Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher insists that the recent form of Manchester United attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is because of the management of Jose Mourinho.
Mkhitaryan has now claimed back-to-back Man of the Match awards at his new club, assisting two goals and scoring another two across those games, including netting the match-winner against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Armenian, captain of his country, had struggled to make an instant impact at United ever since he was signed from Borussia DOrtmund in the summer.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker was hit by an injury in an international friendly against Czech Republic and was replaced at half time in the Manchester Derby this September after failing to make an impact.
An array of injuries and his time to adapt to Mourinho's side were two factors that meant his re-introduction to the former Chelsea manager's side was delayed.
Manchester United fans were impatient to witness the inclusion of Mkhitaryan in the starting eleven, and now that he has won his place at the squad and started impressing, former Liverpool defender Carragher thinks that Mourinho must earn praise.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said tht "Mourinho has been slaughtered this season for how he has handled this player" but if we look at the last four games he had featured in, it can be said that "actually he's handled him very well."
Mkhitaryan is new to the Premier League
On Mkhitaryan, Carragher added that he is "new to the Premier League", and said: "He was awful in the first-half against Manchester City. He was brought in and then had injury problems and people were questioning why."
Carragher is convinced that injuries were a reason for the player to be sidelined as he thinks that "maybe he wasn't fit enough. He was training differently and has a new manager" but said that now "in the last four games, he has got two goals and two assists."
Mourinho should earn credit for Mkhitaryan's recent form
Carragher knows Mourinho very well, having played against the Portuguese's Chelsea many times during his time at Liverpool and the Sky Sports pundit suggested that "maybe we should start saying that Mourinho has actually managed him really well" because "that's what Mkhitaryan said in mid-week" and the "form that he's in at the moment, maybe Mourinho should get some credit."