Ranking Manchester United's Top 10 Players This Season
In ranking Manchester United’s top 10 players so far this season, it’s hard to ignore the impressive performances of Louis van Gaal’s six summer signings.
Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind have settled quickly, while Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw and Radamel Falcao have shown great promise.
United, however, have made a decidedly mixed start to the season, picking up just 13 points from an available 30 in the Premier League.
The top 10 is therefore based on each player's importance and how they improve Van Gaal's strongest starting XI, rather than being a reflection of where United are in the table.
Let us know your own top 10 in the comments.
Notable Omissions
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Marouane Fellaini
Injury has restricted Fellaini to just 259 minutes of football this season, and even though he played well against West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea and Manchester City, the Belgian can't yet be considered for a place in the top 10.
Radamel Falcao
The Colombian has played just under three full games of football this season. Despite holding the ball up well, creating chances for his team-mates and scoring his first goal, Falcao hasn't played enough to warrant a place in the top 10.
Juan Mata
Mata began the season as United's No. 10, yet he found himself on the bench at Leicester City when Van Gaal decided to play Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in attack. The Spaniard was handed a chance in his favoured role when Rooney picked up a three-game suspension, but he failed to impress in his absence.
10. Marcos Rojo
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Rojo has started two games at left-back and five in central defence for United, playing with the same set of defenders in just two of those seven games.
That is to say Rojo's introduction to Premier League football has been turbulent.
He’s made a few mistakes and looked nervy at times, but the Argentine has also passed the ball extremely well and steadily improved.
Trying to settle in a team while playing in a makeshift back line is no easy task, and Rojo has done a fair job, all things considered.
9. Robin Van Persie
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Van Persie has scored three goals in nine appearances this season, which is best described as a reasonable return.
One of those three goals was a precious equaliser against Chelsea, while another proved to be a winning goal against West Ham United.
In that sense, Van Persie has won United four points, and that can't be overlooked.
The Dutchman has tired in the latter stages of some games and been anonymous in others, but he remains a potent goalscorer.
8. Phil Jones
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As the weeks have gone by, Jones’ season has got progressively worse.
The 22-year-old was excellent in August, winning the first Player of the Month award of the season. Since that bright start, however, injuries have halted his progress.
He picked up a hamstring injury on England duty at the beginning of September, returning for just one match before shin splints forced him to miss crucial games against Chelsea and Manchester City.
Jones, when available, is United’s best centre-back, but he must stay healthy if he is to climb higher up the rankings.
7. Luke Shaw
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Shaw missed United’s first five Premier League games of the season due to injury, but he defended superbly on his debut against a tough West Ham side and performed just as well against Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Fitness issues and one less than convincing performance away at West Brom were all it took for the critics to raise concerns, but the 19-year-old has played in five different defences in his five appearances this season.
Shaw will only get better and better under Van Gaal’s tutelage, and he can move higher up in the rankings once he begins to offer a threat in attack.
6. Ander Herrera
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Herrera has been absent for five of United’s 10 Premier League games this season, picking up an ankle injury in August and a rib injury in September.
When he has played, though, the 25-year-old has oozed class.
The Spaniard has two goals in five games, just three short of the five he managed for Athletic Club in La Liga last season.
United have been crying out for a midfielder who can defend and attack, and they seem to have found that player in Herrera.
5. Wayne Rooney
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Were it not for his red card against West Ham, Rooney would be placed higher in the top 10.
The newly appointed captain for club and country has three goals and two assists in seven games, which is a good return.
His absence was felt during his suspension, and he returned with a typically all-action display in the Manchester derby.
In order to climb further up the rankings, particularly now that he will play in a deeper role, Rooney must become United’s creative spark.
He has created a chance every 90 minutes this season, which is some way off Mata’s record of a chance created every 58 minutes.
4. Rafael Da Silva
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Rafael has indisputably been United’s best defender this season.
Injured for the first three Premier League games, Rafael was brilliant on his return vs. Queens Park Rangers and Man of the Match vs. West Ham a few weeks later.
He was booked early on against Chelsea, but he displayed great maturity in ensuring that he didn’t pick up a second yellow card.
United are yet to find a consistent pairing at centre-back and Shaw is still settling in at left-back, so Van Gaal will be hoping the Brazilian's latest injury setback doesn't keep him out of action for too long.
3. Daley Blind
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Blind has settled into United’s midfield remarkably quickly, displaying great intelligence in his play.
He controlled the game on his debut vs. QPR, scored an important equaliser in the dying minutes at West Brom and made more tackles than any other player on the pitch in United’s hard-fought draw against Chelsea.
The Dutchman lacks pace and strength, but he is tactically astute and integral to Van Gaal’s philosophy.
Blind has played in all seven of United’s Premier League fixtures since signing in the summer, and he could prove to be a real bargain at just £16 million.
2. David De Gea
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De Gea had a quite phenomenal month in October.
The Spaniard made a number of match-winning saves vs. Everton, started his first competitive game for Spain in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Luxembourg and then won United’s Player of the Month award.
He may have kept just two clean sheets in 11 appearances this season, but De Gea has also made a number of stunning saves.
De Gea sits in the No. 2 spot on account of ensuring that United didn’t drop more points than they already have done.
1. Angel Di Maria
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With seven goals and assists in eight games, Di Maria has been United’s standout player so far this season.
The Argentine has injected pace and creativity into Van Gaal’s new-look side, playing with an attacking verve that fans at Old Trafford haven’t seen since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009.
Di Maria was named as United’s Player of the Month in September, picking up two goals and two assists in his first full month at the club.
Tasked with providing much of United’s attacking threat, Di Maria has created 26 chances this season. Mata is United’s next best creator with a total of 10.
If Van Gaal had Di Maria available to him for United’s first three games this season, United would probably be much higher in the table.
All stats via WhoScored.com and Squawka.com
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