MKHITARYAN
Jose Mourinho has backed Henrikh Mkhitaryan to come good at
Manchester United, insisting the Armenia star will not turn out to be a
£26million flop.
Mkhitaryan has not played for United since he was
substituted at half-time on his full debut against Manchester City last month,
and has only played a total of 104 minutes in the Premier League.
It has led to speculation – swiftly denied by United – that
last season's Player of the Year in Germany with Borussia Dortmund could be
offloaded in the January transfer window.
Mkhitaryan has also been hampered by a thigh injury and
Mourinho added to the confusion by insisting the 27-year-old player was fit
before last week's game against Fenerbache only to leave him out of his 18-man
squad for the Europa League tie, and the subsequent games against Chelsea and
Manchester City.
But ahead of Saturday's clash with Burnley at Old Trafford,
the United boss gave a public vote of support to the former Shakhtar Donetsk
midfielder.
'I think it works for sure,' said Mourinho. 'Of course we
believe in him and of course we believe that sooner or later there will be no
problem. But Mkhi needs time to become the top player he can be.
'With some players, their profile is adapted to come and
play. Some others they need more time to feel the intensity and the aggression
(in England), the game without the ball, the competitiveness.
'Many times players come from different countries and the style
of football is different and the reality is different for sure in terms of
competitiveness.
'There's no other country where it doesn't matter the team
you play against, you have to play at the highest level. If you don't you have
no chance.
'He (Mkhitaryan) is not injured but sometimes I confuse the
meaning in the English language.
Sometimes you have the view "fit" if
you are not injured, sometimes "fit" is in great condition and ready
to compete. That is a different thing for me. In Portugal we use different
words for different situations.
'Mkhi is not injured. He is training with the team 100 per
cent, no limitation in terms of his fitness-related injuries.'
Mourinho compared the situation to those he encountered with
Willian at Chelsea and Angel di Maria at Real Madrid.
WHY DID WILLIAN AND
ANGEL DI MARIA FIND IT HARD?
Jose Mourinho singled out Chelsea winger Willian and Paris
Saint-Germain's former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Angel di Maria as
two players to have experienced similar issues to Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Both players arrived in big-money transfers - £32m and
£21m - as Mourinho signings, much like Mkhitaryan.
Both struggled to hold down a regular place in their new
sides initially and they would go on to show significant improvements after a
bedding-in period.
The statistics below show how both players improved
season-by-season after Mourinho's initial purchase.
Willian at Chelsea
2013-14
420 minutes per goal
840 minutes per assist
2014-15
1,209 minutes per goal
806 minutes per assist
2015-16
550 minutes per goal
459 minutes per assist
*Premier League only
Di Maria at Real Madrid
2010-11
388 minutes per goal
211 minutes per assist
2011-12
270 minutes per goal
90 minutes per assist
2012-13
284 minutes per goal
331 minutes per assist
2013-14
596 minutes per goal
140 minutes per assist
*La Liga only
He added: 'I don't like to speak about players from other
clubs but I don't think they will be upset with me. Willian - he arrived at
Chelsea, had problems to play. He went through a process then after he became a
top player, then the next season he became absolutely phenomenal and still is.
'When Di Maria arrived at Real Madrid, he also had to learn
a lot about his game and a new reality. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes with
defenders but it's easier for them. For attacking players sometimes they arrive
and go straight to success. Other times it takes a little more time.
'In Mkhi's case the process was interrupted by an injury
that kept him out for about a month. To be out for a month in this process and
then be fit but not fit to play you have to go through a process of getting
match fitness then you need competitive level to do it.'
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