Manchester United

Jose Mourinho pleased with Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof form

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 23 November 2018

Mourinho pleased with centre-back pairing

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says that he is pleased with the recent form of centre-back pairing Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has said that he is pleased with the recent form of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof.

Eric Bailly and Lindelof started the 2018-19 campaign as United's first-choice centre-back pairing, but the former has since fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, with Smalling very much the preferred option alongside Lindelof.

United had the second-best defensive record in the Premier League last season, but they have already conceded 21 times in the top flight this term, with only four sides shipping more at this stage.

United's leaky back four conceded another three away to Manchester City before the international break, but Mourinho has claimed that Smalling and Lindelof are "performing quite well'.

"I think Smalling and Lindelof are playing much better than the beginning of the season," Mourinho told reporters. "I decided to give Victor the opportunity of his evolution, evolution with some mistakes yes because he is young, especially young in the Premier League.

"We decided to give him this continuity which I think it is clear it has improved him. Bailly has physical qualities, he is very fast [but] he is not very tall. We thought that Chris Smalling would give some balance in relation to the qualities. Chris is very good in the air. He is tall and dominant in the air.

"Victor, in the building up, is better than Chris. We have found the balance. I repeat, they are not perfect but nobody is perfect. That couple is performing quite well."

United will return to Premier League action with a home match against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.