Who's your Player of the Month for December?
The final month of 2021 was a largely successful month for Manchester United as six games were navigated without a single defeat.
After beginning December under Michael Carrick's temporary charge - he presided over the period's first game, a thrilling 3-2 win against Arsenal - the side ended it with Ralf Rangnick's fifth match at the helm.
That too was a victory, 3-1 versus Burnley last Thursday night, and it was achieved with arguably the best performance since our German interim manager was appointed. There would have been eight matches to manage last month, seven under Rangnick, had the Brighton and Brentford games not been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
While collective and cohesive displays from the team are, of course, what Rangnick wants to see, there will always be individuals who deserve special praise. For our latest Player of the Month award, there were a number of candidates who could have made the shortlist of three before the editorial team eventually settled on David De Gea, Fred and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Before picking from that trio in our online poll, you may wish to read our summaries of their contributions to the cause below.
The Spanish goalkeeper's showreel for 2021/22 already looks like a blockbuster movie and several stops in December will be certainties for the final edit. In fact, the breathtaking save to prevent Miguel Almiron from snatching a win for Newcastle United last Monday night has been labelled his best of the season so far. That intervention, and the one that denied Allan Saint-Maximin a second goal for the Magpies, led to De Gea being named our Man of the Match.
Our no.1 also topped the matchday poll after keeping a coveted clean sheet at Carrow Road, where the Reds beat Norwich City 1-0 in Rangnick's first away game as United boss. On that occasion, it was Teemu Pukki in particular who was left aghast by De Gea's incredible athleticism as the Finnish striker's goalbound shot was kept out.
The Brazilian's continuing resurgence has led to an arguably overdue nomination, after his defensive midfield axis with Scott McTominay - who can be considered unfortunate not to be on our shortlist - was maintained by Rangnick. The deep-lying duo now sit behind two other pairings in a 4-2-2-2 formation, and it was Fred's ability to regain possession and provide a platform for the attacking quartet that caught our collective eye in December.
Our no.17 also carried a threat to the opposition himself, exemplified by his Man of the Match performance against Crystal Palace when he notched the game's solitary strike - with his supposedly weaker right foot - at the Stretford End, to give Rangnick a winning start to his reign. He also registered a goal involvement in the victory over Arsenal by assisting Bruno Fernandes's equaliser.
CRISTIANO RONALDO: 5 appearances, 4 goals
The Portuguese superstar signed off the calendar year in which he rejoined the Reds in some style, assisting the first goal against Burnley for McTominay and bagging the third one himself. He found the net four times in total across December's six games, and the other three efforts were all decisive - a double in the 3-2 triumph at Arsenal's expense and an emphatic penalty to end Norwich's resistance as the Canaries were defeated 1-0.
Ronaldo now has a tally of 14 for the season and 132 in his entire Reds career, placing him 14th on the club's chart of all-time top goalscorers.