Who is United's Player of the Season so far?

The Dutchman is imposing his blueprint on the Reds, and his players were in good form up until the World Cup break, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League just three points behind Spurs, who have played a game more.

Many United players have stood out during this first part of the season, whether it be the new arrivals Erik brought to the club, or existing members of the squad who have made a marked impact under his tutelage.

As we await our return to competitive action, which will be our Carabao Cup clash against Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday 21 December, here are our writers' picks for the most impressive Reds so far this term...

MARCUS RASHFORD
Joe Nelson

My selection for the best United player so far this season is Marcus Rashford. I, like many others did not enjoy his struggles last year, as we all know how much talent Marcus possesses. To see the confidence flowing back through him this term, and the evolution of his game into a more complete forward, fills me with joy.

Rashford's pace has always been a threat, but now he is developing a knack of getting into the right positions in the penalty area too. It's no surprise that Marcus is our top goalscorer so far this season, and all of these goals are different, too. His bullet header against West Ham - which so happened to be his 100th for the club - highlighted his development under Ten Hag, and at 25 years of age, further improvement is ahead of him.

Of course, Erik's new signings have made a great impact at United this term, and they have all made a big contribution to our success so far, but Marcus looks galvanised under Ten Hag's tutelage. With Rashford only having worked with the Dutchman for a brief period of time so far, who knows where he might be this time next year. Dynamic off the left or through the middle, and having regained his goalscoring touch, Marcus is my pick. 

BRUNO FERNANDES
Courtney Hill

It's easy to measure the impact of a player when he's in the team, but the real test comes in his absence, and when Manchester United travelled to Aston Villa without Bruno Fernandes and lost, it reaffirmed his importance to this side. This season he has taken on leadership duties with the armband when Harry Maguire hasn't been on the pitch, and his all-round game has become far more refined under the guidance of Ten Hag. 

During this current campaign he has been a standout player for the Reds, often at the heart of our attacking display, making things tick in the middle of the park. He has shown countless times that he is the kind of player who leaves it all on the pitch, and his off-the-ball work rate is just as essential as what he does with the ball. Fernandes demands 100 per cent from the team, and from himself, which has resulted in some big performances under Ten Hag already. His willingness to shift out of position when asked also shows his desire to work for the team. 

Our no.8 may not be putting up the numbers like he did when he first joined us in 2020, but what he continues to offer United is unequivocally just as important.

LISANDRO MARTINEZ 
Mikey Partington 

You could make a case for several members of the United squad in this debate, including most of Ten Hag’s summer additions, but I’m going to go with Lisandro Martinez. 

The Argentinian has made a seamless transition to life as a Red and been a healthy addition to the manager’s defensive department. His importance to the side is already obvious, having started every one of our Premier League outings this season and all but two of our matches in cup competitions. His passionate, intelligent and heart-on-the-sleeve style has been easy to warm to as well, and it’s most likely why it was rare to go to a game before the World Cup break and not see several Argentina flags, accompanied with chants of ‘Argentina! Argentina!’ 

It feels like he’s been a United player for some time already with how well he’s fitted in and that excites me with what more he could offer once he has settled into the system and the culture here even further. Of course, like with any player, there will be bumps along the road in his journey, but we already know that tackling every challenge head on and giving his all for the cause is a non-negotiable for ‘Licha’.