Who is Man Utd’s Player of the Season so far?

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 22 Dec 2021 12:45 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United are going through a tough period at the moment and have already sacked a manager in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before Christmas.

The Norwegian was given plenty of money to spend in the summer, with Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo arriving to bolster the squad at Old Trafford.

However, the season has not gone to plan. Although Man Utd qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, it was largely due to the outstanding individual performances of a couple of players rather than a team collective.

In the Premier League, meanwhile, they face a tough task to even qualify for the tournament next season and are already out of the title race.

MANCHESTER UNITED'S MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS

Ralf Rangnick has been brought in on a temporary basis to steady the ship as interim manager, with the German set to take up a consultancy role at the club at the conclusion of the campaign.

In a poor season for the club, it makes you wonder where Man Utd would be without the three below, who have been their best performers.

3. Fred

One of the most criticised Man Utd players over the last few seasons, whether it be under the tenure of Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solsjkjaer, has been Brazilian midfielder Fred.

The former Shakhtar man has found things tough since his 2018 transfer, undoubtedly under pressure to succeed due to his £50 million price tag.

Fred is often accused of being rash both in and out of possession, while his positioning has been questioned, particularly as the main defensive midfielder at the club.

He has actually been one of Man Utd's better performers in 2021/22, though. He may still be prone to a mistake, but they are rarer than previously, as he displays a more mature head on his shoulders.

Fred's energy is desperately needed in the middle of the pitch and it seems like he could become a key player under Rangnick for this very reason.

He has two goals and an assist from midfield this season and actually scored the first goal of the Rangnick era with a gorgeous right-footed finish into the top left corner against Crystal Palace.

2. David de Gea

David de Gea is an enigma at this point.

One minute he could be dropping the ball at the feet of a striker or missing an easy strike at his front post, and then next minute pulling off a truly world-class save - the kind of stops that very few goalkeepers in the world can make.

Man Utd's desperate defensive performances this season have meant that De Gea has been thrust into the spotlight even more than usual.

And, for the most part, he has saved the club.

In the Champions League, he averaged 3.6 saves per 90 minutes and was in particularly outstanding form against Villarreal at home.

He pulled off a number of marvellous stops, with a save from a Manu Trigueros half-volley into the ground the pick of the bunch.

De Gea's performances in the Premier League have been relatively solid, too.

Recently, he pulled off one of the saves of the season from a Teemu Pukki effort against Norwich, somehow managing to tip it over the bar.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Man Utd fans rejoiced at the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, with the Portuguese returning to the club where he began to truly make his legend.

It is clear Ronaldo is not the player he once was, despite his continued goalscoring exploits in a struggling Juventus side.

It was also speculated that he would potentially have a damaging impact on the development of Mason Greenwood, who has long been tipped as Man Utd's next star centre-forward.

Even though the team as a whole has struggled this campaign, they would undoubtedly be in a worse situation without Ronaldo, who has performed superbly, at an individual level.

Whether or not he was ever a good fit for Man Utd upon his return is a debate for another day, but on a personal level, he has been excellent.

He has scored 13 goals in 16 starts in all competitions and is the major reason why the Red Devils have qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Ronaldo scored vital late goals against Villarreal and Atalanta twice, and found the back of the net in every game he played in during the group stage.