Jose Mourinho made many mistakes as Manchester United manager, that’s not up for debate.
Publicly slating players, causing a disgruntled dressing room, negative approach to matches.
But buried beneath the press conference comedic acts, the touchline tantrums and solemn expressions, some positive aspects remain from the Portuguese’s reign.
His Europa League triumph is still the last silverware success United have tasted since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped into the precipice.
He achieved the club’s highest Premier League points total post-Alex Ferguson, collecting 81 in 2017/18.
Mourinho also oversaw the signings of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
Perhaps not up there with the greatest purchases ever made at Old Trafford, but a duo that has proved pretty handy over the years.
The pair become United’s main two midfielders under Mourinho, a combination of French flair and Serbian steel.
At the start of the Special One’s tenure in Manchester, Pogba and Matic went 15 games unbeaten as a couple.
Matic was an individual well known to the former Tottenham Hotspur coach, thanks to their days together across the capital at Chelsea.
Pogba reclaimed Red Devils status after four years at Juventus, so the team had a familiar feel about it.
Pogba and Matic make it work
Unfortunately, the atmosphere became volcanic, with eruptions popping up all over the place.
Solskjaer came into douse a few fires left behind by his predecessor.
Luckily, one flame he initially kept alight was the spark between Pogba and Matic.
The two started the opening nine league matches of the Norwegian’s new era and won all nine of them.
But as the days rolled by and the side reshuffled, the once happy marriage grew distant.
Through no fault of their own; Solskjaer just simply didn’t use them as a unit.
Pogba and Match have started just twice together this season, in the 4-1 trouncing of Newcastle United and the 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Revisit Mourinho’s master plan
So much rotation has caused United to lose rhythm and potentially their reach on the top-flight title.
They could regain such balance if Solskjaer switches back to the tried and tested method used by Mourinho.
In the last 21 games across all competitions as a starting enterprise, Pogba and Matic have been losers on just three occasions.
A record that not many modern United midfielders can boast.
Deploying the Frenchman in a deeper role can then free up an attacking space for the likes of Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard or Edison Cavani to fill.
Although Matic might have lost an extra yard of pace, he offers more security as a protector than Fred.
Based on the previous evidence, Solskjaer should at least give the duo another go.
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