This is the first time in 19 weeks that Manchester United have moved from sixth to fifth in the Premier League table. The Red Devils defeated Middlesbrough 3-1 to continue their climb in the Premier League under the guidance of Jose Mourinho. There was a growing concern among the United supporters on whether Mourinho would be able to inherit the club philosophy but he has already impressed a lot for someone in his first season in a new club.
The Portuguese has somehow changed his playing style from parking the bus to attack with severe intent. The arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has fuelled Mourinho’s intentions and as a result, the Red Devils are currently unbeaten in the Premier League since their 4-0 thrashing at the hand of Chelsea.
Also, a number of players have emerged in this season who are performing extremely well. With the likes of Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Ander Herrera having been a revelation this season, there has been a significant uptick in the results for the Red Devils. United are still fighting for a top four spot although Jose Mourinho has said that he would like to take the Europa League way to participate in the Champions League next season rather than finishing in the top four.
Three Players Who Need To Step Up If Manchester United Wants To Finish In The Top Four
Antonio Valencia
The right back has been in sensational form this season. Mourinho has been playing with a different formation (3-4-3) in the last few matches with Valencia filling in as the right wing back. He has been a driving force on the right side of defence throughout this season.
Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Wigan Athletic in 2009 as an out and out right winger who would use his pace and strength to give the opposition a nightmare. But according to the current condition, he has changed his game and has transformed into a right back totally. A winger’s work is to deliver crosses inside the box but Valencia used to be a poor crosser of the ball. But he has worked on that aspect and has improved his crossing ability a lot.
Marcus Rashford
The teenage sensation has been one of the brightest products of the United academy and was one of the shining prospects under Louis Van Gaal last season. But he has somehow been struggling to replicate his form. Rashford had a number of chances in the last match against Middlesbrough but couldn’t convert even a single one of them. He will have one more chance to prove that he should hold down a place in the starting lineup in the match vs West Brom as Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be returning against Everton after serving his three-match suspension.
Paul Pogba
The world’s costliest player hasn’t been able to create the same magic that he to create at Juventus. The £89m midfielder has failed to justify his price tag since his arrival barring a few good performances.
He was severely outpaced by N’Golo Kante in the FA Cup quarterfinal and was virtually invisible throughout that game. He has to step up in this situation if United really wants to finish in the top four.
