​Manchester United may not end the season as Premier League champions but over the course of the past 12 matches, they’ve shown just how dangerous they can become under Jose Mourinho.
The Red Devils haven’t experienced defeat since November 3, and Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough was their sixth win in a row.
It looked like the wheels were about to fall off when United trailed Boro in the 84th minute but late goals from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba showed a spirit not seen at Old Trafford since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
We may look back on United’s activity in the summer transfer window as the main reason behind their form. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has scored 17 goals this season, is a contender for signing of the season, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is flourishing after a difficult start to his United career.
Meanwhile, Eric Bailly looked mightily impressive in the first weeks of the season before an injury set him back. He’s back to full fitness and completed 90 minutes in the Premier League for the first time since October on Saturday.
Then, of course, there’s Pogba. The scrutiny on the world’s most expensive player was so intense at the start of the campaign that every single misplaced pass or fluffed shot was picked up on, but he’s now settled and is beginning to show why Man United paid £89 million for him.
Mourinho recently labelled the Frenchman, who has two goals and two assists in his last four games, the best midfielder in the world. And he continued to heap praise on Pogba after his 86th minute against Middlesbrough.
The United boss believes a change in attitude is required for Pogba to ever win the Ballon d’Or, but that he can become a “phenomenal player†like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“What has to change is the people’s minds, because a goalkeeper never won the Ballon d’Or, very rarely a defender won it. Maldini never won it. Even for midfield players it is not easy, because everybody goes for the goalscorer,†said Mourinho, per Goal.
“Michael Owen was the golden ball winner because of his goals. Cristiano and Lionel Messi score goals. They are phenomenal players, but they score a lot of goals. I think until you change the concept and the vision it is very difficult.
“But if Paul keeps improving in this way, if Manchester United keep improving and doing well in European football then I think he can be a phenomenal player.â€
Pogba is flourishing on the left of a midfield three, a position which affords him more space to create and score goals.
Mourinho added: “He plays with freedom. He gets into dangerous positions. He has a good shot so he can score goals from outside (the box) and is good in the air. So he can score goals like against Middlesbrough or even from set pieces.
“On Saturday he almost killed someone that was behind the goal, but he is a good free kick taker so he can also score goals like that. He’s a good penalty taker, but no problem because we don’t get penalties
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