"He was our worst player", "Rewarding failure is so crazy" - Manchester United fans fume as Cristiano Ronaldo is 'robbed' of MUFC Players' Player of the Year award

It has been a season to forget for the Red Devils as they ended the campaign without a trophy or a top-four finish. United also recorded their worst points tally (58 points) in Premier League history and did so in woeful fashion.

There have been minor positives this season, with just three players particularly standing out in De Gea, Ronaldo and Fred. All three were shortlisted for the 'Players' Player of the Year' award and it's De Gea who has claimed the honor.

The news has not been well received by Manchester United fans, who believe Ronaldo should have won the award. The 37-year-old has been at the peak of his powers and has turned back the years, scoring a remarkable 24 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions.

Here are just a few reactions from Red Devils fans who are dismayed at the fact that De Gea has beaten Ronaldo to the award:

What does the future hold for Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United?

Manchester United will head into a new era next season with Erik ten Hag at the helm. The Dutch coach leaves Eredivisie champions Ajax after becoming one of Europe's most-admired managers.

When asked if Ronaldo would be in Ten Hag's plans next season, the Dutch manager told reporters (via Manchester Evening News):

However, there is a feeling among the Old Trafford faithful that De Gea's future isn't all that certain. The Spaniard's playing style does not fit the profile of the goalkeeper Ten Hag usually caters to. The Dutchman prefers ball-playing keepers that sweep from their area.

While De Gea is one of the Premier League's top shot-stoppers, he falls short in that category. This is perhaps why many have taken issue with the Spaniard being named the 'Players' Player of the Year'.

There has also been no clarification on Ten Hag's feelings on De Gea yet. The Spaniard has been a mainstay in the United side since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for £22.5 million, making 487 appearances for the Old Trafford side.

About the author

Matthew is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who has been covering news, rumors and match reports for close to 3 years. Learning creative writing from University of Essex, he combined his skills and passion for football take up writing for the sport professionally.

Matthew always strives to go beyond a story and offer unique and lesser-known insights, while maintaining an unbiased tone in his articles. His reporting exploits at the company have helped him gain a humungous readership of 25 million, with one of his articles raking in a whopping 724,000 reads.

A Manchester United fan since childhood, Matthew admired Sir Alex Ferguson for his loyalty and brave coaching style. His favorite footballer is Thierry Henry, believing the Frenchman to be uniquely talented and charismatic. An ardent Three Lions fan, England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in 2018 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment of all time, and he believes that Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe will have a Ballon d’Or duopoly after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He also follows his local EFL League Two clubs AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United, and spends his free time watching and writing about professional wrestling. He also likes to work out, watch movies and go for night outs.

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