Jose Mourinho has confirmed that he will make several changes to his Manchester United side that lost 1-0 to Feyenoord in the Europa League last night.
The new United boss made eight changes to his starting eleven against the Eredivisie leaders last night with the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmian Marcus Rojo and Chris Smalling all making their first starts of the new campaign.
However those changes backfired on the Portuguese as United suffered their second loss in the space of five days and whilst Mourinho may have rested several first team members for the trip to Rotterdam he confirmed that he will name a more ‘normal’ starting eleven against Watford on Sunday.
Speaking after the game Mourinho stated that Antonio Valencia, Luke Shaw, Maraoune Fellaini and Wayne Rooney will all return to the side at vicarage road and that they will go straight into his starting eleven.
Last night’s defeat to Feyenoord was the clubs second consecutive defeat on the trot. After winning each of their opening four games, Mourinho’s men have stumbled of late.
Prior to the Manchester derby Mourinho, had virtually named the same starting eleven and in doing so had won every game. However when Manchester City came to Old Trafford it was the first time this season Mourinho had made changes, in came Jesse Lingard for Anthony Martial and in came Henrikh Mkhiraryan for Juan Mata and ironically both players were later substituted at half time but the damage had already been done.
With Watford up next, it is essential that United get back to winning ways and get the players who featured so heavily in the opening part of the season back in the starting eleven. Throughout the victories over Leicester City, Bournemouth, Southampton and Hull City we saw signs of the old Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. Not necessarily playing well but grinding results out and getting the three points.
Mourinho was brought to Old Trafford for one purpose and one purpose only to win. It doesn’t matter how he does it as long as he brings the glory days back to Manchester United the board could care less and in that mentality sacrifices will have to be made.
We have already seen what Mourinho can do for United in the early parts of the season and should he go back to the same starting eleven which seen the club win four games in a row the results will undoubtedly start to turn around.
