Manchester United: Ranking the 3 best centre-back pairings

Manchester United haven't been as busy in the transfer market this time around as they are usually. They have made more of a conservative approach this time around, going by their usual standards. But having offloaded Daley Blind to Ajax, Manchester United have grown thinner at the back.

In fact, using the word 'thin' to describe United's backline would be criminal. Manchester United have players like Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah who can all play at the heart of the defence.

All these players have a particularly distinguished skill-set of their own and bring something of their own to the table. However, there's always only room for 2 centre-backs when Jose decides to start with 4 at the back. In that scenario, United will need to field their best centre-back duo to get the best results.

On that note, let's take a look at 3 of the best centre-back pairings Jose Mourinho could opt for:

---

#3 Phil Jones and Chris Smalling

These lads make it to the list merely because of how much they've played together. Both are solid defenders but they are pretty poor at bringing the ball out and helping attackers out with forward passes.

Phil Jones is as prone to injury as any you could think of and though he is willing to bleed for his patch, he is susceptible to the odd error- his latest being his horrendous showing that cost United the FA Cup trophy against Chelsea.

Chris Smalling, on the other hand, has a careless streak in him but he looks more matured now and keeps it hidden for the greater part. However, Chris Smalling's passing is quite poor and his forward passes are average at best. His recklessness has often cost United and even though he's the most experienced defender on the squad, he is not the most reliable.

#2 Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof

Manchester United v Chelsea - Premier League

Now, this won't be a very popular opinion given how the fans are yet to take to the big Swede at the back. However, Victor Lindelof's quality is there for all to see and given time and a steady run of games and time on the pitch, he could go on to be United's main man at the back.

Eric Bailly can be a rock at the back. He is United's best defender by a mile. Bailly has excellent ball control for a defender and can bully any attacker off the ball with his strength. His tackling is a joy to watch.

Why this pairing is ranked second is because of how well they complement each other. Eric Bailly is the strong bully who will see off the danger and Lindelof will be the one spraying passes forward into midfield and at times, even the final third.

Lindelof is undoubtedly United's best passer among defenders and he and Bailly could be one mean team that can give any attack a right scare.

#1 Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo

Lindelof and Bailly are quite a force to reckon with at the back

For all the criticism he bags, Marcos Rojo is actually a solid defender who gives his all for the team. The Argentine is an absolute warrior and absolutely never shies away from a challenge- something that often lands him in trouble.

And with Eric Bailly alongside him, United could prove to be one of the most difficult teams to break down. With the 2 of them at the back, it's almost as if United goes out for war and not exactly a football match.

In Jose Mourinho's first season, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo were afforded the chance to play together for quite a while as the others were recuperating from injuries and United were as solid at the back as they have ever been in the recent past.

Since they've already proved that they can do it together, Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly should be United's go to centre-back pairing for the season. Let's see if Jose agrees now.