Manchester Evening News
January 8, 2018 Monday


Henrikh can still save his United career

by  ciaran kelly


JOSE Mourinho has not made a habit of saying sorry down the years, but
he reserved an apology for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the bowels of Old
Trafford at around 8.49pm on Friday night - in front of all of his
players in the home dressing room.

The Portuguese knew his side needed something, a spark, a focal point,
to find the breakthrough against a stubborn Derby defence in the FA
Cup third round tie and turned to £75m man Romelu Lukaku.

Mkhitaryan was the fall guy. Mourinho felt having the pace of Marcus
Rashford on the left wing gave United more of a threat despite the
20-year-old's own struggles up front in the first half.

The Armenian could only watch on as Jesse Lingard stepped up in his
place in the No.10 role to break the deadlock with a trademark
thunderbolt before his replacement, Lukaku, sealed United's place in
the fourth round of the FA Cup at the death.

Mourinho's decision had been vindicated, but that did not make it any easier.

Ironically, following a worrying start, Mkhitaryan had grown into the
half by simply relying on his instincts. There was even one marvellous
cross which landed perfectly on Rashford's head, without even looking
up to see if he was there.

Had Rashford found the back of the net, rather than Scott Carson's
near post, Mkhitaryan would have done what he has done for much of his
United career - pulled a moment of magic out of the hat when he was
seemingly destined for another anonymous display. But that fivemonth
wait for an assist goes on.

Just a few minutes later, a scooped through ball found Luke Shaw in
space Understandably, 28-year-worryingly confidence, not the Ciaran as
he romped down the flank, but the left-back's cross did not beat the
first man.

Those highlights came after a forgotten name reared its head on social
media feeds again. Bebé, the infamous Portuguese street footballer who
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he never saw play before splurging £7.4m on
him in 2010.

Mkhitaryan - Armenia's greatest ever sportsman, the £27.3m bargain,
United's Europa League hero - had just hit a wild cross in Bebé's
unmistakable style. And bad memories came flooding back as he began
trending for all the wrong reasons.

Understandably, the 28-year-old looks worryingly short of confidence,
but it is not the end.

After two months out last season, following a poor display on his
first start in the derby, Mkhitaryan bounced back and seized his
chance, when it eventually was given to him.

the looks short of but it is end Kelly Mkhitaryan still has that
trademark resilience - making just his second start since November 5
against Derby - and is clearly impressing Mourinho with his work-rate
in training.

You could see that first-hand at an open session ahead of United's
Champions League clash against CSKA Moscow last month. "Go Micki! Go!"
his team-mates roared as he raced through the sprints in the intense
warm-ups at Carrington.

Mourinho does not scapegoat, either, and tellingly made a point of
giving a rare insight into the dressing room in his post-match press
conference.

There was no assessment of his high pressing or whether he recovered
the ball high up the pitch or whether he played in others enough in
that crucial No.10 role.

Just a simple apology.

"I apologised to him in front of the people because he didn't deserve
it," he sighed.

Mesut Ozil may be waiting in the wings, but do not write-off Henrikh
Mkhitaryan. Not just yet, anyway.

the hat when destined for anonymous fivemonth an back's beat the
following a his first Mkhitaryan and when was and with training.
Understandably, the 28-year-old looks worryingly short of confidence,
but it is not the end Ciaran Kelly