Manchester United’s loaned young talent omitted from European squad! The club is furious, and Sir Jim himself doesn’t even use his own team.

Manchester United loaned 20-year-old defensive midfielder Sekou Koné to Swiss club Lausanne-Sport until the end of this season. However, Lausanne did not register Koné in their UEFA Europa Conference League squad submitted this week, meaning he will miss out on European competition this season.

This Thursday, Lausanne-Sport will host Czech team Sigma Olomouc in the first leg of the Europa Conference League play-off, with the second leg scheduled for next week. According to the rules, a club can register up to three new players after the winter transfer window, but Lausanne chose not to include Koné, limiting his chances to play.

When Manchester United announced Koné’s loan move to Lausanne-Sport, they clearly stated: “Koné will have the opportunity to participate in Europa Conference League matches and benefit from it.” Therefore, when club officials learned that Koné was excluded from Lausanne’s European squad, they were understandably furious, and the transfer department felt embarrassed.

In fact, since joining Lausanne-Sport, Koné has only appeared in one match, coming on as a substitute for 10 minutes against Thun. The reason for his exclusion could be simple: the team may feel his ability is insufficient to significantly strengthen the squad and that he lacks enough cohesion with the team.

Lausanne-Sport is owned by Manchester United’s owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, but even this “satellite club” has not given Koné much playing time. This either indicates problems with Sir Jim’s management or that Koné’s ability truly does not meet the standards. Koné’s case is likely the latter, as Sir Jim places great emphasis on “talent spotting” and would not miss a good opportunity to develop promising players to save costs for the club.

Of course, Sir Jim’s management has recently faced criticism. He was recently forced to apologize for his controversial remarks about immigration in the UK. The Glazer family, Manchester United’s main owners, were shocked by Sir Jim’s comments, though they have not publicly expressed dissatisfaction. Reports citing insiders from the dressing room say players are also speechless about Sir Jim, with one player admitting he doesn’t know how to evaluate the owner.

Previously, Sir Jim made contentious remarks about Manchester United players’ performances and financial decisions related to transfers, including criticism involving Casemiro. He said many United players are too expensive and not good enough. This insulted the “Big Cat,” who recently announced he will not continue with United after his contract expires this summer.

For fans who praised Koné as already capable of joining United’s first team, this outcome is a harsh reality check. The Malian midfielder, signed for €1.2 million, was hailed as the next Essien or Yaya Touré. He has yet to make his first-team debut for United, appearing 18 times for the U21s and scoring twice. Koné’s development has also been hindered by several serious injuries.

Enzo Kana-Biyik is another Manchester United player loaned to Lausanne-Sport and has been included in their European squad. The 19-year-old French forward joined the club last summer and has made 18 appearances so far, but his performance has been underwhelming, with only one goal and one assist.

Many talented Manchester United players have ultimately failed due to excessive expectations and overindulgence. For United’s academy players, there should be less hype and more focus on steady, practical development.