Manchester United couldn’t have wished for a better start to the 2017/18 Premier League campaign following their two consecutive 4-0 wins against Swansea and West Ham. The result leaves them top of the table with eight goals, two clean sheets and both Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan leading the way in the goals and assists charts respectively.
The strong start can be put down to a number of reasons, such as the impact of new signings Nemanja Matic and Lukaku, or it can even be something as simple as a new tactic being implemented. But perhaps the biggest factor for United’s good start lies in the fact that they have a team who are loving every second of playing together.
Over the years Manchester United have had a knack of building teams with the right balance and mentality to perform at the highest levels. The latest crop is no different and for every time you see the likes of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard ‘dabbing’ after they score a goal, you know that they - and the fans - are loving every minute of it.
Playing for any team with hopes of challenging for titles requires you to have a certain level of character because without it there’s no way of winning. United have a number of men who have started the campaign with a bang and that comes as no surprise, with strong friendships being formed already with both the new signings and the ‘old’ guard.
Romelu Lukaku is the latest French speaker to join the side and already he has eased into the group which features Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Eric Bailly. Being the new guy at work can be quite daunting, but already it looks like any potential teething problems have been non-existent as the squad have been quick to embrace their new teammates.
But it’s not just the French speakers who’ve developed a bond either as you also have the Spanish speakers featuring the likes of Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, David De Gea, Marcos Rojo and Antonio Valencia. There’s also an English core who have been at the club for a while, with Michael Carrick, Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.
Relationships are formed over time and can be built on mutual understanding and respect. That’s why you see some of the younger players like Rashford, Lingard and Pogba socialising because they share common ground. But while you see certain friendships emerging in the media, that doesn’t necessarily mean the players have favourites.
“We’re a tight-knit squad and we all get along well,” said Nemanja Matic. “We don’t have any cliques or groups and that’s showing on the pitch.”
Having a strong relationship isn’t just restricted to the current team either, with former players striking up some unlikely friendships in the past. Patrice Evra, Park Ji Sung and Carlos Tevez developed a strong bond during their time at the club, and despite playing together for two seasons Robin Van Persie struck a friendship with United hardman Nemanja Vidic.
Given Mourinho’s record in his second season with his teams, he’ll be hoping to use that team spirit and guide United to the Premier League title once again. Unlike last season where tough defences would have normally resulted in a draw, this time around we are already seeing the mentality of the team to work hard and get the results that win titles.
