Three things we learnt from Manchester United’s 3-1 win at Bournemouth

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2. Eric Bailly is the defender that United have been crying out for

Another plus point was the imperious performance of new signing Eric Bailly. Playing at centre-back, the Ivory Coast international looked like the sort of defender that United have so sorely missed since the days of Nemanja Vidic.

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The 22-year-old is proactive, tough in the tackle, and looks to be a real nuisance to play against. In recent years, United defenders have been seen as a soft touch by opponents, with many of them lacking a physical edge that Sir Alex Ferguson demanded from his backline; players such as Jaap Stam and Nemanja Vidic were both the backbone of hugely successful United sides. Mourinho shares a similar preference to Ferguson, and whilst it is only very early days, based on what we have seen so far then it is possible that he has unearthed a player of a similar ilk.

In addition, Bailly was also remarkably composed on the ball, finishing the game with 95% passing accuracy, something that United have also lacked in recent years. Chris Smalling was suspended for the trip to Dean Court, but should return to the side for the visit of Southampton next Saturday. It is likely that he will partner Bailly over the next few matches, something that is an exciting prospect for United supporters following Smalling’s impressive displays last campaign. If Bailly’s first two games in a United shirt are anything to go by, then he and Smalling could form a quite formidable partnership at the heart of Mourinho’s defence.