COMMENT: Ahhh, so that's why Jose Mourinho was so adamant about Wayne Rooney being no midfielder in his team...
Henrikh Mkhitaryan announced himself to Manchester United fans on Saturday as Mourinho's prime No10. Yes, it was only 45 minutes. Yes, the opposition were Wigan Athletic. But as far as introductions go, this one couldn't have been run better.
Rooney, last season, impressed in midfield. But the promise Mkhitaryan offered at the DW, even in such a short cameo, explains why Mourinho sees his captain in his more habitual role as striker.
Mourinho gave Mkhitaryan the No10 shirt - and basically a free license to go where he pleased. For United's players, it was supposed to be a game to shake off the cobwebs. Ease themselves back into the water. But no-one must have sent Miki the script.
The lad was everywhere. Inside right. Inside left. Wide right. Wide left. Bouncing passes off James Wilson leading the line. Collecting the ball from Daley Blind at the back. He ran the game. Mkhitaryan played like a United veteran - not someone who'd only met his teammates a week ago. The cynics will argue there was little in the opposition to test him. Memphis Depay and Club Brugge come to mind.
But it wasn't about last season's Bundesliga Players' Player of the Year taking advantage of Wigan's errors. It was the quality of delivery in his passing - short and long. The energy and movement off the ball. His willingness to break beyond the Wigan defence - like Bryan Robson in his pomp. And all done at breakneck speed. It wouldn't have mattered if it was the Latics or Leicester, the class was there. You could see it.
Those Robbo-esqe runs? United fans haven't seen such actions for two years. On Saturday, the message was clear. The pass, pass, pass possession game of his predecessor was gone. Mourinho doesn't want his team playing in front of the opposition. He wants United to go through them. Around them. And in Mkhitaryan, with his pace and mobility, he has such a player to make that work.
From Pyunik to Shakhtar Donetsk to BVB, the Armenian knows how to cope with the rough-and-tumble of the Premier League. But he's not one to win a tackle or put his foot in. Mourinho will need to build a foundation for Mkhitaryan to produce his best. He'll have to find his new Claude Makelele or Nemanja Matic to give the boy the room to make things happen.
At his introductory media conference, Mourinho spoke about "four specialist" signings: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Bailly, Mkhitaryan and one more - possibly Paul Pogba. But it's difficult to see the Special One starting the season with no changes at centre-half. Bailly strolled through the contest on Saturday, but before and after the game, Mourinho made it quite clear the Ivorian was one for the future. The idea he will turn to - with full confidence - Daley Blind as a centre-half, just doesn't wash. There has to be movement in that position in the coming weeks.
Ricardo Carvalho, Marco Materazzi, Pepe, John Terry... you can't split 'em. All hardened, experienced centre-half leaders. All men of Mourinho. There's nothing like that lot currently on the books at United. We're all anticipating Pogba's arrival from Juventus. But for centre-half, United fans, watch this space. It's just about unfathomable Mourinho will allow the transfer window to close with the defensive options as they are.
Juve named their tour squad on Saturday for the International Champions Cup in Melbourne, Australia. And there was no Pogba. Of course, he's been excused from the trip after his Euros excursion. But with the Frenchman due back in Turin in the next 24 hours after a break in the US, it does make it all the more convenient should he be required for a medical at Carrington on... let's say... Tuesday.
For the here and now, United fans can feel rightly pleased with the addition of the Armenian. It was just the one game. Well, okay, just the one half. But in those 45 minutes you can see why United were willing to go to a record £30m for a player inside the final year of his contract.
Hans-Joachim Watzke had a good old chuckle at that one. But perhaps was trying too hard to convince us all. On Saturday's evidence, United have picked up something special.
INJURY TIME
Okay, okay, this is real conspiracy stuff here. But seeing Jose Mourinho speak about Eric Bailly after Manchester United's triumph at Wigan, what stood out was the manager name-checking Raphael Varane, the Real Madrid defender, during the conversation.
Do what? We hear you say. Yes, he did - but it hasn't appeared in any of the transcripts of the interview in today's major media.
"Of course, very young boy. Of course, coming from a very different environment," said Mourinho. "But you could see what he is in his moment. I will give him everything to try to see him get better and better and better.
"Just like I did previously with other various central defenders I had in my hands, like for example Varane. And I will try to make him the best I can."
So why the omission? Could it be United don't want comparisons being made? Could there be something brewing with Real over the Frenchman? Or was it simply an oversight?
What is certain, by Mourinho's comments regarding Bailly in two interviews on the day with MUTV, is that he doesn't see Bailly as a readymade starter.
