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Hello and Welcome back to our assessment of the top contenders for the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year at the start of February 2019. The month of January was full of optimism for Manchester United, as the Old Trafford outfit continued their brilliant resurgence under their new manager.
Also Read: Top Contenders for the Manchester United Player of the Year: January 2019
Solskjaer was appointed as a temporary replacement for Jose Mourinho, but has already exceeded all expectations, getting off the block on a blistering note and sticking to his attacking brand of football. The month was vital for him, as he proved his mettle by getting vital wins away at Spurs in the Premier League and at the Emirates against Arsenal in the FA Cup.
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His players have responded well to his management style as United continued their swagger in January and into the month of February as well. Every player has improved significantly so far and as such, the race to the Manchester United Player of the Year has become quite interesting. Today, we take a look at the top contenders for the Award at the start of February.
#5 Victor Lindelof
The Swede has been a revelation in the back four for Solskjaer. Lindelof has been in the starting eleven in 9 of the Norwegian's 11 games in charge and it is clear that he is his manager's preferred choice at the back. Lindelof has lacked a stable partner alongside him, having played with Jones in a few games and Bailly in others, however, he has been rock solid all through.
Lindelof's tackling and overall defending has massively improved ever since Solskjaer took over. The Norwegian has also made good use of the Swede's impressive abilities on the ball and as a result, Lindelof was one of the best players of United in the last month.
The Swede was crucial as United earned vital clean sheets in the away games against Tottenham and Newcastle in January and then against Leicester in the start of February. Lindelof also scored a vital equalizer against Burnley to keep Solskjaer's unbeaten run intact.
Part of United's inactivity in the January Transfer Window was due to the recent form of their Swedish Centerback and Lindelof has jumped the queue to secure the 5th position in the race to the Manchester United Player of the Year at the start of February.
#4 Ander Herrera
The Spaniard is Solskjaer's midfield general and is one of the best players at the club right now. Herrera had a stellar January and was crucial to the team as United finally made it to the 4th position, abet temporarily, after defeating Leicester in the second week of February.
Herrera started in 6 of the 8 games since the start of the new year and United won all 6. United drew one of the games that he was on the bench for, against Burnley, where his absence in the middle of the park was clearly visible.
The Spaniard was important in nullifying the midfield threat of Tottenham and Arsenal in the month and his infectious energy was vital as the attacking players flourished in Solskjaer's tactics. Herrera provided a vital platform for the attacking players to function from; he was United's first line of attack as well as the foremost defender on the pitch.
But it is his leadership and intelligence that has been vital for Solskjaer so far. Herrera has already won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award once and this time too, the Spaniard is in the thick of things. At the start of February, the Spaniard is still going strong at 4th place among the top contenders for the award.
#3 Anthony Martial
The Frenchman's consistency throughout the season ensures that Martial is one of the strongest candidates for the award, however, his only disadvantage has been his lack of form in front of goal at the start of the year.
Martial appeared in 6 of the 8 games in the new year so far and like Herrera, his absence was felt in the draw in Burnley. The Frenchman brings a degree of unpredictability to the left side of Manchester United that is extremely dangerous to the opposition. Martial has the ability to instill fear into the hearts of any defense in the world on his day.
However, the Frenchman was having trouble finding the back of the net under the Norwegian. He had scored in Solskjaer's first game in charge and since then had failed to score till the end of January. It was the crucial FA Cup tie against Arsenal that brought the best out of him. The Frenchman came off the bench and scored to seal a memorable victory.
This weekend against Fulham, Martial was on the scoresheet again, scoring a fantastic solo effort and it seems that the Frenchman might be regaining his goalscoring form. As of now, Martial has 11 goals and 2 assists from 27 games this season.
At the start of February, he is 3rd among the contenders for the Manchester United Player of the Year.
#2 Paul Pogba
Long before taking over as the interim manager of Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had remarked in an interview that if he ever had the chance, he would build a team around Paul Pogba.
The Norwegian had presided over a teenage Pogba at close quarters, when he was in charge of the Reserves Team at Manchester United more than a decade ago. As such, Solskjaer was aware of Pogba's qualities and the Frenchman has now repaid his manager's belief in him.
Pogba was the creative heart of the United midfield as usual in January, threading those long passes, finding his teammates and breaking down the opposition defenses. However, it is his goal scoring form that made him one of the most dangerous midfielders in the Premier League.
The Frenchman found the net 4 times in the new year from 7 games in all competitions. He also picked up 2 assists. Whenever United needed inspiration, Pogba stood up and took charge. He was crucial in the wins over Spurs and Leicester, setting up Marcus Rashford with inch-perfect long balls that tore the opposition defense.
The Frenchman now has 13 goals and 9 assists from 30 games so far this season, and at the start of February is 2nd in the race to the Manchester United Player of the Year Award.
#1 Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford was awarded the Premier League Player for the month of January, while Solskjaer won the managerial award. It was the first time that Manchester United had swept both awards since Sir Alex and Berbatov both won in January 2011. While Solskjaer deserves all the accolades, Rashford has also been brilliant since the turn of the year.
The English youngster scored 3 goals and also picked up one assist from 4 games in January. Rashford has been in fantastic form ever since Solskjaer took over and has developed into one of the most dangerous strikers in the Premier League this season.
His movement, speed and skills on the ball are frightening right now and Solskjaer has used Rashford's abilities extremely well. His goals against Spurs and Leicester City helped United get past rigid opponents and his partnership with Pogba has been devastating to the opposition so far.
The Englishman has been granted an unlimited license on the field and this has enabled him to turn into United's preferred striker to lead the line. Rashford has been so effective of late that he has successfully relegated United's No. 9 Lukaku to the bench.
As of now, Marcus Rashford has 10 goals and 7 assists from 30 games this season. At the start of February, he is the front runner to the Manchester United Player of the Year Award.
