Manchester United Month in Review: September - Best Player, Worst Performance & Overall Rating
It has been a pretty torrid month for the red half of Manchester.
With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first full season in charge of Manchester United well underway, things only seem to be getting worse rather than better for the Norwegian.
Considering the woeful end the Red Devils had to last campaign, United's form will come as a great concern for everyone involved with the club.
They kicked off the season in the best possible fashion, with a 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea in front of the ever-faithful fans, hinting that United could finally be awakening from their six-year hibernation following Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
However, since they ran riot in that opening matchday victory, the Red Devils have rather drastically gone downhill, only managing one other win from their first seven Premier League fixtures, leaving them in a disappointing 10th position.
Here's 90min's review of the month of September for Manchester United.
Best Player
Given how poorly the team were collectively throughout September, picking a player who stands out for the right reasons is somewhat difficult, but there are a couple who come to mind nonetheless.
While the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay have staked their claim, there can only really be one winner and that's Daniel James.
When the Welshman arrived from Championship outfit Swansea City, it was unclear whether he would be able to establish himself as a member of the first-team squad, but he's certainly done that, and with flying colours.
During a period in which Manchester United have looked so tame going forward, James has been the one constant spark; the only player who looks like making something happen in possession.
While he couldn't continue the goalscoring form he produced in August, his raw pace and willingness to take on any defender standing in his way has helped him remain by far the most threatening player in United's attack.
Worst Player
Unlike the 'Best Player' section, there's plenty of contenders to take this title, and given the lack of goals United fans have been able to enjoy in September, it no surprise it goes to an attacker.
Before the arrival of James, Marcus Rashford was so often the player United would turn to for that spark, but it has quite simply been non-existent in recent times.
While he was only actually substituted just after the hour mark during the 2-0 loss to West ham United, he may as well have not been on the pitch for the entirety of the match, looking lethargic and quite frankly as if he didn't want to be there.
September would have been a goalless month for Rashford all together were it not for a penalty he scored in the narrow victory over Leicester. Claims that he is overrated grow ever louder and become all the more difficult to ignore.
Best Performance
Considering Solskjaer's side only managed one league victory in the month of September, the win over Leicester has to go down as the best performance.
As much as it wasn't necessarily a classy showing, it went some way in enhancing the reputation of 22-year-old McTominay.
In the absence of Paul Pogba through injury, the young central midfielder seems to have grown as a player, looking like a more complete box-to-box central midfielder with every passing appearance.
Unlike Pogba at times, McTominay was more than willing to complete his defensive duties against Leicester and, more like Pogba, looked to carry the ball forward rather than just playing from deep.
And yes, he did fire home a rocket against Arsenal.
Worst Performance
The fact that the extremely slight penalty victory over League 1 side Rochdale wasn't the worst performance shows you just how appalling Manchester United have been in September.
The worst performance by far came during the trip to the London Stadium to face West ham United.
As already mentioned, Rashford had a particularly woeful afternoon, but the rest of the side shouldn't get off lightly either.
Even having watched every minute of the match, it's difficult to remember United having a decent chance - a snapshot from record breaking defender Harry Maguire being the only somewhat memorable opportunity that comes to mind.
Best Goal
With the Red Devils having only scored two goals in the Premier League during September, it's safe to say that options for the best finish are very limited.
Emerging talent Mason Greenwood, however, found the net in both the Carabao Cup and Europa League, perhaps warranting an opportunity in the Premier League over the lacklustre Rashford.
His finish against Astana was a particularly tidy one, turning the opposition defender inside out before sliding an accurate but powerful effort through the legs of the stranded goalkeeper from a tight angle.
Rating
In truth, the first-half against Leicester was the only somewhat impressive 45 minutes Manchester United managed to produce in the month of September.
The victories over Astana and Rochdale were far more difficult than they needed to be, while the dismal performance against West ham warranted nothing more than the 2-0 defeat they suffered. Meanwhile, a point against Arsenal is not a disaster but the football on display was not for the faint of heart.
And although injuries have played their part, with the likes of Martial and Pogba spending the majority of the month sidelined, a club of Manchester United's size should have more than enough depth to cope with this, especially with the £148m they spent this summer in mind.
Solskjaer's side must improve, and fast, if the Norwegian hopes to be in charge come next month's review.
Rating: 2/10