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Man Utd news: Jose Mourinho has solved one big problem at United - Higginbotham
MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho has finally got the balance right with his starting XI after four games this season.
That is according to TV pundit and Manchester United academy graduate Danny Higginbotham.
Mourinho saw his side lose two of their first three games of the Premier League season.
A shock 3-2 defeat at Brighton was followed by a 3-0 loss to Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Mourinho went with a centre-back pairing of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof against Brighton and changed the pair completely to Phil Jones and Chris Smalling for the visit of Spurs.
It just seems like they have a good balance in that starting XI now
But for the trip to Burnley on Sunday he went with Smalling and Lindelof for the first time this season and United ran out 2-0 winners at Turf Moor.
Higginbotham believes Jose Mourinho got that selection spot on, as well as the inclusion of Marouane Fellaini in midfield and the structure of his attacking players.
“I know Burnley were poor – I think it was their tenth game of the season – but I was at the game and I thought United were absolutely brilliant,” Higginbotham told talkSPORT.
“The problem for Mourinho this season is that he’s not got a central defensive partnership he trusts.
“But on Sunday he got it absolutely spot on with the way he set the team up.
“The two midfielders, Nemanja Matic and Marouane Fellaini, didn’t really get beyond the ball and that meant the two fullbacks, Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia, could give width all game.
“The interchanging between Jesse Lingard, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in that first half was magnificent.
“It just seems like they have a good balance in that starting XI now.”
United's victory over Burnley moves them up to 10th in the table.
They face a trip to Watford next after the international break.
The Hornets are one of three teams in the top flight to have won all four games so far this term.
Watford beat Tottenham 2-1 at Vicarage Road on Sunday thanks to goals from Troy Deeney and Craig Cathcart.