Hard as it may be to stomach, Jose Mourinho has managed to register worse results than David Moyes and Louis van Gaal in his first 13 Premier League games as manager of Manchester United.
On his first and only season at United, the Scot had 22 points while LvG registered the same number of points after 13 games on his maiden season: Jose underwhelming has United at sixth with 20 points.
With marquee signings like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, Manchester United should be walking the league.
Mourinho’s greatest failure however has been the inability to bring the best out of the players he found at the club, while at the same time inculcating new signings into his style of play and the intensity of the English game.
As such, here are four players Jose Mourinho should get the best out of [in order] to rescue Manchester United’s season.
Anthony Martial
Be it [because of] baby mama drama or new training demands, Anthony Martial has become a shadow of his former self under Jose Mourinho.
Although he has found the back of the net on two occasions this season, Martial isn’t doing any of the things that made him United’s standout performer last season.
Forget all the nonsensical talk about the ‘second season syndrome’, Martial is a forward with bags of potential who should be scoring 20+ goals per season.
For a quiet guy like him however, it’s hard being the main man especially with the likes of Pogba and Ibrahimovic in the dressing room.
All Jose needs to do is protect him from the media and provide him with that all important reassurance to unleash the stone cold finisher.
Marcus Rashford
Perhaps the biggest revelation of last season, Marcus Rashford has proven that the Manchester United Youth Academy is still one of the best in the country.
His goal scoring accolades against Arsenal and Manchester City last season may have put him on the map, but his recent misfiring against West Ham is a telltale sign of a man low on confidence.
He occasionally gave the ball away and was reprehensible for missing a one-on-one chance with Darren Randolph that could have changed the course of the game.
Jose should without question instill the youngster with confidence to bring out the best in him, eventually saving United’s season as the goals will come.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
This is one case that is as confusing as it was unprecedented.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan- Europe’s best assist provider last season- has been maligned for most quarters for reasons unbeknownst to all but Mourinho.
His display against Feyenoord and West Ham should suffice a place in the starting xi and by its very nature, the Manchester United manager should build his team around the Armenian international: all the more so because the team’s’ biggest problem is scoring goals.
Luke Shaw
He may have to some degree been at fault in the loss against Watford earlier in the season and Mourinho questioned his commitment during the trip to Liberty Stadium, but the gaffer should employ the services of the England international at regular intervals for a tight knit defensive line with prospective attacking options.
Written by Brian Humphrey
Follow Brian on Twitter @brihum
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