UNITED United pay for a lack of midfield adventure

JOSE Mourinho’s midfield choice in Sunday’s anticlimactic derby loss was the antithesis of Pep Guardiola’s.

While Guardiola opted to compliment the industrious Fernandinho at the base of a three with the silky Silvas, Bernardo and David, Mourinho selected Nemanja Matic and Marouane Fellaini along with Ander Herrera.

Hardly inspiring stuff for your biggest game of the season, is it?

Paul Pogba’s injury was obviously detrimental to United but City were also missing a key midfielder in Kevin De Bruyne and the Belgian’s absence was barely felt by the hosts.

Andreas Pereira and Fred were both options for Mourinho in the middle of the park but the Portuguese instead opted for a trio devoid of creativity and was made to pay for his lack of adventure.

David Moyes was castigated for saying United must aspire to reach City’s level in the days before his sacking in April 2014 but that is exactly where the Reds are at right now – and Mourinho could do with taking a look at how his old adversary sets out his midfield across town.

Bernardo is magnificent but City’s first choice midfield trio, with everybody fit, would be Fernandinho at the base with Silva and De Bruyne slightly further forward.

Mourinho has the players to replicate that system.

Ander Herrera has the tenacity, energy levels and nastiness to be United’s Fernandinho, constantly biting at his opponents’ heels, picking up the odd booking for a cynical foul and triggering attacks with his incisive passing range.

Matic is not blessed with Herrera’s athleticism and the Serb’s poor form of late should see him dropped after the international break. Further forward Pogba has all the capabilities to be United’s De Bruyne if he can just add that element of consistency to his game. The midfielder proved his vast quality with France over the summer, capping a successful World Cup with a goal in the final, and has been a standout in wins over Leicester, Young Boys and Newcastle this season.

United need more from Pogba in their biggest games, where he has tended to go missing this season, but the 25-year-old is the club’s most talented midfielder.

David Silva is the Premier League’s best midfielder but Juan Mata can be a Silva Lite for United but his sluggish foot speed means he simply wouldn’t be as effective as his Spanish counterpart.