchez, but he has little choice to be anything else. The Norwegian manager could freeze him out, but he cannot deny that Alexis Sanchez still has a decent footballer who could help him even though he is one of the few yet to experience an uplift after his reign.
But the main problem is not Alexis Sanchez's dire form but the massively lucrative contract that could keep him at Old Trafford until 2022. It's so big and online casino Malaysia realize that the longer he stays and underwhelms, the more it cost the club because his inflated wages have become the benchmark for other players negotiation. With just five goals in 42 games, Alexis Sanchez has been a disaster for The Red Devils. Yet the club paying him too much to simply find him a new club.