Man United announce three-man shortlist for September Player of the Month

2

Manchester United have announced the nominees for the Player of the Month award for September. The Red Devils endured a difficult month, during which they registered just one win in five games across all competitions.

The English giants started the month with a convincing 4-0 win over Sabah in the Champions League. However, they stuttered to a 2-2 draw against Everton in the Premier League in their second game of September.

Things then went from bad to worse, as United suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City at Old Trafford in the Premier League. The fact that the noisy neighbours played more than an hour with 10 men only made it worse.

The Red Devils’ luck refused to change as they were defeated 3-2 by Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth game of the month and subsequently exited the tournament. United ended September by scrambling to a 1-1 draw against Fulham.

While the results were not according to expectations, there were quite a few impressive performances and three players have now been shortlisted for the club’s prestigious award.

The Three nominees for the Player of the Month award

United have announced that Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans and Matheus Cunha have been nominated for the Player of the Month award. Eight players initially made the cut, but the number was reduced to three after internal assessment.

The report states: “The five matches offered plenty of opportunity for individuals to impress and eight players received initial nominations for the accolade. However, three gained the most internal votes and are in the frame for the Tiger-sponsored trophy, with the supporters deciding the outcome.”

Club skipper Bruno Fernandes, who won the award in August, misses out after a difficult month, during which he registered just one goal. While the Portuguese may be experiencing a dip in form, fans have three worthy alternatives to choose from in September.

How have Mainoo, Cunha and Tielemans performed?

Tielemans arrived at Old Trafford from Aston Villa this summer and is slowly proving to be a vital cog in Michael Carrick’s midfield. The Belgian started every game in September, and even wore the armband in the EFL Cup defeat to Brighton.

Tielemans set up Fernandes’ strike against Sabah and also teed up Shea Lacey’s first ever senior goal, against the Seagulls in the EFL Cup. The 29-year-old’s experience and leadership qualities have been a fantastic addition to United’s squad.

Cunha also featured in every game this month, starting four and featuring off the bench against Brighton. The Brazilian found the back of the net against Sabah and ended September by scoring the late equaliser against Fulham, when he also hit the woodwork.

Mainoo, meanwhile, has continued his upward trajectory and continues to be one of the first names on the teamsheet. The Englishman also started every game this month bar one, which was the defeat to the Seagulls during which he came off the bench.

The 21-year-old set up Bryan Mbeumo’s goal against Fulham and also impressed in the dismal defeat to Manchester City. After being narrowly beaten by Fernandes to August’s award, Mainoo has the chance to get his name on the top prize this month.

United Player of the Month for September: Nominees

Final Thoughts

United’s start to the new season has hardly unfolded as expected after a third-placed finish last campaign. However, there are still positives to be derived from the games so far, and fans will now hope that the team can finally kick off after the international break.