Luke looking like a Shaw thing to lift the Player of the Year award once again
UNITED are on course for their jointbest finish since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
So while, for some fans, it has not been a vintage season – and could end without silverware, depending on United’s Europa League fate – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is justified in claiming progress is being made.
Certainly, many of the individual performances this season have been heartening. From Luke Shaw’s strong resurgence at left-back, to Bruno Fernandes continuing his talismanic displays in attacking midfield, there is a decent array of choices when it comes to handing out the Sir Matt Busby player of the year award for this season.
Here, M.E.N. Sport run through the five main contenders for the award...
■ LUKE SHAW
SHAW recently admitted he perhaps didn’t deserve to win the Sir Matt Busby award after the 2018/19 season, when he was the recipient of a prize that had precious few candidates. Victor Lindelof was the only other possible winner of it, but the left-back had improved sufficiently, deemed the officials.
Two years on, there can be little debate Shaw is playing his best football at United by a distance. His influence has grown in attack and he’s solidified his game in defence. He’s broken back into the England set-up and deserves all the plaudits he’s now getting. Along with Fernandes, he has to be the favourite for this season’s award.
■ BRUNO FERNANDES
THE fact Fernandes won last season’s Sir Matt Busby award despite having only arrived at the club in January
spoke volumes about his importance to the side.
That influence has only grown in his second season at United, while his goal and assist record has remained at the same remarkably high level. Fernandes is the fulcrum around which Solskjaer’s outfit has been built.
■ MARCUS RASHFORD
RASHFORD gets a huge amount of unfair criticism for a player who contributes so much to United.
His record of 19 goals and seven assists in all competitions tells you how much he offers, whether playing on the left, right or through the middle. Solskjaer depends on Rashford and the Wythenshawe-born academy product is a leader for United too.
He’s probably not quite done enough to win this season’s award but he deserves more than a mention.
■ SCOTT McTOMINAY MCTOMINAY continues to defy expectations, turning himself into a goal-scoring midfielder of some repute. That he has managed seven goals this season, in a campaign where he’s not always been an automatic choice in the side, shows how much he’s improved.
The 24-year-old is another Solskjaer dependable and whose attitude ensures he makes a big difference to this side. Another one who probably won’t win the award this season but who has stood tall in a difficult and crazy campaign.
■ AARON WAN-BISSAKA
WAN-BISSAKA has scored his first and second career goals this season and has also added three assists. It’s not an overwhelming return but it’s one in the eye for those who claim the United right-back ‘doesn’t have an attacking game’. It’s quite clear Wan-Bissaka must develop these attributes and at 23 he’s still young enough to improve.