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Manchester United might be one of the greatest clubs in the world but fans can collectively agree that things have not been rosy for them recently. For many years, the team has been at the helm of not only their city but also English football.
In the 2018/19 season, the Red Devils have blown hot and cold. This has left their vast majority of supporters excited and disappointed in equal measure. So, what has happened to Manchester United and who is to blame for their string of poor performances and inconsistency?
Well, it may be easier to point fingers at manager Jose Mourinho who has been in the spotlight for setting up his team in an overly defensive manner. It is said that the best form of defence is to attack, a philosophy that landed Paul Pogba in hot soup over comments he made on the same. In the midst of the flames that have steadily burnt down United's legacy this season, there are some players who have shown genuine talent when on the field.
These players have stepped up in some instances to give fans a taste of what a real United team is capable of. Despite one of their worst starts to a season in the last thirty years, there is still plenty of time to salvage something before things get out of hand. These three players have been a bright spark in an otherwise dark spell for the 20-time English champions.
#3 David De Gea
The Spanish international has been a consistent performer at United in the last five seasons. In fact, he has been heavily touted as the world's best goalkeeper in the last two seasons. He combines unrivalled agility with superb goalkeeping ability. Other top shot-stoppers have openly expressed admiration for De Gea.
Truly, he is set to have one of the worst seasons at United given the number of goals he has conceded this season. Keeping only one clean sheet in 12 league matches does not look good on his credentials. However, De Gea has been United's saviour time and again by doing the job of damage limitation or being the ultimate last line of defence.
It is no secret that United's defence has been extremely porous so there isn't much he can do if his defenders seemingly leave the highway clear for the opposition. But, almost everyone would agree that if not for De Gea, United would have conceded a lot more.
#2 Paul Pogba
No other Manchester United player has been in the spotlight more than Pogba. The world record fee he attracted in 2016 for his arrival from Juventus may have inevitably put a target on his back. The media and Mourinho alike have scrutinized Pogba's on and off-field actions. He has often been blamed for United's poor performance and at some point axed from the starting line-up.
United have been under a dark cloud but Pogba has shown us a glimpse of his true technical ability. Additionally, he is on course to have his best season at an individual level. In 15 matches across all competitions, he has already scored five goals and provided three assists. In his previous best tally, he scored nine goals in 51 appearances. His importance in the United team was deeply felt as United were overran 3-1 in the Manchester derby without him.
#1 Anthony Martial
The French star has been the Red Devils' main man this season. In fact, he was not to be in the starting 11 this season after a reported fallout with Mourinho. A patchy pre-season disagreement with the manager meant that Martial got limited game time at the beginning of the season.
From early September, there were reports that he would be sold in the January transfer window. However, Romelu Lukaku had a very serious dip in form and this forced Mourinho to change his tactics and play Martial in the attacking positions. Rejuvenated by the amount of time he got on the pitch, he has been extremely productive, running at defenders and creating chances and becoming the much-needed threat, offensively.
In nine league matches, he has scored six goals and added one in the Champions League as well. Martial has shown by his performances that he is worth every penny of the €60 million United paid Monaco in 2015 for his services.
