Following their third defeat in as many games, Jose Mourinho must find a way to arrest United’s sudden decline – and the answer lies in their midfield.
It was all going so well for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United, wasn’t it?
Three wins out of three, the perfect start, and neck-and-neck with rivals Manchester City and Chelsea. What a difference a week can make. Suddenly it is three losses from three and the tone has shifted dramatically.
The Red Devils face Leicester City next, and that has now become a very important game for United. Lose, and panic mode will be firmly engaged – from a media perspective at least.
However, a change in fortunes is entirely possible – just look at the last three games – and Mourinho possesses all the tools to turn the club around.
The problem though lies in the heart of midfield. For reasons known to only him, Mourinho has fielded Marouane Fellaini in every Premier League match so far this season. Granted, he won the first three, but how much of that was really down to the Belgian’s presence? Are the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick, heck, even Bastian Schweinsteiger not more deserving of a place?
Fellaini is a functional player at best. He and his giant hair win headers all day long. But he is not a dynamic player, nor is he a particularly gifted technical footballer, and his passing is – once again – functional at best. At worst, he is a liability, a player whose lack of pace and passing range can be exploited to the detriment of the side as a whole.
He certainly has his place as a squad member, but as a starter? No. Schneiderlin is a more efficient tackler and a better passer. Herrera, while positionally ill-disciplined at times, is a talented, dynamic footballer. Carrick is still the club’s most reliable passer, although Schweinsteiger seems to be very much frozen out.
And then there’s Paul Pogba. When you spend £89m on a footballer you are making a statement, whether you like it or not. This is not just another piece in the puzzle. This is the centrepiece, the crown jewel of the side that you build the rest of the team around.
But Jose hasn’t. Not yet. And while the Frenchman is still looking for his best form, it is imperative to surround him with players that will allow him to do what he does best – drive forward. Compatriot Schneiderlin would allow him to do that, providing defensive stability without sacrificing control.
So far, this is something United’s midfield has lacked. Control. A pass-master to keep things ticking. Carrick fits the bill perfectly, but perhaps Mourinho feels he is past his best. Wayne Rooney has that range of passing, but so far the Portuguese manager has persisted with him in the number 10 role.
It is another curious decision. Rooney has shown flashes of his former self in that position, but has largely underwhelmed. And there’s another thing. He seems to be trying to fill two roles at once. He starts as a 10, but drops deeper and deeper in search of the ball. When he gets it, he’s certainly capable of playing a pass, but the space behind the striker is vacated.
In truth, Mourinho has better options in the hole anyway. Pogba could be moved forward – although he flattered to deceive in that position against Feyenoord – or one of Juan Mata or Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be used instead. Mata is a proven specialist there, able to create chances to great effect, while Mkhitaryan notched 11 goals and 15 assists in the league from that position with Dortmund last season.
Six games into the campaign, it seems clear that Fellaini alongside Pogba and Rooney ahead of them is not working. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is doing his job up front, as is Eric Bailly at the back. The problem lies in midfield. Pogba must be given time, and the personnel around him must shift in order to get the best of of him and arrest the sudden decline they are experiencing.
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