In Mkhitaryan, Manchester United “have their first modern playmaker”

In Mkhitaryan, Manchester United “have their first modern playmaker”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Manchester United playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan showed why he should be starting for Jose Mourinho in the Premier League win vs Hull, football writer Samuel Luckhurst said in an article on the Manchester Evening News.

After a cameo against Southampton Henrikh Mkhitaryan was treated to a supporting role at Hull. Last week, he was like Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction, understatedly gripping the audience in the little time he had. At the KC Stadium, Mkhitaryan was as destructive as Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight, cutting through the game and causing mayhem, Luckhurst says.

“The only surprise about Mkhitaryan's introduction was it was so belated. Jose Mourinho said prior to the game he had retained the same front four to preserve the 'stability', despite Anthony Martial's subdued showings, Juan Mata's ponderous play and Wayne Rooney's immobility off Zlatan Ibrahimovic,” the article says.

Analyzing Mourinho’s latest decisions, the author adds: “In Mkhitaryan, United have their first modern playmaker. He was not flawless at Hull - Mkhitaryan's errant touch allowed the battle-hardened Curtis Davies to make a crucial block, but his enterprise reiterated why he should be starting.”

Mkhitaryan managed more shots than Rooney and Mata, made just as many attacking third passes as the Spaniard (and just four shy of Rooney) and misplaced the ball just twice, an impressive feat in difficult conditions when faced by a black and amber wall for 30 minutes.

With Mkhitaryan on, Ibrahimovic was not dropping deep and Paul Pogba had a creative foil. The 4-2-3-1 formation was problematic under Louis van Gaal yet the quality Mourinho has brought to United negates it, especially if Mkhitaryan is starting.

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