Manchester United: 5 Outfield Premier League Players of the Season

5. Juan Mata

Despite some times being overlooked in the Manchester United squad, the Spaniard featured 34 times. Surprisingly, Mata actually was better statistically when he played on the right wing than when he played centrally. Per WhoScored, the midfielder had five goals and four assists in his 19 starts on the right, compared to just one goal and two assists from the no. 10 role.

Mata is an ideal player to fit in Val Gaal’s scheme; he has an immaculate touch on the ball and precise passing – his pass success rate was second on the team at 89%.

The main criticism of the 28-year-old has always been his defensive work rate, dating back to his days at Chelsea. In his second season in Manchester, that weakness continued but had a much smaller impact given the team’s dominance in possession.

It will be interesting to see if Mata stays with United in the coming season if Jose Mourinho is appointed as the successor to Van Gaal. His infamous exit from the Blues during the Portuguese manager’s reign points to another departure, but the Reds don’t have a great alternative at present.

Next: 4. Daley Blind