Manchester United still had two weeks to go until their first pre-season fixture of the summer and Jose Mourinho already appeared to have made a decision on Daley Blind’s future at the club. “I like one or two multi-functional players because when you are in trouble, you always need one of two guys who can fill the space,” Mourinho told reporters at the start of July. “If you have three central defenders injured or suspended, you need some left-back or midfield player that can give you a hand.”
In just over a month Blind had seemingly been demoted from his lead role in the joint-best defence in the Premier League (35 goals conceded) to a player that would only be called upon when all options had been exhausted. It was as damning an assessment as they come. Blind had promised to work his hardest to impress Mourinho only a few days after his appointment towards the end of May, but it didn’t appear to have worked.
This sort of cut-throat decision-making comes as little surprise. Between August 2011 and May 2013 Juan Mata registered more assists than any other player in the Premier League (25). He was a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge, but was nonetheless axed by Mourinho just six months into his second stint as Chelsea manager in January 2014. Iker Casillas was similarly ostracised at Real Madrid two years earlier, while Bastian Schweinsteiger has this season been ordered to train with the United reserves.
Having not blinked twice at the prospect of mercilessly chucking three World Cup winners to the wayside, Mourinho would have no qualms in phasing out a player that still divided opinions among United fans. Harsh? Yes, but Blind would only be a mere footnote if success followed.
After all, there were concerns when Blind moved to England that he would struggle with the physicality and pace of the Premier League. Mourinho's finest title-winning sides have largely been built on those two principles and his decision to sign Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba suggested his United team would only evolve in the same direction.
Even after signing Bailly, Mourinho reportedly still wanted to sign an experienced central defender before the transfer window closed. Coupled with the fact Chris Smalling appeared the best fit of all United's existing defenders to fulfill Mourinho's criteria, Blind's future at Old Trafford looked even more uncertain. However, the 26-year-old has started in all four of United's matches this season and entered the international break as United's highest rated defender (7.52) in the league.
There are a few caveats worth considering that have undoubtedly benefitted Blind's cause. Smalling's suspension for the Community Shield presented Blind with an opportunity that may not have existed and the Netherlands' failure to qualify for Euro 2016 meant Blind was in a small group of senior players that completed a full pre-season. But, as Schweinsteiger has discovered, winning over Mourinho is no simple task.
The impressive starts made by Bailly and Ibrahimovic have rightly hogged the headlines for United this season. They are two of the three players that have been nominated for United’s first player of the month award this season. Ibrahimovic, after all, is the leading goalscorer in the Premier League (3), while only three players have won possession in the defensive third more times than Bailly (17).
They aren't the only players that impressed during United's best start to a league campaign in five years. Antonio Valencia was in contention to become the first defender to be named Premier League player of the month since Jan Vertonghen in March 2013, while Marouane Fellaini’s incredible turnaround in fortunes has also been notable. Yet, it's neither of these two that Bailly and Ibrahimovic are up against, but Blind.
His performances have largely flown under the radar following Bailly’s formidable start to the season, but Blind’s form has now given Smalling an unexpected battle to regain his place in the team. In fact, of the 28 central defenders that have featured in every match this season only Curtis Davies (8.49) and Scott Dann (7.53) have garnered a higher WhoScored rating than Blind.
Blind's speed of thought and ability to anticipate danger make up for the obvious physical deficiencies in his game. As mentioned earlier, no team conceded fewer goals in the Premier League last season than United, with Blind starting at centre back on 31 occasions. Louis van Gaal's dreary, possession-based football certainly provided extra protection for the United defence, but Blind has shown another level to his game when Mourinho has given the team greater freedom going forward.
The fact that Blind is yet to be dribbled past this season only emphasises his outstanding ability to read play as it develops in front of him. This isn’t a new facet to his game, but it’s certainly one that continues to surprise.
In Blind and Bailly, Mourinho has come across the perfect blend of brains and brawn. While Bailly prefers to use his physicality and speed to thwart danger, Blind is able to position himself in the right areas to regain possession. Indeed, only Hull (114) have won possession in the defensive third more times than United (94) this season.
When United faced the Tigers before the international break, Mourinho was presented with the ideal opportunity to put Smalling back in the team had he wanted to. Only Swansea (40%) had conceded a greater proportion of their goals from set pieces last season (United – 36.4%), while Hull have already scored the most goals in the Premier League from dead balls this season (2). Smalling's presence would have been better suited to dealing with crosses than Blind, but Mourinho stuck with the Netherlands international. Blind has won every aerial duel he has contested this season (5) and two more than Bailly.
He may have started the summer as a player available for transfer but Blind's role in the squad has actually become more prominent. Mourinho has reportedly named Blind as Bailly’s mentor, to make the Ivory Coast international more comfortable when in possession. The season is still in its primitive stages but progress is already evident. Bailly has misplaced just five of 111 passes in the Premier League this season, with his pass success rate second only to Willian (95.6%) of players that have started at least one game (Bailly- 95.5%).
Given the Ivory Coast international has only finished one of his three league campaigns with a pass success rate above 80%, it signals a vast improvement. This may simply be a quirk to a new season, combined with the fact that he is playing in a side set up to play out from the back, but rubbing shoulders with someone as comfortable on the ball as Blind will only improve Bailly.
It has to be said that this is just the start for Blind. Fixtures against Bournemouth, Southampton and Hull were the ideal way to hit the ground running. Having operated with defenders like Gary Cahill, John Terry, Sergio Ramos and Pepe in the past it's still hard to see Blind as the long-term option under Mourinho, although there can be no denying he has played his way into Mourinho's thoughts. United’s first real test of the season will be in the Manchester derby on Saturday when Mourinho renews his rivalry with Pep Guardiola, and if Blind can come through that unscathed then there is cause for real optimism for the Dutchman when it looked so bleak only a few months ago.
Does Blind have a long-term future under Mourinho? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
