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Rewind to 2008-09; and Manchester United were the team to watch, the team to beat. The same season saw Liverpool also produce some of their best ever performances in the recent past, but they were unable to match United's consistency and their scintillating numbers in attack.
With Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov wreaking havoc up front, the team were not only able to obtain results, but also ensure that their fans were not bored for a single second.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about today's Manchester United, under the pragmatic and self-proclaimed "special one", Jose Mourinho. At the moment, Manchester United sit 2nd in the Premier League table on 23 points, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
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The fanbase, however, is visibly discontent, not only with some of the results against the top 6, but also the manner in which these results were obtained.
For instance, Manchester United opted to sit back and attack on the counter against a Liverpool defence that has been shaky at best, the same defence that was taken apart by the Spurs and "noisy neighbours" Manchester City.
It's safe to say that Jose Mourinho's second-season magic hasn't really come together this season. What annoys fans of the club the most, however, is the lack of effort in attack that the team seems to put in when they are up against the best in the league.
Against the rest of the big 6, Manchester United have picked up only 4 points out of a possible 9, in contrast to title favourites Manchester City, who have already beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.
In the absence of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, United have failed to light up Old Trafford this season, and suddenly find themselves 8 points off the top of the table, after being tied at the top with City just under a month ago.
Jose Mourinho has received a fair bit of flak for his uber-defensive style in the Premier League, but the team still manages to string together a few positive results now and then to keep themselves firmly in the top 4 and in contention for the title.
Here is a look at the 5 players responsible for most of Manchester United's successful outings this season:
#5 Anthony Martial
Once considered the next big thing for United when he signed for the club in 2015, the former Monaco forward has been reduced to a bit-part player under Mourinho this season. With Mourinho opting to field a defensive lineup, Martial has found himself out of the starting eleven more often than not this season.
Martial may not be playing at his best, and his overall play, as against Huddersfield, leaves a lot to be desired. But it would be unfair to place the blame entirely on Martial, considering that he has started only 3 Premier League matches this season.
Seemingly unaffected by the repeated snubs, Martial has turned himself into something of a super-sub. All his 4 goals so far have come off the bench, including his all-important winning goal against title-rivals Spurs. The goal against Tottenham came in the 83rd minute, and underlined the importance of Martial's late goals to the current United set-up.
All his goals in the league campaign, so far, have come either in the last ten minutes of the game or in stoppage time, adding a substantial amount of shine to the team's scorelines, and at times, misleading fans who missed the game into believing that Manchester United had it easy.
The Red Devils will be a much more potent threat going forward if Martial is able to find adequate game time and is allowed to make the most of what seems to be a purple patch in his United career.
#4 Romelu Lukaku
Manchester United have registered four 4-0 victories in the Premier League, and Romelu Lukaku has scored in all of them. The Belgian had a very strong start to the season, scoring in 4 of the first 5 games. Despite a recent slump in form, he is still Manchester United's leading goalscorer in the Premier League, with 7 goals.
You would expect a rather prolific striker to be much higher up this list. Lukaku, however, has failed to replicate his strong performances against the bigger clubs in the league.
He was a lonely figure up front against Tottenham, and could not manage a single touch in the penalty area against Chelsea. Fans have branded him a flat track bully, and he needs to prove himself against the top 6 in order to be taken seriously.
Lukaku should not be entirely blamed for his lacklustre performances, as the service to him has been shockingly poor. He is a striker who thrives when the ball is in the penalty area, and Mourinho has done him no favours by setting up a stagnant team in recent games.
With Mkhitaryan witnessing a poor run of form, Lukaku, too, has not been able to replicate his early season form.
However, the 24-year old cannot be counted out of any game, given his propensity to finish off games at will. The Red Devils will certainly be counting on their striker to score many more goals for them this season, as they try and mount a challenge in the many competitions that they are a part of.
#3 Eric Bailly
With much emphasis being put on Manchester United's lack of attacking intensity, Eric Bailly has been something of an unsung hero at the back this season. The centre-back has started 8 games, and one of the few games he missed was the 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield.
Bailly's presence at the back was sorely missed, as some horrendous defending led to United's first league defeat of the season. Such is the importance of the Ivorian to a Manchester United team that sometimes depends entirely on its defence.
Eric Bailly was one of the few dependable players against Chelsea, and made some key interceptions. Holding your own against Eden Hazard is no mean feat, but Bailly, as against Tottenham, was able to provide a sense of solidity. While Bailly hasn't been at his best this season, his quality at the back has earned United quite a few clean sheets.
Mourinho has had no qualms with fielding defensive lineups, and with United 8 points off the top, he has deservedly received criticism. But the team can take heart from the fact that they have been defensively solid.
Bailly is only 23-years-old, and is sure to improve over the course of the season. Fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester City next month will shape United's season, and Mourinho will need his prodigious defender at his best if United are to have any hope of stopping the juggernaut that Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have become.
#2 Marcus Rashford
Manchester United were flying high in the first month of the season, and Marcus Rashford was a key part of their initial success. With 3 goals and 3 assists so far in the campaign, the England international has displayed a maturity that belies his age and promises excellent returns for United in the future.
With consistency in the league and solid performances in Europe, Rashford has earned himself a regular place in the starting lineup. Barring the game against Chelsea, Rashford has been one of the best performers for United this season, creating several chances for Lukaku and his other teammates.
In spite of Mourinho's tactics, the 20-year old has been a consistent threat up front for his team, linking up with Romelu Lukaku and taking on defenders whenever the opportunity arises. Rashford averages 2.3 shots per game in the Premier League, not too shabby considering United's dreary performances.
In lieu of recent performances, Jose Mourinho's insistence on playing only one of either Rashford or Martial up front is rather baffling.
“We played Martial and Rashford together one week ago so they can play together. What you can’t do is play with 12"
said Mourinho, after the 2-0 victory against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League. With Ibrahimovic injured, it is imperative for Mourinho to find a system that accommodates his best attacking talents, if Manchester United are to mount a serious title challenge this season.
#1 David de Gea
Numero uno on this list is a no-brainer. Spain's number one has long been touted a potentially legendary shot-stopper, and he is beginning to show signs of meeting those expectations this season.
David de Gea has single-handedly been responsible for most of Manchester United's clean sheets. He is easily the best goalkeeper in the league, and arguably the best in the world.
Shot stopping, inhuman reflexes, distribution - De Gea seems to have perfected every skill in the book, and hasn't put a foot wrong so far. His split-second reaction save against Liverpool from Salah's shot has been one of the moments of the season.
De Gea has been improving every game, and has saved his team from defeat on several occasions this season. With Real Madrid lurking in the summer transfer window, the Red Devils would do well to keep a hold of their star man in lieu of his recent performances.
Mourinho's cautious approach has placed added responsibility on De Gea's shoulders, and the 26-year-old Spaniard has embraced it with open arms. With the much talked about fixture against Manchester City fast approaching, Manchester United need their star keeper to bring his best self to stop the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne and Leroy Sane.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.
Stats updated up to 07/11/2017
