MANCHESTER UNITED
James Ducker
How have they done?
A wretched performance in a 3-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion was followed by a second-half defensive capitulation against Tottenham at Old Trafford, but Jose Mourinho eased the mounting pressure with Sunday’s solid 2-0 victory away to Burnley. Mourinho has suggested United do not have a solid enough defensive base to play expansively, and six points from the opening 12 has already reduced the margin for error with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City setting a strong early pace.
What has the mood been like?
Dark. Mourinho’s claim on the eve of the campaign that United were in for a “difficult” season reflected the troubles brewing beneath the surface. Mourinho’s relationship with Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, and his squad are being tested and the manager has reacted to criticism by repeatedly defending his own record. But the mood lightened against Burnley, with Mourinho smiling and cracking jokes, talking up his players, embracing and publicly saluting supporters and even offering a public show of support to Woodward after fans described him as “a specialist in failure”.
Have the signings looked good?
Mourinho has made no secret of his frustration at United’s failure to sign more players in the summer, particularly a centre-half. Brazil midfielder Fred (left), a £52 million signing from Shakhtar Donetsk, has yet to make much of an impression and was dropped for the game at Burnley, United’s best performance to date. Diogo Dalot made his return from injury for the Under-23s against Stoke on Friday.
Who has impressed and who needs to raise their game?
Luke Shaw’s return to form and favour under Mourinho has been arguably the biggest plus so far this term but, elsewhere in defence, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have struggled badly. Lindelof and Smalling benefited considerably from the protection Marouane Fellaini’s presence at the base of midfield offered against Burnley and Mourinho needs to find a way of being able to compensate consistently for the shortcomings at centre-half. Anthony Martial must win back Mourinho’s trust.
What issue does the manager need to fix as a priority?
On the pitch, Mourinho needs to find a solution to the centre-back problems that he masked so well against Burnley in order to give his side an ample platform from which to attack. Off the field, Mourinho must look at the positive impact his upbeat demeanour had against Burnley and recognise this united front is the way forward. United need this charismatic Mourinho, not the brooding figure who looks hacked off with the world and makes in-house battles public.