Manchester United: Jesse Lingard is the perfect number 10 for Jose Mourinho

Why no one else fits the bill for Mourinho?

It’s difficult for Manchester United fans, especially some on Twitter, to except one of the clubs most talented players is not a multi-million-pound galactico. However, for me, seeing a Manchester United academy graduate prosper and reach his potential is most pleasing. But why have our signings, Mkhitaryan and Mata not been able to have a consistent run in Jose Mourinho’s side?

Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be your perfect counter-attacking player, although previously similarly to Lingard his end product lets him down. Countless times when Mkhitaryan plays he gives the ball away cheaply, chooses the wrong option or dribbles into a black hole. Even so when he was registering so many assists and goals at the start of the season, he could have had double the amount had he been more clinical. Lingard and Mkhitaryan seem to be travelling in different directions, as Mkhitaryan lost his form and clinical edge he displayed at times last season, Lingard has picked up significantly.

Juan Mata, on the other hand, is quite the contrast to Mkhitaryan, unfortunately for him, too dissimilar. Mata is probably the most clinical and consistent Manchester United number 10. However, he doesn’t possess any great pace to play on the counter-attack, which is a tactic Jose Mourinho loves to have up his sleeve.

Most managers would see this as a great opportunity. Mata picking the teams off who sit deep against United, and Mkhitaryan playing when the counter-attack is needed. However, Mourinho is greedy. If you recall back to his Chelsea days, Hazard played every game. Hazard is an exceptional talent and a step above anything we have at Old Trafford, however, it was the fact that he could play on the counter-attack and pick teams off against a parked bus too that Mourinho picked him every match.