Manchester United are on a march.
Mourinho has led the Red Devils to an 8th successive victory and fans in the Transfer Tavern are clamouring for another on Tuesday night.
It is a good sign for United this season that Mourinho can call on Rooney, Martial and Rashford to come into the side and help maintain their momentum. Each were involved in the four goals against Reading on Saturday, and they all could have had more.
While the Royals never really threatened the Red Devils, the four-time League Cup winners were happy to let them have the ball.
Mourinho set up United to be compact and utilise the speed of Rashford and Martial to cause Reading difficulties.
While Mourinho has settled on his chosen XI in recent months, the 53-year-old still tinkers with his tactics to make sure his side have the edge over the opposition.
With Mike Phelan gone, the League Cup semi-final will be new Head Coach Marco Silva’s second game in charge.
Fans of the Red Devils in the Transfer Tavern are expecting Mourinho’s consummate knowledge of the game to help get one over the former Olympiacos coach, and take a commanding lead into the semi-final second-leg.
Let me know if you agree with this United XI in the comments below….
GK: David De Gea
The Spaniard will be back between the sticks as United look to build an unassailable lead at Old Trafford.
The red Manchunians in the Transfer Tavern are unanimous in their appraisal of De Gea as the best ‘keeper in England, and they’ll be expecting him to keep Hull at bay in this important game.
RB: Antonio Valencia
Another man returning to the starting line up will be the industrious Ecuadorian.
Punters in the Transfer Tavern know of his evolution into a solid right-back, and all respect his incredible athleticism.
Valencia’s main weaknesses are his concentration and awareness.
The latter has certainly improved since his days bombing down the wing, but he can occasionally be caught thinking like a forward. Similarly, Mourinho will be demanding his full concentration for ninety minutes.
Nevertheless, Hull must ensure he does not get many opportunities to fire dangerous balls into the box.
CB: Chris Smalling
After a weekend of FA Cup magic where non-league clubs get their chance to make history, it is worth remembering Smalling’s meteoric rise from Maidstone to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
The commanding centre-back was not particularly troubled by Reading on Saturday, but will have to be on guard against a Hull side who will be well aware they are only a couple of games away from a Cup final.
CB: Phil Jones
Having replaced the stricken Rojo in the cup tie against Reading and Eric Bailly at the African Cup of Nations, Jones is sure to start against the Tigers.
While his versatility has been utilised in the past, Jones is starting to establish himself as a dependable centre-half.
With a new centre-back likely coming into Old Trafford this January, Jones knows that he is fighting for his place in the starting line up.
LB: Matteo Darmian
Fellow defender Daley Blind had a solid outing on Saturday but does not command the same level of trust from Mourinho as the steady Italian.
Darmian will likely face a ninety minute battle against Hull’s top scorer Robert Snodgrass, and Tigers fans in the Transfer Tavern are confident the Scottish winger will give Darmian kittens.
The winner of this important battle could go a long way to deciding the result of this match.
CDM: Michael Carrick
The 35-year-old has won ten major trophies with the Red Devils, and is well versed in producing the goods come the the business end of the competition.
Another superb performance against Hull has revived the classic comparisons with fine wine in the Transfer Tavern. He dictates United’s tempo decides on the expansiveness of their play.
Whether Carrick keeps it short or seeks teammates further away, Hull will know the importance of keeping him quiet if they are to stand a chance on Tuesday.
CM: Paul Pogba
Apart from the Frenchman’s precocious talents, what is most pleasing the Red Devils’ fans in the Transfer Tavern is Pogba’s energy and enthusiasm.
They think it offers something different to Carrick’s steady play and is the type of infectious attitude that has buoyed the team.
Everyone connected with United would love to see Pogba take this game by the scruff of the neck and stamp his authority all over it.
CM: Ander Herrera
The Spaniard has made telling contributions during United’s recent run while not grabbing the headlines.
Many good teams are stuck together by a player whose crucial work often goes unnoticed.
However, most punters in the Transfer Tavern are starting to acknowledge how important he is to United’s midfield.
Hull fans will be hoping that he is slow to get going again after not featuring against Reading.
RAM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian captain had a slow start to his United career, but the landlord is revelling in Mkhitaryan’s current form, having backed his quality to shine through eventually.
Returning to the starting XI against Hull is the former Borussia Dortmund man’s chance to remind the United fans what they have been missing.
If he can find space between the lines, there could be more magic emanating from his talented feet.
LAM: Anthony Martial
Dropping any of the front three who played and scored against Reading on Saturday will be a difficult call for Mourinho.
I have opted to keep Martial in place of Mata because his pace will be crucial to pulling defenders about and creating space for the marauding Pogba and Herrera.
Rashford will no doubt play some part on Tuesday night, but the Frenchman’s cultured finishing may be preferred to the Englishman’s more raw talent.
FW: Zlatlan Ibrahimovic
It has to be a special player that will take the place of a certain Wayne Rooney, only days after equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s record goal tally for United. The big Swede is just that, proving to be a bona fide match-winner throughout his career.
Zlatlan is sure to be involved in United’s attacking play, resuming his understanding with Pogba and linking with Martial and Miki either side of him.
