3 problems Mourinho needs to fix to get United back on track

Just when the humdrum days of Louis van Gaal's reign appeared to be swept aside by the vast expenditure and subsequent battling performances under new boss Jose Mourinho, Manchester United has now lost three consecutive matches.

Suddenly, Mourinho's Old Trafford tenure isn't as straight-forward as it first appeared, and Watford's 3-1 triumph on Sunday - following in the wake of losses to hated foe Manchester City and Feyenoord in the Europa League - was simultaneously a display of tentativeness and untidiness.

It appears United's just a sideways pass and excruciating interview from regurgitating Van Gaal's days entirely.

Here are the three issues Mourinho needs to address at United to return the side to past glories:

Use Pogba properly

Paul Pogba's ferociousness is being crowded out by Marouane Fellaini, and this is the biggest problem Mourinho needs to sort out.

A player of Pogba's quality should be charging through the middle, leaving the opposition midfielders desperately yet fruitlessly swinging legs into his path. Instead, he has to be mindful of protecting the erratic Belgian tasked with the deepest role in midfield.

At Juventus, Pogba became the world's most expensive player thanks to his performances in Massimiliano Allegri's three-man midfield, and Mourinho has the players at his disposal to rehash this system. The tireless Ander Herrera can assume Arturo Vidal's (and later Sami Khedira's) role, covering every blade of grass and continually scuppering opponents' attempts to counter. Then the inexplicably overlooked Morgan Schneiderlin can be Claudio Marchisio, remaining disciplined in his position, sweeping in front of the defence.

In this structure, Pogba is freed.

When shoehorned into his current role - or as a No. 10 at Juventus - he had the propensity to try and do too much, but then produce less than expected.

If Mourinho is determined to keep his 4-2-3-1 formation, however, Schneiderlin or Michael Carrick alongside Pogba would be a better course of action.

Waning Wayne

On paper, selecting an attacking quartet of Anthony Martial, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford, and Wayne Rooney, should forge a potent party, but two shots on target through 90 minutes would suggest otherwise.

The contributions from Ibrahimovic and Rashford are unquestionable, but Martial and Rooney have shown a severe lack of punch to begin the season - and the ineffectiveness of the skipper has to merit a spot on the substitutes' bench.

The 30-year-old has been in decline for some time; feeling the affects of playing with great intensity and regularity as a teenager, and also fading in his role as captain - to have such an inward performer leading the team is an odd call.

Just how helpful his aesthetically pleasing diagonal balls are is a matter of debate too. While he's doing his best David Beckham impression from the middle of the park, the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Mesut Ozil, and Christian Eriksen instead slice apart defences from the same position with through-balls and tempo-dictating play.

An ousting from the starting XI may give Rooney a much-needed wake-up call, but as long as he's in the lineup any attacking failings rest first with him, as he's the frontline's fulcrum.

Get Henrikh healthy

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's only start this season didn't exactly go well. The Armenian was in the Manchester derby from the first whistle but, along with Jesse Lingard, was hauled off at half-time to become scapegoats due to the first-half dominance from City.

It wasn't a particularly fair introduction though, with the midfielder clearly lacking match fitness after niggling injury worries.

When Mkhitaryan's ready, he can be a precious outlet of creativity. He has a high footballing intellect, often making sensible use of possession, but instigating attacks with incisive passes at the correct time. His ability to be deployed on the right or behind the frontman is also valuable.

With a fit Mkhitaryan and appropriate use of his other ranks - Pogba freed, Rooney shackled alongside Sergio Romero on bench-warming duties - United's fortunes should improve greatly.