United's December Player of the Month nominees
After a largely positive end to 2019 for Manchester United, the poll to name our December Player of the Month is now open.
The Reds recorded Premier League victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Burnley, secured a Carabao Cup semi-final spot and also finished top of Europa League Group L in December.
Having impressed throughout that period, we are delighted to confirm that Fred, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford have been been nominated for the club's monthly award.
HOW TO VOTE
The poll to decide our final winner of 2019 is now open in our Official App. You can vote for who you think deserves the gong, right up to when the vote closes on Wednesday.
We played no fewer than nine games during a packed month, so we’ve succinctly summarised each player’s contributions below, in case you need a reminder…
FRED – 7 appearances
The Brazilian midfielder deservedly earns his nomination after a month in which he was an ever-present in the middle of the park for United in the Premier League. With Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba out injured for large parts of December, and Nemanja Matic only just back from a two-month lay-off, the 26-year-old was tasked with being the main cog in the Reds’ engine room, a role he performed admirably, particularly in key away wins against City and Burnley. In the latter, he covered a team-best 11.80km, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were forced to dig deep to secure all three points at a typically hostile Turf Moor.
MASON GREENWOOD – 7 appearances, 4 goals
Greenwood’s breakthrough campaign continues apace, with a further four goals in December bringing the 18-year-old up to eight in all competitions so far – more than any other teenager in Europe bar Jadon Sancho. After a quiet start to the month in front of goal, Mason burst into life against AZ Alkmaar with a quickfire brace, before coming off the bench to salvage a vital point against Everton in the Premier League a few days later, with a goal that was hugely reminiscent of our former striker Robin van Persie. His fourth of the month, a brutally-struck effort to put us in front against Newcastle on Boxing Day, was arguably his best yet in a United shirt, although we’re sure there are plenty more to come.
MARCUS RASHFORD – 8 appearances, 6 goals
November’s winner had a simply sublime individual month, registering a brace and a Man-of-the-Match performance to see off Spurs at Old Trafford before netting from the spot and leading the line to great effect at the Etihad three days later. A goal against Colchester in the Carabao Cup heralded a second-half burst for the Reds and a towering header against the Magpies made it 15 for the season – already a personal best. Rashford then tucked home our second at Turf Moor to cap off a superb personal 2019, and his partnership with Anthony Martial – unlucky to miss out on a nomination himself – is truly starting to blossom.
Good luck to each of our three nominees!
The result of the poll in our Official App will be announced prior to our Premier League clash with Arsenal on New Year’s Day.