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After scoring eight goals and recording five assists in just 20 starts last season for Manchester United, Jesse Lingard looked like he had become the player that everyone associated with the club had hoped he would.

What's changed?

Here was a player who was excelling at picking the ball up in between the lines, turning towards goal and causing trouble, whilst his runs into the box to get on the end of things were a key feature of his excellent form.

This season, however, his performances are making last season look an anomaly. The England international has just a single assist to show for his efforts in 10 appearances so far this campaign, often allowing matches to bypass him as the Red Devils have struggled to get going.

Obviously, as we saw in England's friendly fixture against the United States on Thursday, the 25-year-old is still capable of such brilliance, scoring an excellent goal in which he whipped the ball into the top right corner from outside the box.

It is because of that, and United's form in general, that he hasn't been personally blamed for his poor showings this season, with the finger pointed more at Jose Mourinho and his defensive, rigid footballing methods.

What can Mourinho do to get the best out of him?

Whilst this is easier said (or typed) than done, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss needs to build his attack around the United academy graduate. There isn't a single player in his squad who picks up the positions that Lingard does, in which he ghosts behind the opposition's midfield and disorganises defences with his movement alone.

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Should he be started centrally in an attacking midfield position, with a solid base consisting of any two from Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera behind him, United will become more of a threat to opponents who have found it all to easy to mark the statuesque Romelu Lukaku or Alexis Sanchez this season.

Furthermore, perhaps a bit of a kick up the backside is needed, something at which Mourinho specialises at - even if his methods go a bit too far at times.

Whilst a public crucifixion such as the one Luke Shaw received isn't necessary, a player who looks to focus too much on his dance moves and social media image may just need to be bought back to reality a little bit in order to focus on his football.

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