After a dismal season at Old Trafford, I thought that I would lighten the mood. Here are Manchester United’s top five players from the league, according to statistics.
1) Michael Carrick
Carrick takes top spot according to the statistics having played 29 games and completing 88% of his passes. He averaged five defensive actions per game, won 86% of his take ons, 43 tackles and played 28 key passes.
He has injected a sense of calm into a feeble United midfield this season.
2) Wayne Rooney
The former Everton forward notched 17 league goals this season which made him the club’s top scorer by some margin. He was also the leading player in terms of chances created (56), which is no surprise.
3) Phil Jones
Although he managed just 26 games, he managed to win 52 headers, 44 tackles and make 161 clearances. He also made 55 interceptions and ended the season with a pass completion of 89%. Jones can hold his head up high this summer.
4) Patrice Evra
In what looks like his last season at Old Trafford, Evra put in an impressive shift. He made 33 appearances, created 38 chances, averaged eight defensive actions per game and chipped in with a single goal.
Whoever replaces the 33-year-old next season has big boots to fill.
5) Chris Smalling
Although he has been criticised heavily this season for his questionable season at right-back, Smalling’s statistics fall in his favour.
He averaged 29 defensive actions per game, won 61 of his 90 headers, 74% of his take ons and won 30 tackles.