In an interview, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker talked about Menu's dilemma under head coach Amorim, the use of Zirkzee and Manchester United's upcoming focus game with Liverpool.
Do you think the way United are currently treating Menu is hurting him?
It would cause big problems if they let Menu go because he is a local boy. But it's not just because of who he is, it's because of what he has accomplished in a short period of time, and he doesn't get the time and respect he deserves. Every minute he gets, he has to enjoy it and prove himself. When he came on as a substitute against Manchester City I thought he could have won man of the match.
In that brief playing time, he was Manchester United's best player. Everything he did was effective and it hurt City. But after that, there was nothing. This was so disappointing to Amorim. In this case, I expected more from him. Keeping him on the bench must have hurt him a lot. This is his team, so it definitely hurts when the team doesn't perform well. He must be hurt not being able to play and he must be scratching his head.
What do you think of Amorim's handling of the young player Menu?
You have to understand that when you are young, decline can happen quickly, but the key is how to get back. When you make a mistake, you should build him up, not push him down. You can ask for it, but in a different way. He didn't get the same treatment Sir Alex Ferguson did to his young players. Maybe they should have let him go out on loan. Go overseas and experience it, then come back and start over. Especially if you don't know how to use it at the moment, you should let it do that.
Clubs such as Napoli are said to be paying attention to Menu's situation. How do you evaluate Menu's ability and potential transfer?
You can't fall into the trap of having to use him just because he's a local guy. But sometimes when you look at the level of a player, he went to the Euros, played more games than he or the fans expected and performed really well. There's an untapped talent here, and it just doesn't make sense. Don't call every player elite, but Menu is a very good player who can play any position in Manchester United's midfield.
He has strong running ability and can get near the penalty area. You put him in midfield to defend and he gets the job done, filling space and stopping passes. If you ask him to bite, kick and grapple, that's not his style. Football isn't like that anymore and if it was, Menu might struggle a bit. In today's game, he was perfect.
It seems that not only Menu, but also Zirkzee, who was signed last summer, will not get a chance. What do you think of some of Amorim's "unusual decisions"?
I would like to see Zirkzee get a chance. When Sheshko didn't play, Amorim used Mount near that position. You look at that situation and you think Zirkzee is better, he's smoother with his feet when he's driving the ball towards the opponent. He can hold the ball with his back because he is a strong young man with quick feet and knows how to use his body. He is a player who is difficult to steal and get around. He hasn't been utilized at all this season.
Last season he was always on the field, either coming off the bench or starting ahead of Hoylen. The manager is making some extraordinary decisions in midfield, a position they are severely lacking. Zirkzee did not get a chance and then we must also ask why Menu was not used in midfield. I have been observing that at some point, this must be a personal vendetta. This must be a personal vendetta and the truth has to be revealed somewhere. He doesn't like him, or he doesn't like him as a player. This makes absolutely no sense.
What are your thoughts on this weekend's game against Liverpool?
This game means a lot and their fans will go crazy. They didn't play well and the manager was a little impatient. I would have expected him to be calmer. He's certainly under pressure. This game is very unpredictable. Liverpool still have quality players so they could easily beat United, but Slott will have to decide what his best attacking combination is. That's been their strength for years, but now we don't know. That's a big problem for Slaughter. Who should he exclude? He puts himself in a difficult position because sometimes you have too many players to choose from.
Sloter also seems to have difficulty trusting new players like Wirtz.
I believe Liverpool fans will be very, very disappointed with what they see from Wirtz. I watched him play for Germany recently and he showed nothing. They'll be disappointed, but the media won't say much. If it was Anthony, it would be making headlines everywhere. Does Slott trust him? I look at Andy Robertson and he still looks like the same player. Everything about him is great and he must be fuming, thinking ‘why am I not playing?’ Sloter should have played him against Manchester United. Robertson knows what these games mean, Colquez does not. He might not be ready, at least that's what his performance so far tells me.