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Jose Mourinho and Manchester United has endured a tough start in the Premier League in the 2018-19 season. The two wins against Leicester and Burnley should be good indications for any team in the Premier League but the loss to Brighton away and a humbling defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford meant the Mourinho's third season curse was still in question.
Here, we look at the 5 reasons why in spite of a slow start to the Premier league, we should still look forward to Jose Mourinho and believe that he can turn the tables around this time.
#1 David De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world
Any good team playing at the top-most level of football, requires a world class goalkeeper. And in that department Manchester United have one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper in their team. De Gea had around 3 saves per match and in 241 matches of Manchester United till date, he has kept 94 clean sheets.
These numbers are not only impressive in terms of the goals saved but also the fact that he has more than 1500 accurate long balls means that his overall contribution to the team is vital. Another impressive number that since he joined the Reds, he has only committed 6 errors leading directly to a goal. The Golden Glove award winner for the 2017-18 season will be a key player for Mourinho for things to fall in place.
#2 The defence is not as bad as it looks
The fact that De Gea kept 18 clean sheets out of 37 matches in the entirety of the previous season means that that the defensive players did play well. The likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly are not that consistent as we have seen with United's defenders in the days of Sir Alex. Sure, none of them are Rio Ferdinand or Vidic, but still all of these have enough quality to enable United to the promised land.
What all these players need is the confidence from Jose Mourinho. Instead of thinking about the missed opportunities of signing new defenders over the last summer, Mourinho should think about the players at hand, who do have quality. With a little bit of motivation and self belief, it is up to Mourinho to make the team better than the sum of their parts.
#3 A wide variety of midfield players
The current Manchester United squad boasts of a highly talented midfield lineup: Nemanja Matic is right up there as one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet in terms of tackles and interceptions. Paul Pogba, though known to be erratic at times, if focused completely on football have shown at the World Cup this year already that he can provide a pivotal role. Matic and Pogba have the ability to combine well and become the best central midfield duo in the world.
The other talents available to Mourinho in midfield are Ander Herrera, who is a stout defensive midfielder and his ability to man-mark opponents efficiently is well known. Also, the Belgian Marouane Fellaini provides a unique aerial ability and has already been deployed in matches as a super substitute. Winning balls and allowing the attackers to transition with the second ball has been Fellaini's expertise. McTominay as well is an exciting prospect and can be a successor to Carrick in the long run.
The two Brazilians at Mourinho's disposal are Fred who arrived this summer from Shakhtar and Andreas Perriera recalled from loan. Both of these players are highly valued and both were called to the Brazil squad for the recent friendlies. No squad is complete without Brazilian talent and both of these players have it in them to propel United to glory.
#4 Plethora of attacking options from the wing
The options which Mourinho has in terms of wing backs are the always reliable Ashley Young and captain Antonio Valencia. The backups to these players are Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo. Both Young and Valencia look absolutely lethal when coming forward with the ball and making crosses into the box. Both are experience enough to provide Jose Mourinho and Manchester United much needed stability in terms of attack and defence.
Apart from the wing backs, Mourinho does have the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata who play in wide areas. Both of these players are highly experienced and have played at the top for a number of years. Dropping deep to collect the ball and help the midfielders and taking the ball forwards dribbling a few - both Alexis and Mata can play multiple roles. Both these players are adept in finding spaces behind the defence as well and also finding support from the forwards in the penalty box when making crosses in dangerous areas.
#5 Skilled goalscorers and finishers
While, they may have lost Zlatan to the MLS in the previous season, the main star for United in terms of goal scoring and getting the better of defenders has been Romelu Lukaku. The prolific goalscorer who Mourinho had brought from Everton delivered a fine season with both club and country. He has got the aerial ability and physicality which suit him to be a natural centre forward.
Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are the other goal scoring options available to Mourinho. Lingard is a proven goalscorer and was a regular for the England starting XI in the World Cup as well. His main ability lies in striking the ball from in and around the penalty area, finding the spaces in between players and linking up play between Alexis, Mata and Lukaku.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are both talented young individuals and both have shown in the past that they can perform at the topmost level. Rashford especially has been key in delivering some important wins for Manchester United and will be looking to continue the same in the future. Martial, with the backing of Mourinho can also become the player that the world knows he can become.
