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Manchester United’s season has been well documented over the course of the last few weeks, although it has not been as underwhelming as some would suggest.
Of course, they underperformed drastically in the Premier League and finished sixth, but they also won two (technically three) trophies and secured Champions League football for the following year. Not a bad achievement in José Mourinho’s first year.
No season is going to run smoothly from start to finish, and Manchester United certainly found that in this year’s campaign.
Here were the Red Devils’ five best performers of the season:
#5 Antonio Valencia
The Ecuadorian international has been a stalwart in Manchester United’s defence this season. Valencia might not be an orthodox right-back, but over the course of a few seasons, he has matured into one of Europe’s best.
His ability to get forward and contribute to the attack has been helpful in some desperate times for the Red Devils, yet it is his diligence and professionalism in defence that stands out most clearly.
Without Valencia, United would be in a whole world of trouble. They have looked somewhat stretched without him in the team and it is thanks to him that the club has one of Europe’s most formidable defences.
#4 Ander Herrera
The central midfielder that is being courted by Barcelona has enjoyed yet another fantastic season with the Red Devils.
With how the game is today, there are seldom players who really encapsulate what the club they play for are about. However, you can see how much Herrera adores Manchester United and how he is willing to run through brick walls to defend its honour.
A future captain in the making, the Spaniard has been exemplary in following instructions from Mourinho. Which is why, of course, the Portuguese boss is so fond of him and played him 50 times throughout the season.
Herrera might not be the strongest nor the biggest nor the quickest, but he does possess the passion that you would hope for someone to have in United’s midfield. Passion does not win you games alone, of course not, but it does make you push the extra mile and that is certainly what Herrera does.
He gives great balance to the team and also has that snide aspect to his game. Similar to Diego Costa at Chelsea, Herrera likes to the push the limit to see what he can and cannot get away with.
#3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Without the Swedish sensation, Manchester United’s goals would be non-existent.
It is not exaggerating when saying that he is the only player who has scored more than 10 goals in the Premier League for the club. A quite alarming statistic that emphasises a pure reliance on Ibrahimovic.
Although he has squandered an awful amount of opportunities, Ibrahimovic has done more good than bad. He has not only offered his services on the pitch, but he has also offered them off it.
For a player like Marcus Rashford, who is still only 19 years old, to have a player like Ibrahimovic in the dressing room is crucial when developing. To gain insight and an education from the journeyman is a privilege and one that will help shape his career.
Ibrahimovic is the main man for the big moments - and he proved that in England this season as well. There was a lot of hesitancy over whether he would be a success in the Premier League, but I think it is fair to say that he has, once again, silenced the doubters.
#2 Paul Pogba
While there will always be reservations on Pogba due to the £89m that was paid out to sign him, the French midfielder has been a vital cog in Manchester United’s midfield this season.
It only took a patch of a few games when Pogba was injured to understand how much the Red Devils miss his creativity, link up play and general authority in midfield.
While he has not set the league alight, he is a midfielder, after all, Pogba has been unfortunate not to get himself more on the score sheet and assisting his teammates.
Luck does play a part in every footballer’s career, and it would appear that has not been on the combative midfielder’s side this season. You cannot blame it all just on ‘luck’, but perhaps if Ibrahimovic or Jesse Lingard or Wayne Rooney could have finished off the chances created by Pogba, the narrative surrounding his return to England would have been different.
Pogba will continue to raise his game and the performances we will see next season will parade the player’s immense talent.
#1 Eric Bailly
Bailly was quite an unknown entity before coming to England, but he has been absolutely exception in the heart of United’s defence.
When the Ivorian went to serve his country in the African Cup of Nations for a month, Manchester United looked disorganised and lost without him.
It is quite scary to think that Bailly is just 22 years old - very young for a centre-back - with his peak years well ahead of him.
The mixture of pace, agility and tactical awareness makes Bailly such a force to be reckoned with - not to mention his immense power and physical attributes.
Providing he can work on his heading in threatening position, see Sergio Ramos for Real Madrid, he will be one of Europe’s best all-round centre backs.
