How have Manchester United’s players rated so far this season?
In preparation for the long-awaited return the Premier League, here’s an overview of Man United’s season so far and where they find themselves when play resumes.
The resumption of the footballing season is just around the corner. Some big sacrifices and changes have had to be made – but the Premier League is set for a comeback.
Much of the talk leading up to 17 June has revolved Liverpool’s seemingly imminent title win – but what lies ahead for Manchester United?
Ole’s men have managed only 12 wins from 29 matches this season, with 8 losses – but things were beginning to look a little brighter before the season was halted.
In March, the Reds found themselves unbeaten in ten matches in all competitions and just three points off the top four.
Should the knock-out competitions be resumed as planned, the Manchester side will find themselves in contention for the FA Cup and the Europa League.
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As the big date looms closer, this is the ideal time to look back at Man United’s season so far – and where they find themselves once play resumes.
Goalkeepers
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David De Gea: De Gea has conceded 33 times in 32 appearances in all competitions. He’s managed 10 clean sheets, most of which have come in the latter half of the season. Still, despite the upturn in performances, we have seldom seen the Spaniard at his best this season. (6/10)
Sergio Romero: United’s second choice goalkeeper doesn’t get a look in when it comes to the league, but he has rarely put a foot wrong in the cup competitions this season. In his 14 appearances this season, he’s conceded only three goals and managed 11 clean sheets. (8/10)
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Defenders
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Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Questions have been asked about the 22-year-old’s attacking abilities but there is no doubt that defensively he has been excellent, particularly in 1v1 situations. A strong debut season so far. (7.5/10)
Brandon Williams: While his inexperience is evident at times, Williams has certainly proved himself to have great potential after providing a strong challenge to Shaw throughout the season. Not bad for a 19-year-old. (6.5/10)
Diogo Dalot: The Portuguese defender has only played only few games due to injury and has had very little impact on the team. (3/10)
Eric Bailly: Bailly has only managed five appearances this season due to ongoing injury problems. He did however put in a standout performance at Stamford Bridge during a crucial game for the Reds. (5/10)
Harry Maguire: There is clear confidence at the club in the English international’s abilities; naming him captain in his first season at the club. While his performances haven’t always been up to scratch, there have been obvious improvements during the back half of the season. (7.5/10)
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Luke Shaw: The introduction of Brandon Williams is the best thing that’s happened to Shaw this season; he’s put in some great performances in the back half of the season. (6.5/10)
Marcos Rojo: Rojo is currently on loan at Estudiantes after just nine appearances this season; it seems as though his time at Old Trafford may soon be coming to an end. (3/10)
Phil Jones: The English defender has been on a downward spiral for some time now. He has just eight appearances this season and one of few positive contributions came from a headed goal against Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup. (3/10)
Victor Lindelof: Very unconvincing at times, but has improved with the rest of the defensive line-up as the season has progressed. (6/10)
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Midfielders
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Andreas Pereira: Inconsistent at best, completely absent at worst. He may have made 37 appearances this season but he’s only managed 2 goals and 4 assists. It’s clear that Pereira isn’t up to it. (3.5/10)
Bruno Fernandes: The newest addition to the team has only featured in blank games but his arrival was definitely a turning point in United’s season. He’s been the standout player in almost every game he’s featured, whether that will continue when football returns remains to be seen, however. (8.5/10)
Fred: After a lot of criticism and uncertainty about his place in United’s team, Fred has had an impressive season after a consistent position in the starting line-up. A shout for POTY for many United fans. (8/10)
Jesse Lingard: A disappointing season to say the least and probably his last at Old Trafford. (3/10)
Juan Mata: Proven to be a decent squad player but nothing more. (5.5/10)
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Nemanja Matic: Matic was out of favour at the start of the season but he has proven suddenly became a vital player to the team in the back half of the season. (6/10)
Paul Pogba: Hindered by injury problems for most of the season, the Frenchman has only featured in 8 games and wasn’t always convincing. Certainly not his season. (4/10)
Scott McTominay: He was one of the standout performers during the first half of the season and his knee injury was a massive blow to the midfield. He seems to have picked up right where he left off since returning to the team. (7/10)
Anthony Martial: The Frenchman has been under scrutiny this season but he has no doubt been a key element in the attacking line-up with 16 goals and some important strikes against City and Chelsea. (7.5/10)
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Daniel James: The Welshman got off to a strong start but has wilted slightly as the season has progressed. He’s managed four goals and seven assists in all competitions but he has definitely shown promise. (6.5/10)
Marcus Rashford: United’s star man this season until a back injury in January put Rashford out of action for the foreseeable future. He has still managed to score 19 times in 31 appearances in all competitions and has been a standout performer for the Reds. (9/10)
Mason Greenwood: It’s clear that the 18-year-old has natural ability in front of goal and that he has a bright future ahead of him. His record of 12 goals in 36 appearances is excellent. (7.5/10)
Odion Ighalo: Many were mocking United’s decision to sign the Nigerian forward in January but Ighalo has proven himself to be a decent squad player. Fans were largely pleased to hear his contract had been extended to January (6.5/10)
Sport
Manchester City reveal trailer for upcoming Together: 4-In-A-Row documentary
Danny Jones
Man City have revealed the first trailer for their new Together: 4-In-A-Row documentary, charting the course of their record-breaking four consecutive Premier League titles.
