Cast your mind back three years, if you can.
The David Moyes reign had just begun at Old Trafford and he was about to give an exciting Belgian youngster his big break. On October 5, 2013, Adnan Januzaj announced himself to the Premier League with two goals on his debut in 2-1 win over Sunderland. The young playmaker had the world at his feet.
Flash forward to today, and Januzaj is now playing for the very team he got his breakthrough against, and you might have guessed that things aren’t quite going to plan.
When he joined the Black Cats on loan, many hoped that teaming up with his old coach, Moyes, could revive his fledging career. And he showed early signs of brilliance with a cracking goal in the EFL Cup. But things have gone slightly downhill since.
During his new club’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, Januzaj was shown the first red card of his career late in the game after questioning a decision from referee Mike Dean.
And Twitter wasn’t exactly the most sympathetic…
https://twitter.com/lrmarrin/status/777553399772577792
Januzaj sent off, impressively stupid! https://t.co/CaUgYdXliS
— Football FanCast (@FootballFanCast) September 18, 2016
For Sunderland fans, it feels as if Januzaj has not lived up to the hype he brought with him to the Stadium of Light, and so they weren’t even sad to see him sent off, just angry. It’s a remarkable fall from grace for the man who inherited the number 11 shirt from Ryan Giggs at Old Trafford.
https://twitter.com/lrmarrin/status/777553399772577792
https://twitter.com/Lxrsson/status/777566924733644800
https://twitter.com/Matt_Rennie13/status/777561940747051008
I was actually pleased Januzaj got sent off means Moyes can't select the coward. He does a few flicks now and again but offers nothing #SAFC
— Wiggo (@PDavy1) September 18, 2016
To steal something I heard about Sessegnon once… Adnan Januzaj – all fart and no shit! Piss poor & weak as water
— Gareth Stevens (@keepthefaith73) September 18, 2016
Some fans even showed more creativity than the little Belgian when discussing his performances for Sunderland.
https://twitter.com/profanityswan/status/777558178334646272
And fans are already happy to write off the 21-year-old, although we’re not quite sure you can apply the label of “flop” to a player who has yet to command a transfer fee of any kind.
https://twitter.com/mdrtutton/status/777572681940164608
https://twitter.com/Odins_Panzer/status/777560293383741440
https://twitter.com/qpr_anna/status/777557513721872384
United fans are starting to think they should have cashed in on the Januzaj hype when they had the chance.
https://twitter.com/_alex1999_/status/777566528300584960
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