5 best Manchester United players this year (2021)
It's been a bit of a strange year for Manchester United. At times, it has looked like the Red Devils have enough wind in their sails to reach their promised land once again. But on the odd day, they look like they could be torn to smithereens by a second division side.
Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might have played too much to his players' strength. There is an argument that this came at the cost of a collective identity. When the top players fail to perform, the team fails as a result. This eventually led to the sacking of Solskjaer.
Manchester United are ushering in a new era
There is now a sense of optimism at Manchester United following the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager. The German is a widely revered coach and he is expected to do wonders with this extremely talented Manchester United side.
But before we speculate on the future, let's take a second to review the past. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best Manchester United players in 2021.
#5 Luke Shaw
It looked like Luke Shaw was well on his way to maximizing his potential in the 2020-21 season. The left-back provided plenty of thrust down the left flank. His driving runs proved to be menacing on many occasions and his link-up play with Marcus Rashford was consistently on point.
Shaw was one of the best full-backs in the Premier League last term. He carried that form into Euro 2020 and scored a goal and provided three assists in the continental competition. For a while, it looked like the sky was the limit for Shaw.
However, he has been extremely underwhelming in the ongoing season. He seems to be affected by fatigue and he has fared poorly on either side of the pitch. Shaw has even lost his starting position to Alex Telles for now.
But we are all aware of the quality he possesses and being given some time to gather his bearings could do him a world of good. For being world-class in the first half of the year, Shaw deserves a place on this list.
📊 Luke Shaw in 19/20 vs 20/21 for #mufc. [Sky] https://t.co/VvzhSs9D9n
#4 Fred
Fred is not immune to the occasional blunder. He has been a weak point when Manchester United play out from the back on a number of occasions. The Brazilian does not fare well when he is facing his own goal while receiving a pass. He has received plenty of stick for the same.
But it's also something he has worked on and is slowly weeding out of his game. The Brazilian international is the hardest working Manchester United player in every game that he plays. He is a tenacious presence at the heart of midfield and relentlessly hounds opposition players.
During Solskjaer's final months as manager, it became quite apparent that the Manchester United frontline doesn't offer much help to their midfielders or defenders. Forced to cover too much lateral space, Fred and Scott McTominay are left exposed regularly.
In Rangnick's first few games as Manchester United, Fred has turned in some really good performances. Deployed in a slightly more advanced role, the Brazilian international has started affecting games more and his playmaking abilities have added a new dimension to United's game.
He has scored two goals and provided two assists in 13 appearances in the Premier League so far this term.
An important victory, settled in style by @Fred08Oficial 👌
#MUFC | @RemingtonUK https://t.co/qooSawxwyI