The follow-up to the Together: Treble Winners series, City‘s highly-anticipated documentary dropped earlier this year following their historic 2023/23 season, the movie will follow the same concept and relive the Manchester club’s latest unprecedented feat from 20/21 onwards.
While the previous TV outing was picked up by Netflix, the latest instalment is set to arrive at the end of this month exclusively on CITY+.
You can see the trailer for Together: 4-In-A-Row down below:
The new Man City documentary will feature exclusive interviews with manager extraordinaire, Pep Guardiola, Ballon d’Or winner and Champions League-winning goalscorer Rodri, club captain Kyle Walker and many more.
There will also be footage including soon-to-depart Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, as well as the City Football Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Ferran Soriano.
Swapping the series format for a feature-length film this time, this is arguably CITY+‘s biggest release to date, with the content subscription service typically offering full match replays, youth academy coverage, as well as smaller documentaries and podcasts.
The streaming service (accessible via the website, Man City app and smart TVs) was only started back in 2024 but now four years later, rather fittingly, it’s set to document the most important years in the club’s history.
We’ve seen multiple Man City docs in recent years – their 2018 All Or Nothing Amazon Prime Video mini-series being the first – but the launch of the Together franchise back in April has helped put City Studios, on the map.
The in-house entertainment arm, first set up in 2022, has even more ambitious plans for the coming years, with a huge deal to create multiple big-budget productions in collaboration with Sony.
Fans are getting even more behind-the-scenes content soon.
Gavin Johnson, Media Director at CFG, said of the trailer reveal: “We’re delighted to announce the release of our latest offering in the ‘Together’ collection.
“Produced once again by our award-winning in-house production and creative hub, City Studios, the documentary film offers our fans a true insight into the team and how they achieved the historic four-in-a-row success.”
Set to be released at 6pm UK time on 20 November, Together: 4-In-A-Row will only be able to watch via the CITY+ platform.
So, if you’re a Blue who wants to relive the last four years of non-stop silverware, you can enjoy a 30-day free trial, after which CITY+ is just £4.99 a month. An annual subscription can be purchased for £34.99 a year or for £30 with an Official Cityzens membership/season ticket.
Man United legend Eric Cantona stuns Manchester artists with surprise visit to GRIT Studios
Danny Jones
Artists working at a Manchester studio were left speechless by a recent surprise visit from none other than Man United legend Eric Cantona.
The former United forward’s love for the city has never waned no matter how many years have gone by and as a lover of all things art, be it music, painting, acting or what he did with a football, he never fails to engage with local culture whenever he’s here.
He may not be based here anymore but the Frenchman – who knows a thing or two about art given his past acting jobs, newfound music career and previous showcases – still pays plenty of visits to 0161, including a recent unannounced one.
Cantona was back in the city centre this week to pay GRIT Studios resident Michael Browne, the artist who he collaborated with to create his National Football Museum exhibition last year, but the one thing Browne didn’t do was let the other people working in their city centre location he was coming.
Credit: GRIT Studios Manchester (supplied)
To be fair, anyone would double-take if they saw Eric Cantona walk into a room, so this was quite a memorable occasion for the unsuspecting artists.
After working on 2023’s From Moss Side to Marseille with Browne, the 58-year-old has been reimmersing himself in the world of Manchester art and there aren’t many places that epitomise that more than GRIT, who are based in Stockport with a second studio at Great Northern Warehouse.
Landing in Manchester from Paris, Cantona arrived in the late morning and ended up staying for over an hour, taking time to meet a number of artists and tour the space with co-founder John Macaulay.
Clearly impressed with their work and genuinely enthused by the sense of community within the local grassroots art scene, it was a special visit for everyone involved.
John, a die-hard Man United fan who has seen the Red Devils play in 25 countries before going on to set up GRIT Studios and much-loved Art Battle MCR with his wife Sophie, said: “It’s full circle for me having watched Eric play all over the world, it’s true honour that he’s flown in to see our talented artists.”
Artists spent time chatting with Eric and talking through their creative processes; those present included mosaic artist, Francis Thorrington, plein air (outdoor) artist, Sketch MCR – a.k.a. Ben Rock – painters Jodie Silverman, Helen Davies and Sophie Macaulay, as well as woodworker Gus Riddell.
Also a fellow United fan, Francis said he simply “couldn’t stop smiling the whole time” after Cantona described his work as wonderful.
Eric looked at home when he picked up and started strumming Chris Pollin’s hand-made guitars, which are handcrafted from driftwood and take hundreds of hours of work.
The enigmatic sports personality turned pop philosopher and cultural figure clearly enjoyed the visit. His final message was that it was refreshing to see a place where “art was for everyone” not just the elite.
As for Browne, he is sworn to secrecy on his next project but let’s just say you can expect some big announcements in the coming weeks. As for GRIT, you can visit one of their open days this Saturday, 16 November and make sure to check out their Stockport studio if you’re in the area.
Kate Jackson -
15th June 2020 
