Jose Mourinho's progress at Manchester United has been significantly aided by something both of his predecessors failed to do - find the right balance in the middle of the park.

The engine room was undoubtedly United's weakest department when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, but signings like Marouane Fellaini, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin struggled to remedy the situation as expected, leaving David Moyes and Louis van Gaal with continuous selection headaches.

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The world-record return of Paul Pogba, however, helped push Mourinho in the right direction, partnering the France international with a steady, experienced head in Michael Carrick and a tenacious, energetic playmaker in Ander Herrera.

And it's the chemistry of the three that makes them so effective; Pogba provides the power, attacking flair and goal threat, Carrick keeps shape, anchors play and orchestrates the direction of forward moves, and Herrera bounces around in between, chipping in both defensively and offensively whilst playing a key role in retaining and winning back possession.

That trifecta has been at the heart of United's successes this term, including a win in Sunday's EFL Cup final over Southampton. But all three have proved themselves almost equally essential to Manchester United's game-plan.

So, who is actually the Red Devils' most important central midfielder? Let us know your thoughts by voting below...

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