Jose needs to get back to the winning formula
THAT lamentable and prolonged period of drudgery appears to have ended and supporters can look forward to being stimulated instead of stultified when Saturday comes. But enough about Manchester United’s October performances.
United’s form since Liverpool away has been about as inspiring as an international fortnight. The first forgettable fixture convinced Alberto Moreno he might be Roberto Carlos, Chris Smalling morphed into an auxiliary striker at Huddersfield and Jesse Lingard was out-paced by referee Anthony Taylor at Chelsea.
United were regularly ramshackle and ended their four game run with two defeats, two goals and a solitary win besmirched by their manager’s moaning.
The siege mentality act Jose Mourinho created in the wake of the Anfield outcry has worn thin and it was refreshing to hear and see him sound so upbeat in defeat inside the cramped Stamford Bridge press room on Bonfire Night. It did not go unnoticed that the players he name checked in his debrief had either returned or were close to returning and United’s squad size could provide a pivotal advantage over City in the new year.
Having confronted three of the ‘big six’ in the last four league matches, there is no need for Mourinho to measure a bespoke formation in United’s November fixtures. His team have played their best football in a settled set-up this season and entertain Newcastle and Brighton this month before a midweek trip to Watford. Mourinho was cautious in fielding a third midfielder at Stoke two months ago and repeating that mistake at two of the newly-promoted clubs or Watford would be an error.
It is probably time United returned to their winning formula. Mourinho’s United have a checkered history with 4-2-3-1, which seemed unworkable last season and not conducive to Paul Pogba’s strengths as he went rogue without the security of two midfielders holding the fort in the September derby defeat. Now, with the addition of an expert holder in Nemanja Matic, it elicits United’s finest football and has allows Pogba to be influential.
Pogba is not the only one who has benefited from the set-up. Romelu Lukaku never looked isolated when flanked by forwards and supported by a playmaker and while Pogba occupied opponents Henrikh Mkhitaryan ghosted into areas to provide ammunition. Sources close to some of United’s forwards believe their form has plummeted due to Mourinho’s dependence on pragmatism.
Mourinho distrusts his forwards to take the game to opponents like Kevin de Bruyne does for City and he felt at the start of last season the squad lacked creativity.
United were in freescoring form before the air of negativity permeated through the team with that Anfield approach. United were on 18 goals, City had scored 22 goals and United 21 from their first seven fixtures. City have plundered 16 in their last four while United have managed a woeful two.
The fans need a stimulant.