OPINION: Watershed moment for United?

Manchester United’s win over Tottenham Hotspur, and in particular, the identity of the goalscorer, were cited as examples of Jose Mourinho finally starting to get to grips with life at Old Trafford; it may, however, be more accurate to say that perhaps the United players are finally beginning to sing from the same hymn sheet as their manager.

That is not to say that every decision made by Mourinho has been correct. In his first few months in Manchester, it has been clear to see the former Real Madrid boss has taken his time to get used to his new surroundings and that has included the use of some players which has been questionable.

In many ways, then, there was very little different to differentiate yesterday’s victory from the recent run of home draws United supporters have had to sit through. Their team had the better of the game, the better of the opportunities and they also had a fair few nervous moments. Victor Wanyama in particular had the best chance of the game, and if he had been more composed, then it would be another Monday morning where Mourinho would be bemoaning his luck.

The ironic thing on this occasion is that perhaps luck had nothing to do with it; at least not in the traditional sense. ‘Luck’ can be categorised in the questionable refereeing decisions or the amount of times United - and Paul Pogba, in particular - has struck the woodwork.

For the first time since September the Reds picked up all three points from a home league game and even though the margin of the win was narrow there are some subtle yet possibly profound signs of progress.

For two years the word ‘philosophy’ was added to the lexicon in M16 and yet under Louis van Gaal’s stewardship it seemed as if United’s players were growing less capable by the week. Clearly some of the squad flourished under the experienced Dutch coach but mostly, on an individual and collective basis, it seemed as if the regression noted under David Moyes had continued, or simply stagnated.

When Mourinho took over, one of the biggest concerns was that he wasn’t necessarily the man who would transform that dour football into something that would pass as entertaining to supporters. That has clearly not been the case; while the draws have been frustrating, and while the choice of selection and substitutions have been questioned, United’s style of play has been somewhat familiar. Does Mourinho deserve the credit for that or is the jury still out? Certainly, the natural talent in the Manchester United squad suggests that they should dominate most games. But, where the manager has received criticism, he should also receive praise in this instance.

Mourinho has learned that every game is a Cup Final for the opposition when they play Manchester United; he will surely have noticed Tom Heaton and Darren Randolph’s near-perfect performances at Old Trafford, and how their form has been since those games, and grimaced. Of course, for the most part, that hasn’t been a problem. If you removed the goals and presented a highlight package of United’s home games this season then on the balance of play there’s an argument to say they could have won all of them. So deep was the confidence crisis which beset the squad - present in bad defensive decisions, and ponderous and hesitated forward decisions - that games which are represented in betting odds as routine home wins have been anything but. And so Mourinho, the self-professed master of 1-0 wins, has found that result fairly difficult to come by this season.

And maybe that is partly his fault, though, yesterday, it did seem as though there was a watershed moment. Perhaps it was helped by the fact United’s goal came so early, but for the first time, they weren’t unsure with a lead, and they could - and should - have added to it in a second half spell when Paul Pogba came close. For once it looked like Manchester United before they scored, and after, too.

That it was Henrikh Mkhitaryan who scored also provides a notable point.

Mourinho’s handling of the Armenian has been questioned in the media to the extent that the manager was deemed out of touch with the modern game and the player was linked with a January move back to the Bundesliga.

Mkhitaryan’s public support for the way Mourinho has worked with him, however, should reassure United’s supporters still asking questions about selection. Yes, it feels confusing that Luke Shaw continues to be left out when it seems to all that he is United’s most talented left back, but the reason for his omission isn’t because Mourinho wants to deliberately restrict his team’s chances of winning. His so-far successful integration of the former Dortmund playmaker serves as evidence that slowly but surely he is getting things right. Matteo Darmian arrived from Italy in the summer of 2015 with a fine reputation of his own and is trusted by his manager to do a job - competition for places is, of course, healthy, and may be the necessary motivation for Shaw to reach his own top form.

That’s not to say things are all rosy. Phil Jones gave another performance that had pundits suggesting his lofty potential may still be realised, and Marcos Rojo went error-free again, but there remains a vulnerability and a fundamental lack of convincing in that central area that could still undermine United’s hopes of getting into the reckoning for a top four place. Eric Bailly’s game in Europe underlined his status as United’s standout centre-half but what should be clear to the manager by now is that he probably needs to bring in a leader to play alongside the Ivory Coast international (or, when he is absent, A N other).

Whether or not that player can be brought in in January? Well, as the case of Nemanja Vidic showed, it’s not impossible, though it also ought to be clear at this stage that United need to be aiming higher and more long-term than José Fonte of Southampton.

Sunday’s win, whilst narrow, was the most convincing evidence yet that United supporters can feel assured that the club is moving in the right direction. After such a long period of uncertainty, United have to hope that they can maintain some consistency while the rest of the league maintains its inconsistency if they are to break into that top four.

Follow Wayne Barton on Twitter @WayneSBarton

Wayne Barton is the football columnist for eirSport. He has been described by the Independent as ‘the leading writer on Manchester United’ after numerous books on the club and autobiographies.