Lindelof tells Mourinho: I can play in any position
VICTOR Lindelof has sent Jose Mourinho a message over his preferred playing position.
The Swede joined United in the summer from Benfica in a deal worth £30.7m but has yet to stake his claim for a regular spot in Mourinho’s starting XI.
Following recent poor performances from Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, the 23-year-old will be hoping to be given a chance and, while he’s happy to play anywhere, he’s explained his favoured position.
“I can play right-back, I played there when I was younger,” he told HCL Technologies in a Twitter question and answer.
“But, the last couple of years I have played centre-back and I feel most comfortable as a centre-back but I can play in many positions and will play wherever the boss wants me to play but I prefer to play centreback.”
Lindelof has made just 10 Premier League appearances this season and started at rightback against Leicester and Everton.
When Mourinho signed him last summer the United boss admitted he could also end up playing a role further up the pitch.
“We have got a central defender that can play in many other positions, which is important,” he said.
“Victor can play right-back and can play centre midfield, we got a centre midfielder and we got an attacking player.” “LADS!” It may have been noisy on the terraces, but the shockwaves of Phil Jones’ primal scream could be felt around St James’ Park after Matt Ritchie was flagged offside with United’s defence at sea.
Nemanja Matic, the nearest player within earshot, glanced over sheepishly but there was no animated exchange. The point had been made as Jones roared and pointed fingers, and United reorganised. Or so it seemed.
Minutes later, after Chris Smalling’s infamous tumble, United’s rearguard was breached after Ritchie again slipped through and swept home a winner for the Toon.
Matic was one of two players, alongside Paul Pogba, who had been caught ball-watching as Florian Lejeune headed the ball across goal for Ritchie to finish following Dwight Gayle’s flick-on.
It was an unforgivable goal to concede – let alone for a side managed by Jose Mourinho. Where was the communication? The cohesiveness? The bravery?
For the second consecutive game on the road, United’s defence could not hold firm and Jones and Smalling were again made scapegoats by fans and pundits alike. Even Phil Neville, hardly one to hammer his former side, branded them a ‘disaster.’
That partnership, which has been tasked with keeping David de Gea quiet in the last five months, is beginning to show cracks despite a remarkable run of form earlier in the season.
United have only conceded 27 goals this season, keeping 21 clean sheets in the process, and have the meanest defence in the Premier League. Smalling and Jones have been at the heart of that.
But Eric Bailly will not face a fight to regain his place when he returns from his four-month ankle lay-off at the end of the month. The Ivorian has had lengthy absences before – a knee ligament injury in October 2016 for example – but he has been sorely missed in the last 11 days in particular. Publicly, Mourinho does not like talking about injuries and he will have effectively ignored Bailly while he was on the treatment table as he planned for life without his best centre-back and the heart of the dressing room. All the while, the physio will be giving him regular updates on his progress Bailly is well used to that treatment by now, having had an unfortunate run of injuries since joining United, and he has only played in 48 of a possible 103 games since August, 2016. United’s defence looks a different proposition when Bailly does feature and that calmness he exudes at the back spreads to others. Just think back to those heady autumn days where Jones was enjoying a remarkable renaissance alongside, Ciaran Kelly