Bailly makes top six a magnificent seven
WHEN Danny Blind offers some insight into the workings of United’s dressing room, you take note. His son, after all, is part of it. So when the former Holland coach revealed Jose Mourinho’s six ‘untouchables’ a few days ago, the suspicion was that it was more than mere speculation.
Rather an assessment formed after conversations with son Daley, from the United defender’s own experiences working under Mourinho.
Which is why the omission of one name was so surprising.
Revealing the untouchables Blind said: “They are David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, who is currently injured, Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
“For Mourinho, that is the frame of his side.” Spot the glaring omission? Eric Bailly, perhaps? Given Mourinho’s reputation for stoic, pragmatic football, it’s remarkable the lynchpin of his defence was overlooked. It’s also very questionable. Bailly, his first signing as United manager, has become integral to his plans. The Ivorian has established himself as arguably the Premier League’s finest centre-back – a physical authority with the ability to play from the back.
Until rested against Crystal Palace last Saturday, the 23-year-old had been an ever-present in United’s undefeated start to the Premier League campaign. A start that saw them keep five clean sheets in six league games with him in the side.
Mourinho – a man who knows better than most what is required to win the Premier League title – identified United’s need for a dominant centre-back even before succeeding Louis van Gaal last year.
Just as John Terry had been pivotal to three titles over his two spells at Chelsea, he determined Bailly would be vital to a United squad that had to fill the chasm left by the departures of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand from Sir Alex Ferguson’s final champions.
And it is easy to see why the then Villarreal defender would have appealed to Mourinho, having modelled his game on two players who were so successful under the Portuguese.
“As a child I was following Marseille looking up to my compatriot playing there, Didier Drogba,” he said of his inspirations. “I would try to play as a striker even though I wasn’t and once I started growing up and seeing that professional football was a step closer I would look at Sergio Ramos. I always looked up to Ramos as an example footballer and watched him a lot.”
Bailly has some way to go to reach such heights – but he is the player Mourinho has chosen to build his defence around.
Victor Lindelof is seen as the long-term partner, but it is Phil Jones who has dovetailed so well with him this season – providing a stubborn streak that Mourinho’s most successful teams have featured.
Danny Blind’s observations were accurate in one way.
Mourinho has produced a framework of players that United’s title challenge will be built around.
Central to that is the spine all trophy-winning sides must have. And Bailly is central to that. So rather than six untouchables, it’s more a case of Mourinho’s Magnificent Seven.