As the Premier League resumes this weekend after the International break there will be a lot to ponder for various clubs and their managers, none more so than Jose Mourinho. The Manchester United manager has faced much scrutiny as of late, and the first international break of the season will have allowed the Portuguese coach to ponder on his plans to turn around United’s fortunes before they play high-flying Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Two wins and two defeats after four games leaves United languishing in 10th place. Before the Premier League resumes, what would Mourinho have considered in order for United to climb the table? Here are the five things Mourinho must address to take United out of their slump:

Permanent Centre-Back Pairing

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One major problem Jose Mourinho has to ponder on is the issue of his centre backs. Throughout the summer United were linked with a whole host of centre backs, mainly Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, ex Barcelona defender Yerry Mina – who joined Everton on deadline day and Bayer Munich’s Jerome Boateng. The one position Mourinho was desperate to strengthen above everything else, could not be completed for one reason or another. United were actively interested in Alderweireld for some time, but a deal could not be reached with Tottenham – a missed opportunity if anything else. Now Mourinho must settle for the defenders at his disposal, Lindelof and Bailly and may have been the dream partnership for the Old Trafford, but their abysmal performance at Brighton in the 3-2 defeat at the Amex seems to have them lose the trust of Mourinho. So who can the Portuguese really depend on until January at least in order for United to correct their recent slump? Despite the number of options at his disposal, it seems as though Mourinho has a huge task on his hands.

Ponder on his best XI

On many occasions during his tenure as Manchester United manager has Jose Mourinho flirted with chopping and changing his approach to certain games, forgetting the idea and importance of having a settled first XI. Certainly deploying specific players to counteract the threat of the opposition is a worthy tactic. However, Mourinho must pick his best eleven, trust and stick to it like Guardiola did to great effect last season. Jamie Redknapp highlighted after the Brighton defeat that Mourinho still does not know his best eleven after over 2 years at the club and that is a major issue. The fact that he constantly chips and changes highlights the lack of trust he has in his side, but with the quality at his arsenal, picking a stable side should not be a problem. If Mourinho aspires for a major trophy this season, having a stable and settled side is the ingredient to success. Just ask Guardiola.

How to get Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez firing again

Arguably two of the most talented players in Jose Mourinho’s squad – Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez – are at a crossroads at this point in their partnership. Literally. On numerous occasions during last season have both players not had the ability and connection to fully work together. For players with so much quality you would have expected harmony between them within an instant, but the interplay between the two has at times been non-existent. Whether its to do with Mourinho’s tactics or both their inabilities to work together – United fans will be praying its the former. With so much uncertainty surrounding Paul Pogba’s future and happiness at the club, and the stop start period Sanchez has been through at United, Mourinho must find a way to get Pogba and Sanchez playing in the kind of connection and togetherness that United fans have been dreaming of since Sanchez’ arrival in January.

Style of Play

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We all know the many debates and topics that have been thrown around concerning Jose Mourinho and side, its those stories regarding Mourinho’s style of play. Those people at the centre of those debates aren’t wrong. If you look at the other top sides in the division, you just know how they are gonna play, their identity and what they are trying to do as a unit. On the other hand there’s Manchester United, and then you’re left wondering, what do we associate with their football? You look at Klopp’s Liverpool, and you know how they’re going to set up, likewise Manchester City and Pochettino’s Tottenham. Yes, three trophies during his time at the helm is impressive, but we can’t really say Mourinho has changed anything in terms of the clubs identity and style. If Mourinho aims to take United to the top again, he must reassure the fans of the identity and plans he has in store for them. The Theater of Dreams needs its aura back.

 

Relationship with the Fans

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Throughout his tenure, Mourinho’s relationship with the United faithful has been on and off like a light switch, his various criticisms of the support for the players and atmosphere inside Old Trafford will not have given fans much reason of optimism and to add to that, his criticism of certain individuals in the squad and his cautious approach to games. But in order to get fans on side and not lose them like he did in his last run as Chelsea manager, he must give the fans reasons to be cheerful whether in press conferences and most importantly on the pitch.

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