End of Season Review: Manchester United | OneFootball

Can this season be considered a success for Manchester United?

The club are two years into the José Mourinho Era and have come a long way from the Louis van Gaal vintage. But with their city rivals walking to the title and Pep Guardiola redefining what it means to play well in the Premier League, there seems to be the kind of peppy optimism at Old Trafford normally reserved only for a Nuclear Winter.

So let’s all hold hands, force a smile, and look back at what’s been an interesting season at for the Reds.

Player of the Season: David de Gea

Honourable mentions to Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matić but there really can only be one winner of this award. The Spanish goalkeeper has been, once again, head and shoulders above everyone else at Old Trafford – saving an incredible 106 shots so far. For some context: that’s 20 more than Ben Foster’s made at permanently bottom West Brom and double the amount Hugo Lloris has palmed away at Tottenham. Some may say that De Gea is papering over the cracks at Manchester United. They’re right.

How did the manager do?

Coming from behind to win the derby. Getting to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Going 12 games unbeaten at the start of the season. Blasting Arsenal away at Christmas. Beating Tottenham at home. All pretty good achievements for any normal Premier League club with European ambitions. The trouble is, Manchester United aren’t a normal club. When you have Sir Alex’s legacy hanging over you at Old Trafford and Pep Guardiola breaking record after record at the Etihad, getting out of your Champions League group and finishing in the top four isn’t really good enough. Added to that, the Portuguese tactician’s disgraceful bullying of Luke Shaw, his embarrassing power-play with Paul Pogba and his failure to get a tune out of Alexis Sánchez, it’s starting to look as if Mourinho is the Struggling-To-Keep-His-Head-Above-Water One.

Disappointment of the season: Paul Pogba

Unlike some media commentators, we don’t care what colour his hair is, or what car he drives, or what handshake him and Jesse Lingard are going to do next. All that matters are performances on the pitch, and this season there can be no debate: they haven’t been nearly good enough. After two years at Old Trafford, how many truly great games has the Frenchman produced? I can hear you furiously type: THE DERBY. But the reason people were going so overboard about that display was that’s become the exception that proves the rule. Pogba was never going to be The Next Roy Keane, but at this rate he’s not even The Next Nicky Butt.

Who needs to go?

It’s been five years, but surely now the Marouane Fellaini Experiment has to be consigned to the rubbish bin of history and cast off as a tragic black mark on this club’s once great history?

Luke Shaw, for the good of his sanity, has to look for another club, becaus god knows that lad needs a break.

There may have never been a more ‘six out of 10 player’ than Daley Blind. There’s certainly room for them in your squad, but United have already got Phil Jones, so the Dutchman has to go.

And the club may come to rue this, but if they’re to progress, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial should be looking to leave as well – if only to avoid getting the Marco Verratti Virus that is hurtling its way across Europe and affecting all under 23-year-olds at top level clubs.

Who should be brought in?

If Manchester City have proved anything this season, it’s that full-back is the new black. For Benjamin Mendy see Ashley Young. For Kyle Walker see Antonio Valencia. The Reds have many problems, but none surely bigger than what’s going on either side of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelöf? Kieran Tierney would be a perfect addition, whilst Tottenham’s Danny Rose has also been mentioned.

Just whatever you do, please, Ed, don’t spend your money on Gareth Bale.

Marks for the season: 6/10