Most improved player this season?

Devil may care

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Lingard will probably be most peoples shout on this question and fairly so, but I think Lukaku has actually showed the best progression in the second half of the season, I've never been a fan but his all round game has tightened up, his movement and workrate across the full frontline has improved and he's showing signs of having some leadership qualities with his attitude.

Any other thoughts/picks?
 

Minimalist

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I think Lukaku has improved but with him, its more that people underrated him significantly (or in my opinion, didn't have a clue what sort of striker we bought).

I think Lingard is the most obvious one. He's made big impacts throughout the season and also cut out a lot of his 'shite' performances to make himself a much more dependable performer.
 

DWelbz19

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Lingard, definitely.

Lukaku is just natural progression of a 24 year old where his footballing ability followed the trajectory his career did. He started as a good goalscorer at a lower level who was on the cusp of ascending to a higher level. Lingard genuinely went from not being good enough in the mind of almost all, to where he is right now.
 

VancouverUtdFan

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Jesse, Matic, Young



Taken a step backwards/underperformed:

Rashford, Pogba, Herrera
 

simplyared

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Obvious choice would be Lingard. However Ashley Young's transition to the LB position and the way he's adapted to it, is definately worth a mention. He was incredible yesterday against Liverpool.
 

BenjaminP

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McTominay, Lingard, Lukaku in this order.

Few other mentions: Young, Shaw
 

kundalini

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Lingard - a far better player than in previous seasons, especially in terms of goals

Lindelof - shocking pre-season tour, terrible error against Huddersfield, looks much better now but still uncomfortable against the likes of Benteke. No idea what he was like for Benfica apart from YouTube clips.

McTominay - out of his depth as a make-shift centre forward for the U23s last season, now looks comfortable playing as a holding midfielder against top 6 opponents.

Martial - improved compared to a disappointing previous season but perhaps not a huge improvement on his level during his first season at the club

Lukaku - some parts of his game are better than I expected but other aspects are worse. I didn't watch enough of Everton to give an accurate assessment of whether he has improved overall.

Smalling - perhaps not at his very best this season but much improved on last season

Of those, Lingard top for me by a distance, McTominay 2nd.
 

el3mel

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Lingard no doubt. His goals tally this season is equal to what he produced the whole last 3 seasons combined.
 

BAMSOLA

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Lingard, although his was actually doing things mostly right last season he was failing completely on the statistical front because of poor finishing and poor final ball causing a failure to register the assists and goals his good work deserved.

He's improved this season in terms of compose in key situation which has meant that statistically he is a better player but the intelligent movement off the ball and workrate as well as tactical understanding was already there last season, the difference this season is composure in key situations.
 

Amadaeus

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I always knew lingard was a good player that had more to offer. So, I m not surprised by his performance this season. This season, it has to be McTominay. I never taught he look good enough in past season at youth level.
 

Eire Red United

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Lingard without a doubt, followed by McTominay and Lukaku going by recent performances. Martial was excellent in that run of games before we signed Sanchez. Ashley Young also definitely deserves a mention, he’s had some excellent performances at lb this season.
 

Revaulx

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Minimalist said:
I think Lukaku has improved but with him, its more that people underrated him significantly (or in my opinion, didn't have a clue what sort of striker we bought).
Click to expand...
Guilty as charged.

In mitigation, I’m not convinced Jose had a clue either. Using him as a solitary target man and hoofing the ball in his general direction has been a tactic used all too often.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Easily Lingard, he became Messe Lingod this season.
A lot more consistent performance with finishing more better rate. Still some games performing poorly, but that's fine. Biggest improvement.

Next one would be... in no particular order:
  • Shaw, 2nd choice now from barely in our squad last season, improved attitude, mentality and fitness.
  • Lukaku, struggle pre-season, good starts, then not convincing enough but improving. This year, becoming more and more imposing. Upward curve. Difference maker.
  • Pogba, improving his assist tally, despite a lot fewer appearances.
  • Rashford, carry on improving, better goal/assist stat with much lower appearances.
  • Lindelof, improving consistently. Not yet there. Upward curve.
  • Martial, more consistent performances, contribute more goals/assists. Improving.
  • Young, Salah who?
  • Valencia, added goals, cannon shots, left foot crosses and recently chip/high infield passes to his game.
  • Smalling, recapture some shade of his Beast mode.
  • Jones, played more consistent run of consecutive games if I'm not wrong, good form at those, except at the end.
  • McTominay, he's imposing himself more and more. We can see his presence more and more. Performing better too than early season.
Matic is always class :devil: from the start of this season, nothing individual improvement by him.

Edit: Thinking again, Ashley Young as a converted winger to LB, easily 2nd most improved player.
 
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Zlatattack

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VancouverUtdFan said:
Jesse, Matic, Young



Taken a step backwards/underperformed:

Rashford, Pogba, Herrera
Click to expand...
Rashford was firing on all cylinders at the start of the season, tailed off a little but has been out with injury recently. He's 20, I think inconsistency is to be expected.
 

sully1

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kundalini said:
McTominay - out of his depth as a make-shift centre forward for the U23s last season, now looks comfortable playing as a holding midfielder against top 6 opponents.
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wait what, McTominay was a playing as a CF in the u23s? what the hell

terrible decision
 

JohnnyKills

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Lingard or McTominay. But if Lukaku keeps progressing at his current rate he'd run them close.
 

gza the genius

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Lingard quite easily, then Young, then Mctominay. Martial has been much better than last season as well but probably about on par with his debut season.
 

midnightmare

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From Jesse Lingard to Messe Lingod - no competition. Hands down.
I do get where you're coming from on Lukaku. I was incredibly frustrated with him by January, but he's really kicked on. It's not about not understanding what he had, but seeing what he's built on. He's really upped his hold-up play and the number of bad first touches is down substantially too. He's always been an incredibly hard-working player and it shows that this trait is there in training too. Long may his improvements continue!

Young comes next. Got to admit I was amazed we retained him in the summer and I wondered why, but he's just put in some tremendous shifts - along with some iffy performances that you'd expect from a player making a (very, very) late-in-the-career transition to LB. Been great.

Matic, McTominay - wouldn't say "improved" as one was expected to be class and the other was an academy product we had little actual view of before. Would also say that Martial has improved a lot from last season.
 

christian bennett

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I'd say quite a few have improved this year - McTominay, Lingard, Shaw, Martial, Young while Lukaku's all round game has got much better as the seasons went on. But Lingard is the one whose improved the most.
 
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MadDogg

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Lingard for sure.

Zlatattack said:
Rashford was firing on all cylinders at the start of the season, tailed off a little but has been out with injury recently. He's 20, I think inconsistency is to be expected.
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Maybe for the first few games, but it didn't last long. Pretty sure we were only a month or so into the season when most people on here wanted Martial to move ahead of him in the pecking order as he was simply performing quite a bit better (both because Martial was doing well and Rashford was struggling to make an impact when starting).
 

JeVousEnPrie

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McTominay has come in from nowhere and seems almost undroppable. Being in a defensive-midfield role too thankfully his statistics become less of a concern for the media, so there is no pressure on him. Not that I don't think he's someone to buck to the pressure based on performances against Chelsea and Liverpool.
 
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