How do you solve the problem of your €105 million midfielder looking out of sorts and not settling into the team? For Mourinho, the answer might be to shove him back into defence.
After his defenders were the target of plenty of criticism in the wake of his side's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea this past weekend, Mourinho has been busy thinking of ways to solve the mini-crisis he finds himself in.
With another big game to come in the League Cup on Wednesday against local rivals Manchester City, he may be tempted to experiment with a few positional changes, including shifting his record signing Paul Pogba around into a different part of the pitch.
The former Juventus midfielder hasn't been all that consistent since he arrived at the club in the summer, and with the pressure that a huge pricetag brings, fans have been quick to point that out.
Many believe his best position may be further up the field, or something that allows him to be a bit more creative, but it seems that Jose is not thinking along those lines at all.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Portuguese said: "He's a top player and I think he could be a phenomenal central defender, with the quality of his pass, his aerial game, his agility in such a big body.
"For the defensive side of the game, coming from the back with the ball, he could be a phenomenal central defender. He can play in so many positions."
That versatility may be a contributing factor to his struggle to find form and impact big games at the moment, but with Eric Bailly likely to miss several months with a knee injury, there may be some creative solutions propsed for the problems in the backline in the coming weeks.
Via Goal.com
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