Manchester United finished eighth in the Premier League this past season for their worst finish of the current era, but they still managed to end the 2023/24 season on a high note by upsetting crosstown rivals and league champions Manchester City in the FA Cup Final.
A healthy Lisandro Martinez buoyed Manchester United with an elite defensive performance, while Bruno Fernandes turned in another colossal display on both ends of the pitch.
Martinez and Fernandes reminded fans around the world that Manchester United still have stars worth praising even in another difficult period for the club.
So here are five players on Manchester United whom the club can build a great team around under the INEOS banner, regardless of who replaces Erik ten Hag.
CB Lisandro Martinez
The most successful signing of the Erik ten Hag era, Manchester United fans should choose to focus their attention on praising the “bulldog” center back, rather than busying themselves with the exploits of Antony on the right wing.
Martinez is one of the best defenders in the Premier League and recently received high praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who called the Argentinian star one of the top five center backs in world football.
Maybe that is too lavish praise, but Martinez is in the discussion and is one of the top center backs in the world – not just the Premier League.
Manchester United have serious issues in defense, but Martinez is clearly not one of them. He is the main building block for this team’s back line.
AM Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes had an outrageous season, all told, considering Manchester United only had one real goal threat in their attacking trident, the young and raw Rasmus Hojlund.
Even so, Fernandes still had 8 assists to go with his 10 goals, though with a jaw-dropping 3.3 key passes per game, the Portuguese international easily could have had more with a better front line.
Fernandes never shies away from his defensive duties in midfield and has become a much more complete player now at the age of 29.
Although Fernandes is reaching 30, he is still a building block for Manchester United because of his consistency, leadership, and tenacity. He is no longer the player chasing refs incessantly while his team struggles.
DM Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo was the find of the 2023/24 season from a Manchester United perspective, as the England international made a name for himself and earned a spot for his country on the back of a stellar breakout season.
The 19-year-old can be one of the best progressive center midfielders in England while providing real defensive quality and energy to Manchester United.
Furthermore, Mainoo, as he showed in the FA Cup, can come up with important, game-changing plays. He scored three goals in the Premier League season and looks like the kind of midfielder who could one day score 10.
GK Andre Onana
Maligned for his mistakes at the beginning of the season, Andre Onana eventually earned praise in a hero’s role and showed the kind of game-breaking ability that made him a key starter for Inter Milan on their road to a Champions League Final.
Although Onana is not an elite goalkeeper, he is safely one of the better shot-stoppers in the Premier League with his eye for the spectacular and his gutsiness on the ball.
Thanks to Onana, the goalkeeper position should no longer be a concern for Manchester United in 2024.
AM Alejandro Garnacho
Although he has to often start on the right wing because of Antony’s issues and Bruno Fernandes’s brilliance, Alejandro Garncho is truly a playmaker at heart.
The 19-year-old is one of the biggest talents in England, providing a microcosm of that prodigious ability with his unspeakably brilliant bicycle kick.
Garnacho finished the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a healthy seven goals and four assists, averaging 1.3 key passes and 2.8 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match.
Look for Garnacho to take a big leap forward in the next couple of years as one of the Premier League’s very best.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.