- Manchester United finished third in the Premier League
- Michael Carrick won 39 points out of 51
- End of season awards with a twist
Manchester United ended another season by beating Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. The Red Devils completing the double over Brighton to vanquish their status as a bogey team was one of many positives from the 2025/26 campaign.
Bruno Fernandes is sweeping up individual honours left, right and centre amid his historic assistance. From a record-breaking fifth Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award to the Premier League Player of the Year award. The PFA Player of the Year award is also likely on its way.
So I thought we should reflect on an improved season via a set of unorthodox awards – not all positive – that will shed light on other United players. Without further ado, the 25/26 TurkTalks End of Season Awards…
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Moment of the Season
Michael Carrick’s comeback
United’s season was literally a tale of two halves. There was a slight improvement under Ruben Amorim until his public self-sabotage in the New Year, but disappointing results were still too regular.
Amorim’s decision to aim fire at Jason Wilcox for taking issue over his refusal to budge from his unsuitable 3-4-3 system changed everything. It gave us new life via the return of Michael Carrick.
The legendary midfielder received a clear mission: to guide United back into the Champions League, as unlikely as that felt when he arrived. No one could have predicted the impact he would go on to make.
United are top of the Premier League table since Carrick took charge, picking up 39 points from a possible 51. The Red Devils have won 12 of 17 matches, losing just twice, and finished third, 14 points inside the top five.
Carrick has the love of the fans, the respect of the players and the trust of the board, and there is rightfully huge optimism heading into next season under his stewardship.
Low Point of the Season
Ghastly scenes in Grimsby
If ever there was a season when United fans desperately needed an exciting cup run, it was this one. With no European football on the agenda, a 40-match campaign simply could not happen.
So the horrors that unfolded on that rainy August night in Cleethorpes sting even more. United entering the Carabao Cup at the second-round stage was embarrassing enough. But to lose against League Two club Grimsby Town was another level.
To make matters worse for Amorim, almost all of his best players took to the Blundell Park pitch, and the visitors were fortunate to take it to penalties. Grimsby tore United apart in the first half and deservedly progressed after a comically long shoot-out.
Andre Onana, unsurprisingly, has not worn the United shirt since. But those scenes, just months after Europa League final heartbreak in Bilbao, hammered home the sense that it was never going to work with Amorim.
Signing of the Season
Senne Lammens
United’s sensational 2025 recruitment fuelled this season’s progression. Senne Lammens, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko represent four hits and no misses. Even Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven, who arrived months before last January, have enjoyed impressive campaigns.
The Old Trafford giants’ main problem last season was a lack of goals. Aided by Fernandes’ record-breaking 21 Premier League assists, Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko have all hit double digits this term.
But Lammens tops the lot. Onana’s disaster at Grimsby was the final straw, and Altay Bayindir was not much better when handed the opportunity to stake a claim at the start of the season.
United’s decision to snub the seasoned goalkeeper in Emi Martinez for a younger, more risky option has proven to be a masterstroke. Lammens has blown me away, and the positive impact of possessing a goalkeeper who has the confidence of the players ahead of him is crystal clear.
At just 23 years old, the Belgian’s calmness and composure on the ball, command of his area when dealing with high balls and ability to consistently pull off one-on-one saves have been essential in United’s improvement.
Unsung Hero of the Season
Luke Shaw
Many United fans have given up faith in Luke Shaw over the years due to injury problems that never looked likely to disappear. But he has shown up this season, big time.
Shaw is one of just five Premier League players to have started all 38 matches for their respective clubs. The 30-year-old’s performances across those games have seldom fallen below-par.
United’s quieter schedule has undoubtedly played to his advantage, which could prove problematic with the return of Champions League football next season. But, selfishly, Shaw’s omission from England’s World Cup squad this summer is good news for Carrick.
The left-back is entering the final year of his Red Devils contract, similarly to Harry Maguire this term. Hopefully, like Maguire, he can produce form that warrants an extension.
Disappointment of the Season
Amad
It really did feel like it could be Amad’s time to explode after he registered 11 goals and eight assists in a shamefully bad United side last season. He was always going to be playing in an improved team with far superior attackers, yet, we have witnessed a sharp regression.
Amad ended the campaign positively by assisting Bryan Mbeumo in Sunday’s win at Brighton. However, that was just his third assist during 25/26, on top of a measly return of two goals.
The 23-year-old Ivorian still has the support of the fanbase, and he showed his quality at the Africa Cup of Nations midway through the season. His spot is safe, too, given the number of more pressing problem positions that United must address this summer.
But, on the other side of the break, Amad has to prove last season was not a one-and-done. The Red Devils’ INEOS-led regime has already proven it does not accept mediocrity in back-to-back campaigns.
Surprise of the Season
Patrick Dorgu
An obvious shout here would be the Grimsby nightmare, but I refuse to give that write-off more airtime than I already have. So let’s stay positive and aim our focus towards Dorgu.
The 21-year-old was Amorim’s first signing last January, recruited for his ability to play as a wing-back. Even though Dorgu had experience operating as a winger at Lecce, he was expected to revert to left-back when Amorim departed.
But Carrick appears to view the Danish starlet as a left-winger, and that is where the surprise element comes in. He looks seriously good in the role. In his last four Premier League starts, Dorgu has scored three goals and provided two assists as a winger.
A cruel hamstring injury after he scored United’s goal of the season in January’s win at Arsenal derailed his season, ruling him out for 12 weeks. Yet, on his first start since his Emirates masterclass, he was an absolute handful that Brighton could not contain.
Dorgu is undoubtedly one of the few United players I am most excited to watch next season. He has the physical and athletic attributes to become a serious player in the Premier League.
Match of the Season
Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City
You could say the 3-2 win at Arsenal, given United went to the champions, put three goals past their commonly impenetrable defence and won. You could say the first win against Liverpool at Anfield in 10 years. But, man, what a day this was.
United’s best derby wins against Manchester City come on the days when not a single soul on this planet expects it. The Etihad Stadium comeback to delay the 2018 title celebrations, the 2024 FA Cup final, etc.
Carrick’s first game could not have gone any better. Well, it could have, because the hosts should have won this derby by at least six goals, if not for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics and disallowed goals.
I cannot remember the last time I saw United rip a City side apart as easily as that. Carrick strolled back to the club, having only had a few days on the training ground and schooled Pep Guardiola in his final Manchester derby.
This result laid the foundations for United’s sensational second half of the season. It was my favourite match of the campaign, and the most important.
