Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a superb player on his day. The problem is, he hasn’t had enough of those days since he arrived at Manchester United.
Sure, there was the classy scorpion kick against Crystal Palace last season. His debut Premier League goal in the home game against Tottenham last December. His goalscoring prowess en route to the Europa League final and then his killer second goal that secured victory in the showpiece against Ajax.
But for every moment of class, there’s a game where United fans have difficulty remembering if the Armenian was even on the pitch.
The Red Devils’ gritty 1-0 victory against Spurs at a sodden Old Trafford on Saturday is a tremendous case in point.
In a game where physical and mental strength was out in force, Mkhitaryan, an often delicate, brittle player, wilted in the harsh Manchester rain before Jose Mourinho eventually pulled the plug in the second-half and swapped him for the more exuberant, although admittedly limited, Jesse Lingard.
Of the stinging criticism aimed Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw’s way by Mourinho throughout the course of last season – the Armenian architect had seemed to heed the manager’s words more than either of the other two.
“I am not happy with Mkhi’s performance in the last match” said Mourinho in early April, while later that month he replied “Good, in the Europa League” when asked to assess Mkhitaryan’s form.
He bagged 11 goals in 41 games in all competitions, while his 2017/18 pre-season and early-season form promised much.
Two goals and five assists in his first eight games in all competitions suggested he was well and truly into his stride after a bedding in debut campaign.
Yet, in his last six games, he has visibly regressed, not registering a goal or assist. Moody Martial, meanwhile, is flourishing.
Six goals in 15 games and two assists in what has been a largely peripheral substitute role indicate he is over his bout of second season syndrome.
Mkhitaryan’s demise has partially coincided with the absence of Paul Pogba. The man formerly known as the world’s most expensive player has attracted plenty of criticism since his return to Manchester for not putting in man of the match performances week in, week out.
But what he brings to United’s midfield and attack is a touch of silk and assuredness, keeping possession and instigating attacks with his leggy range and penetrating runs.
With Mkhitaryan then an option for the Frenchman to find in the final third, the former Borussia Dortmund schemer is able to affect the game, picking holes in opposition defences to feed team-mates or getting into scoring positions himself.
For a player of Mkhitaryan’s ilk, however, he simply cannot justify going missing in recent weeks just because there’s more of an overall burden on the players with Pogba injured.
Mkhitaryan perfectly fits the term ‘luxury player’. He’s in the team because of his undoubted quality, he can create moments of genuine class that can win you a game. The problem is, he won’t get stuck in defensively and may sometimes go missing when the going gets tough.
And when the going has got tough, as it has in recent weeks with injuries to Pogba and the revitalised Marouane Fellaini hitting United hard, they have found out to their cost they cannot afford to carry Mkhitaryan as a luxury item.
