Eric Bailly Has All the Qualities to Become the Perfect Jose Mourinho Defender

Manchester United are revelling in the art of comparison right now. Jose Mourinho is the new Sir Alex Ferguson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the new Eric Cantona and Paul Pogba is the new Roy Keane.

Indeed, there is something about the team that has started the 2016/17 Premier League season that is unnervingly familiar, yet simultaneously completely different.

So, if the Old Trafford club is looking backwards in order to look forwards, what is Eric Bailly? The Ivorian has become the bedrock of United’s defensive line in a very short space of time, impressing in his first two Premier League outings for his new club.

Ibrahimovic and Pogba have commanded more column inches, but Bailly could have just as much of an impact.

Some claim he is the closest thing United have had to Nemanja Vidic since the man himself departed Old Trafford two years ago. Indeed, Bailly is a solid, no-nonsense centre-back, the kind United have lacked for years, but he is so much more than that as well. To compare him with Vidic doesn’t quite illustrate his true potential.

While Vidic was undoubtedly one of the best defenders ever to play in the Premier League, he often relied on his centre-back partner Rio Ferdinand to provide composure on the ball. The Englishman was the one to bring possession out from the back, with the Serbian charged with providing the muscle. It was the perfect partnership. 

But Bailly is the epitome of the modern defender in that he possesses the qualities that made both Ferdinand and Vidic so exceptional. The Ivorian is strong and is blessed with natural presence, but he is also lightning quick and adept with the ball at his feet. Mourinho has found the complete defender he so badly needed ahead of his first season at Old Trafford.

“I think Eric has a lot of talent,” team-mate Ander Herrera told MUTV (via ManUtd.com) after Friday’s 1-0 win over Southampton.

“He’s a beast, he’s so, so strong, he’s quick and he’s a very smart player. He doesn’t take risks, so …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com