Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men did it!! The Red Devils will be playing Champions League football next term. Before that, though, it’s time to look back on the 2019/20 season with our Man Utd TOTS.
As is always the case, some selections were pretty straightforward, while other’s were close calls. The Baby Faced Assassin chopped and change his side pretty often during the first half of the campaign, though post-lockdown, we began to see the same faces game-in-game out.
I’ve always been a believer in consistency being key. That showed with some brilliant results, with United ending the campaign on a fourteen-game unbeaten streak, overcoming a fourteen-point deficit to Leicester City over that time.
Football is now, more than ever, a squad game. However, some players stepped up to the plate while others struggled. Solskjaer has been in the job eighteen months now. He now knows who he can count upon and be trusted when it matters most – particularly in those big-game scenarios.
I decided against picking a bench, though the likes of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams would have definitely made the cut…
Goals galore were scored by our young front men, chances aplenty created by the mega-talented guys in behind. Defensively we were pretty solid, too, although our goalkeeper let us down on a few occasions. Anyway, let’s get right into it…
Here is our Man Utd TOTS for the 2019/20 term in full:
Goalkeeper
So yeah, despite those errors, David de Gea deserves his spot in this team. He has still made some outrageous saves, while we haven’t really seen enough of Sergio Romero to warrant his inclusion. If loan players were allowed, though, Dean Henderson would be in the side.
Defenders
For me, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is our Player of the Season and he more than deserves his spot at right-back. Diogo Dalot offered very little in the way of competition, so this one was a no-brainer.
Luke Shaw is another pretty obvious choice at full-back. After lockdown, he was absolutely brilliant until picking up that season-ending injury. Brandon Williams has also been a breath of fresh air this term.
Captain Harry Maguire played every single minute of Premier League football this term, captaining a United side that has vastly improved defensively. He’s been great in the air, won key tackles and made huge blocks. Sure, we’ve seen a few mistakes but on the whole, Slabhead has been excellent.
Victor Lindelof was outstanding against Leicester City on the final day, though I think it’s fair to say he remains inconsistent. He’s great with the ball at his feet and doesn’t mind going forward. However, he’s sometimes positionally weak which is a concern. Physically, he can often get outmatched too. In way of competition, both Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly offered little – largely due to injuries.
Midfielders
So I’ve gone with Nemanja Matic as the defensive-midfielder. Trust me when I say this was a tough decision as Scott McTominay was brilliant for the first-half of the term. In the end, it was the Serb’s experience, cleverness and tactical awareness that earned him a spot in our XI.
Next up is Bruno Fernandes. He’s only been here six months but our Portuguese Magnifico has been absolutely electric since making the move to Manchester. Heck, I struggle to find a better in-form player from February-June. Passing, goals, movement, creativity. This lad has it all.
Now onto the controversial choice. Paul Pogba hasn’t been selected as he barely kicked a football until June. Fred, on the other hand, has probably been United’s most-improved player this season. He has turned into an integral member of this squad and he may well kick on again next term.
Forwards
Where else to start but the starboy? Mason Greenwood is quite possibly the best player I’ve ever seen to come out of our academy, which is a huge statement. His finishing, intelligence and maturity beyond his years is astounding. Daniel James was the closest competitor, though he was pretty poor from October onwards.
Marcus Rashford enjoyed his best season as a professional. Hitting the twenty goal-mark and tacking on loads of assists too. He’s getting better as an all-round footballer and makes the cut despite a long injury lay-off.
Anthony Martial has been unbelievable over the last few months. His hold-up play is improving week-on-week while he’s still scoring outrageous goals. A Solskjaer arm around the shoulder has worked wonders. Fair play, Toto!
Let us know your Manchester United Team of the Season in full in the comments below!
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