With 2010 coming to an end, here are a few awards for the Manchester United players who have wowed us, impressed us and driven us mad over the past year. 2010 has been quite a year for Manchester United, offering so much at the start but ultimately delivering little come May. However, the start of the 2010/11 season has seen Manchester United move into pole position in the Premier League and remain unbeaten so far. The calendar year as a whole could be seen as a disappointment but it has seen the emergence of a few quality youngsters as well as players getting better. There has been progress at Old Trafford over the past twelve months, and it looks set to continue into the new year.
Player of the Season – Nani
In my eyes, Nani pips Wayne Rooney for the award largely for his form during the first half of this season. Not only this season but Nani has been sensational for 12 months now, and has transformed himself from the frustrating, over confident winger into a real Premier League star. What really highlights the transformation of the player, is now he is regarded as Manchester United’s best hope to regain the Premier League crown. Since that game at The Emirates, Nani has gone from strength to strength. He has added goals to his game and assists. This season alone he has netted five times as well as contributing 11 assists in 15 games. The Portuguese winger has been superb for the last 12 months and he is starting to show that he can not only live with the tag of the ‘new Ronaldo’ but also become one of the most influential players at the club. On this season’s evidence he is United’s single most creative force. Not that the winger has ever been short in a measure of confidence; just application, with maturity coming late to the former Sporting Lisbon player.
Most Improved – Rafael Da Silva
After his petulance against Bayern Munich in the quarter finals of the Champions League last season, most Manchester United fans feared the worst for one half of the Brazilian twins. However, a sign of a quality young player is that they learn from their mistakes – something Rafael clearly has done. The young right back has tied down the position; and made it his own since that game. Sir Alex Ferguson has chosen the young Brazilian over experienced players and he has not been found wanting. He has a sensational appetite to play football, to get forward and his defending has come on leaps and bounds in 2010. It has been a gradual evolution from Rafael, and one that will see him go from strength to strength. He has shown that Sir Alex Ferguson was right not to spend vast sums of money on a new right back, and as he improves his reputation outside Old Trafford will increase. A great turn around from the Manchester United right back.
Most Disappointing – Michael Carrick
The Manchester United midfielder has lost a huge amount of confidence over the past seasons; he now plays well within himself and looks fragile on the ball. Michael Carrick seems unable to open defences up with splitting passes, nor does he seem confident in his ability to slow play down and keep the ball in the middle of midfield. Just using one example – against Birmingham, in the final stages of the game he was just drilling the ball forward – no control in his game at all. What has happened to that central midfielder that Tottenham fought tooth and nail to keep? Carrick was never a goalscorer but he always offered assists. However, over the past year they have dried up, highlighting an embarrassing statistic. Michael Carrick has not assisted in a Manchester United goal since the 06/02/2010, in a 5-0 home win over Portsmouth. For a player who doesn’t offer goals, it simply is not good enough. Unless Carrick can have a fine start to 2011 it is very difficult to see how the England man can justify a first team place at Old Trafford.
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