Defensive duo key to victory over Chelsea says Jose...

JOSE Mourinho believes United defenders Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo merited ‘special mention’ for their performances in the win over Chelsea.

The pair started their fifth successive game together in central defence and impressively shackled Diego Costa as the Reds produced possibly their finest performance of the campaign.

Mourinho has had to rely on Bailly and Rojo after Chris Smalling and Phil Jones succumbed to injury yet again last month, and he marvelled at the centre halves’ durability.

“I think everyone did what they had to do,” Mourinho said.

“Everybody fought really hard. Bailly and Rojo, I think they deserve a special mention because they have played in absolutely every game, non-stop, since the injuries of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

“But I am really happy with the team and the results, because the Manchester City and Liverpool results on Saturday left us in the position of needing to win.

“Not even a draw would be a good result for us, so I am really happy for the boys and for us because we keep two windows open to try to play Champions League football next season.”

Bailly and Rojo were joined by Matteo Darmian in a back three and Mourinho was eager to single out the disciplined Italian for praise during his press conference.

“I don’t know to say, but different teams, different players, maybe it’s difficult for some managers to find Ander Herrera to do the job that he did,” Mourinho added. “Maybe it’s difficult for some managers to find a Matteo Darmian to play the role he played.” AS Jose Mourinho pounded the United crest on his club coat, the message was clear.

The players, the manager and the masses were as one - revelling in a win over the champions-elect.

And that, remarkably, was without the star power of Luke Shaw, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Indeed, with memories of clinging on at Middlesbrough with six defenders still fresh in their minds, some United fans would have been far from happy with Mourinho’s bold line-up.

Matteo Darmian at centre-back? Mkhitaryan on the bench? Ashley Young as captain? But every single decision paid off. And while his ability to smell a goal is not what it once was, there are few managers who can school a superior opponent when it comes to setting his team up.

The fear may have been that the Reds would retreat like they did in the FA Cup fixture a month previously, when they had just 28 per cent of possession.

But, as was the case against champions Leicester in September, the Reds attacked in waves and, feeding off the energy of the crowd, worked tirelessly off the ball.

It should hardly come as a surprise, then, that United’s starting line-up had an average age of 26 and that is a sign of what is to come.

After bringing in a high-profile veteran as his dressing room lieutenant in his first season, Mourinho then looks to sign younger players to add those crucial missing ingredients a year later.

The profile of player Mourinho is looking at fits that age group, whether it is the 22-year-old Tiemoue Bakayoko or the 26-yearold Antoine Griezmann

That has been one of the biggest aspects that has changed since Mourinho left Inter in 2010 and rocked up at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese is now encountering more millennials players who are born from the late 1980s onwards.

Although he has not curbed the public criticism of his own players, Mourinho has had to indulge the sideshow that goes with a signing like Paul Pogba.

Emojis, haircuts and Hollywood trailers were not something Mourinho encountered with Deco, Frank Lampard or Wesley Sneijder.

Mourinho, who thrived in an era where mobile phones were not a distraction in the dressing room, has had to make a subtle change.

Just as he has become more open-minded tactically, experimenting with three at the back and 4-4-2 at times this season, Mourinho has become more modern off the field, too.

And, as bizarre as it sounds, having two children who are incredibly active on social media has worked to his advantage.

Mourinho’s occasional presence on Instagram, which has been lapped up by Reds’ fans, reflects that shift as much as his thirst to stay relevant.

All the while, Mourinho has retained his trademark macho persona - demanding his side play through the pain barrier and publicly lambasting his own players.

It has certainly paid dividends with Marcus Rashford and could yet prove the jolt Shaw needs step. It all comes down to dedication, commitment and selfless sacrifice. And, having played through illness the last time United faced Chelsea, Rashford has continually shown he has the fight to be a Mourinho player. That, as much as his tapping into his undoubted potential, will have been the key thing Mourinho demanded from the 19-year-old this season. And it is a familiar theme. As much as Mourinho talked up Eden Hazard as a potential Ballon d’Or winner, there were two caveats: tracking back and playing through the pain barrier. The Belgian was not the type of player who was willing to leave blood on the field for his manager - it is only a game after all. But, with his methods now taking hold, you feel United’s millennials are now ready to run through walls for their manager at Old Trafford. Ciaran Kelly to make that final