Who is Manchester United's Player of the Season?

Kris Voakes

Who is Manchester United's Player of the Season? image

It has been a real season to forget for Manchester United, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said after Sunday's final game against Cardiff City that he can't wait to draw a line under the rotten campaign.

Strangely, a season which saw United finish 32 points behind champions Manchester City also included huge victories away to the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, underlining both the squad's ability and its inconsistency.

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There have been short periods in which many players have starred. David de Gea's one-man wondershow at Wembley against Tottenham was part of an excellent spell for the No.1, while Marcus Rashford's form for two months after Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho was as well as the England front man has played in his short career.

Elsewhere, the likes of Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial have flickered, but for the most part there have been few true candidates for the Player of the Season award.

Here, Goal picks the top three for 2018-19, in descending order. But what do you think? Feel free to join the debate in the comment box at the bottom of the page!


3. LUKE SHAW


Mohamed Salah Luke Shaw Liverpool Manchester United 2018-19

It was a sign of things to come when Luke Shaw netted the winner in the opening game of the season against Leicester City, prompting a huge season in the former Southampton defender's career as he looked to get his United stint back on track.

After suffering a broken leg in September 2015, much of the two years which followed his return were blighted by his inability to persuade Jose Mourinho that he had the mentality and the tactical discipline to play at the top level.

But his consistency over the course of 2018-19 saw him become the first choice left-back first under Mourinho and then under Solskjaer and even led to him being named United's Players' Player of the Year and Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year winner.

With a goal, four assists and 28 successful dribbles in 29 league appearances, Shaw was one of United's most effective weapons in attack as well as showing an improved ethic in defence over the course of the year.


2. PAUL POGBA


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Paul Pogba Manchester United

Paul Pogba still has countless people to convince of his worth if he is to remain at Manchester United and become a vital part of the club's future, but for a period of two months he was the unstoppable force in the English game.

While his consistency has clearly been an issue, that spell following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival was a window into just what Pogba can deliver when on form. His nine goals in 11 games during that time helped United to reach new heights. He led them temporarily into the top four for the first time all season when netting a brace at Fulham in February to go with other two-goal performances against Huddersfield, Bournemouth and West Ham.

Pogba's ability to cover ground and attack space with the ball at his feet became the focal point of the team's play in Solskjaer's early months in charge, and while his performance level may well have suffered thereafter thanks in part to the loss of key players around him to various injuries during the run-in, the manager remained keen to identify Pogba as the player around whom he would ideally build his squad in the future.

When Pogba was at his best, so were United.


1. VICTOR LINDELOF


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Let's address the elephant in the room from the off. The selection of a defender as Manchester United's best player in a season in which they conceded more league goals than in any campaign since 1978-79 does seem somewhat of a paradox.

But Victor Lindelof has been United's most consistent star in an otherwise rollercoaster season. There have been the odd moments of concern, as with any other player, but he has generally turned in an outstanding personal campaign.

Rarely has he turned in a poor performance when it has come to United's bigger moments, with his Champions League form over his two years in a red shirt arguably unparalleled. He also managed to grab his first United goal to earn a point in the draw against Burnley which continued the feel-good factor at Old Trafford during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's early days in charge.

And with a record of 131 duel wins and 69 aerial wins, he has become the Red Devils' most dependable defender at a time when the shortcomings around him have been made abundantly clear far too often.

Kris Voakes

Kris Voakes Photo