It might have taken Jose Mourinho longer than fans had anticipated, but Manchester United’s improved brand of football is now producing the points that it deserves.
Draws against the likes of Stoke, Everton and Arsenal have proven costly — United are still a lowly sixth in the Premier League table — but, since losing at Fenerbahce on Nov. 3, United have won eight of 11 games and averaged more than two goals per match, which is a significant improvement on the early weeks.
Most of the results in that run came against weaker opposition — a 1-0 win over Tottenham aside — and Saturday’s fixture against Middlesbrough should be no exception. After all the silly points United have dropped this season, they have to end 2016 with a win.
Boro have won just two games over the past two months and they came against Hull and Swansea, the worst two teams in the league. It’s true that Aitor Karanka’s side are having a better season than champions Leicester, but they remain in a relegation battle.
Looking at the players available, it should be a convincing victory for United. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 11 goals in his last 10 games, which would be an incredible return for any player, let alone a 35-year-old who has only played in England for a few months.
In the win against Sunderland on Boxing Day, Ibrahimovic didn’t have his best game, yet still managed to score one and assist two goals, showing what he can offer the team.
It was substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who stole the show and the Armenian has been a revelation since Mourinho brought him back from the wilderness. Mkhitaryan has scored and assisted five goals in his last five appearances and is beginning to boast the statistics from last season in the Bundesliga that attracted United to him in the first place.
Mourinho confirmed on Friday that he has no interest in rotating his squad, preferring instead to play the best team he has available, so you would imagine both Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan will start against opponents, who will feature some familiar faces to United fans.
Goalkeeper Victor Valdes won’t have the fondest memories of his time at Old Trafford. Having joined in 2015 to back up David De Gea, a falling out with Louis van Gaal meant Valdes didn’t get the opportunity to fill in when it looked like the No .1 would sign for Real Madrid. United could do without another goalkeeper playing a blinder against them but Valdes has plenty of motivation to do exactly that.
Fabio Da Silva, by contrast, has better times to reflect on during the six years he spent at the club after signing as a 15-year-old alongside his twin brother Rafael. Fabio was a popular figure in his time at United and started the 2011 Champions League final. Despite seeming to have great potential, though, his career has failed to take off.
Luke Shaw, a current United option at left-back, has been ruled out of the game due to fitness reasons, but it appears the 21-year-old is yet to earn the trust of his manager in any case.
Wayne Rooney is another player unavailable through injury ,although his absence is likely to be welcomed by the fan base, given the competition for places up front. The inclusion of the club captain would mean a better player misses out.
Anthony Martial may be hoping to be given a start, particularly after Mourinho has confirmed the young forward will not be allowed to leave on loan, following media reports that clubs in Spain were interested. With Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford also available, Mourinho is blessed with options.
Momentum is important and United have done well to maintain that recently. With a few weeks of seemingly straightforward games ahead, they must take full advantage to keep alive their hopes of a top four finish.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate