Manchester United endured an up-and-down October with three wins and two defeats from their five fixtures of the month.
Brentford, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen were beaten without much conviction and with Galatasaray and Manchester City both winning at Old Trafford, October represents a period that needs major improvement as we move into November.
However, despite the sticky form there have been some decent individual showings and the Player of the Month award will be a tight one.
Andre Onana, Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are the three nominees with each player enjoying a bit of redemption over the last few weeks.
#mufc's October Player of the Month nominees:
Harry Maguire
Scott McTominay
Andrè OnanaWho deserves the award? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/M1SBAgm6kS
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) October 31, 2023
Onana started the month in shaky fashion, performing poorly in the home games against Galatasaray and Brentford respectively, symptomatic of his overall start to life at Old Trafford.
However, a last gasp penalty save in the must-win Champions League game against Copenhagen secured United’s 1-0 lead and ensured Erik ten Hag’s side are still alive in the competition.
The Cameroonian followed that up with a strong showing in the otherwise drab Manchester derby, stopping City from racking up numbers that would have looked more at home at the cricket ground, a mile up the road.
Harry Maguire’s recall back to the starting XI has allowed the former captain to regain some confidence, performing consistently well throughout the month.
Although the quality of opposition shouldn’t have been overly taxing for the England international, the spotlight was on Maguire to string together some mistake-free showings in a United shirt.
And to his credit, that’s exactly what he did, picking up the Man-of-the-Match award against Sheffield United, scoring the winner against Copenhagen and providing the assist for Scott McTominay’s dramatic late winner at home to Brentford.
McTominay’s winner in that game wasn’t before the Scot had already drawn United level in the dying embers of a game they barely deserved to win but managed to steal the three points thanks to the midfielder’s inspired intervention.
The 26-year-old followed his dramatic double with the opener in the win at struggling Sheffield United, earning him a starting place in the Derby where he almost drew United level with a vicious half volley before running out of steam, much like his teammates.
The recognition represent a remarkable turnaround for the three players, particularly Maguire and McTominay, who were seemingly heading for the exit door in the summer.
Onana’s wobbly start to life in Manchester should also be boosted by his performances at the end of the month, with the ‘keeper showing the form that earned him a place in the top 25 of the Ballon d’Or rankings.
The trio will hope to carry their good form into November, which will be crucial to United saving a season that is hanging by a thread – even at this early stage.