Player of the Month: Erik's blueprint is evident

The 18-year-old attacker scored two goals and assisted twice in our four matches this month to earn the award, most notably netting a last-gasp winner away to Fulham in our last fixture before the World Cup break.

Alejandro’s November prize means that, in each of the first four months of 2022/23, our victor has been a first-time winner.

Summer signings Casemiro (October), Christian Eriksen (September) and Lisandro Martinez (August) are the other three Reds to earn the accolade so far this term, with each proving to be a shrewd addition to Erik ten Hag’s squad.

The trio brought a wealth of experience to Erik's United side, with Casemiro’s winning mentality, Eriksen’s composure and Martinez’s tenacity proving to be key assets for the Reds in the first part of the season.

Ten Hag also brought Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia, tricky Brazilian winger Antony and Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to Old Trafford in the summer, bolstering his ranks further with a mix of youth and experience.

But recruitment isn’t the only way the Dutchman is shaping his United side in his image. Before he arrived from Ajax in the summer, Erik had a reputation as a manager who trusted youth.

This philosophy is very much in keeping with Manchester United, as the club celebrated the 85th consecutive year with an Academy graduate in our first-team squad for every matchday this season.

Youngsters such as Charlie Savage, Charlie McNeill and Zidane Iqbal have all been involved in first-team squads in 2022/23, but the youngster who has enjoyed the biggest impact is Garnacho.

The tricky winger possesses pace and nimble footwork which makes him difficult to defend against and his goals against Real Sociedad and Fulham, along with two assists against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, showed that he can make the step up to senior football.

In addition to Garnacho’s youthful exuberance, which fellow winger Antony also possesses, Ten Hag’s side retains a great balance. The other three winners of our Player-of-the-Month award this season show that.

Casemiro brought with him to Manchester the experience of playing for European giants Real Madrid and winning the Champions League an incredible five times. He is a leader on and off the pitch, and his consistency is fast making him a fans' favourite.

A midfield general, Casemiro is as good as anyone on the planet at breaking up play. If he's not winning the ball back, he can be seen barking instructions to United's players and organising his team-mates. The Brazilian can also score the occasional goal too, as was the case with his last-minute leveller away to Chelsea in October.

Eriksen could play football with his eyes closed. It is effortless for him. The Denmark international is much like a composer of an orchestra, dictating the tempo of matches at will.

Christian backs this up with end product too, assisting some superb goals this term – such as his sublime cross for Marcus Rashford’s bullet header against West Ham in October and through pass for Garnacho at Fulham. The Dane also scored his first goal for the Reds that Craven Cottage clash.

Our first Player of the Month of the season, Martinez, is another summer arrival who has quickly established himself as a popular figure at United. His love for tackling is evident, as is his passion – just remember those jubilant celebrations at Stamford Bridge in October!

The Argentinian also possesses great quality on the ball and combines that with whole-hearted desire and an ability to read the game well. Martinez's signing was a masterstroke by Ten Hag and at only 24 years of age, he’s only going to get better.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS

November – Alejandro Garnacho

October – Casemiro

September – Christian Eriksen

August – Lisandro Martinez