De Gea drops big hint on where his future lies
five most inventive teams in the same period? United’s direct title and top-four rivals, of course.
Is it any wonder then that the displays against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were poor on the whole, even if the results were mixed?
Mkhitaryan has to take a portion of the blame for these recent struggles and if the Armenian’s time on the pitch is anything to go by, Mourinho has realised as much.
The Armenian has been substituted in all 10 of his league starts this season and he is gradually being taken off earlier and earlier.
Whereas at the beginning of the campaign he was only withdrawn after the 80-minute mark, Mkhitaryan is now trusted for little more than an hour.
The nadir of his season so far came at Stamford Bridge a Sunday ago when he was replaced after 62 minutes. He could have no complaints.
While Cesc Fabregas, operating alongside Eden Hazard and behind Alvaro Morata, laid on six chances for Chelsea that afternoon, Mkhitaryan could not manage one.
Marouane Fellaini, his replacement, fashioned two despite being on the MANCHESTER UNITED star David de Gea has admitted that those in his home country often forget about players that ply their trade abroad. Many supporters in Spain would like to see the shot-stopper return to La Liga via a big money move to Real Madrid. But the Red Devils star insists that the culture in the Premier League values its players more. “I think that the players who leave Spain are not paid as much attention as those who stay in Spain,” he told reporters. “And people tend to forget about us a little. The English culture cares for and loves its players a lot.” De Gea’s contract runs until 2019 at Old Trafford but Real Madrid are still intent on prising him away from United. The goalkeeper is in the squad for two Spain friendlies alongside Kepa Arrizabalaga, another Madridlinked star who De Gea rates highly. “[Kepa] is still very young,” he added. pitch for the half the time.
It seems the right moment to pull Mkhitaryan out of the firing line and hope the rest will help him rediscover some form.
A dose of tough love certainly appeared to help last season, when his full integration into life at Old Trafford was postponed until November.
Yet if he is to drop out of the side, who should replace him? Juan Mata, the natural choice, is quietly getting away with an even less productive season.
The Spaniard has scored just once and is yet to assist. Jesse Lingard could fill in but his audition during the defeat to Huddersfield Town was hardly convincing.
None of the other options are a natural fit: injuries mean Ander Herrera is better deeper and needed there, Fellaini is more of a ‘Plan B’, Paul Pogba remains out and is more effective in a midfield pair.
Therein lies the rub. In Mkhitaryan, Mourinho has a second out-of-sorts player who still has to start week in and week out despite his slump in form.
There are too few alternatives in United’s squad and ultimately, none of them can compete with the invention of a player who is capable of racking up 32 assists in a single season.
That was the Henrikh Mkhitaryan who arrived in Manchester for £26.3m during the summer of 2016. United desperately need to see that player again. – The Independent
est enthusiasm to help the side.”