Daley Blind becoming integral to Jose Mourinho's Manchester United

It is only three games into the season, and yet Manchester United -- though still a work in progress -- already look like more of a team than they have at almost any time in the previous three years.

The new signings have settled in with notable ease, with even Henrikh Mkhitaryan -- rarely used thus far -- looking instantly at home in difficult conditions in the 1-0 win against Hull City. Eric Bailly has perhaps been the biggest surprise, since he was expected to take much longer to adjust following his summer transfer from Villarreal. Yet the 22-year old Ivory Coast international has taken to the Premier League with particular relish, showing not only great acceleration and power when coming across to cover, but also fine technique and vision when playing out from the back. And alongside him, making his first few months appreciably easier, there is Daley Blind.

The Dutchman was arguably even better than Bailly in that last-minute 1-0 win against Hull, United's third successive victory in the league under Jose Mourinho. While Bailly took the plaudits for another dominant performance, Blind's contribution, though subtle, was no less valuable. It is often said of Blind, not unfairly, that if he were a degree faster he would be one of the world's elite defenders, but he makes up for much this relative shortage of pace with his superb anticipation.

In this way, he has frequently got the best of much swifter opponents in the past couple of years, and that same talent was in evidence against Hull. Bailly and Blind complement each other well, in that Bailly tends to step out more when the opposition are attacking, while the Dutchman hangs back -- perhaps more mindful of his inability to recover so quickly if he is exposed.

Both players are very strong at playing out from the back, with Blind doing this particularly well at the KCOM Stadium last Saturday. Blind perhaps does not receive enough credit for how well he strides out of defence with the ball at his feet -- opinions of him may still be largely coloured by his cross-field pass for Robin van Persie's header against Spain in the 2014 World Cup, or his fairly conservative outings in defensive midfield under Louis van Gaal. Yet he is good at getting forward against deep-lying teams and playing the ball sharply into the feet of his midfielders and attackers in the final third, and as such is a vital element in his team's buildup play.

Despite links late in the transfer window with Southampton centre-back Jose Fonte, some fans might argue that with Bailly and Blind working so well, there is no need for further investment in this area, especially with Chris Smalling waiting on the bench. It is some measure of Bailly's progress that, when everyone is fully fit, he looks to be the least likely to make way.

Admittedly, there are still some questions over Blind's robustness against the very best teams. While United have only conceded one goal in three games -- at this very early stage, the best record in the division -- there of course remain far tougher tests ahead, not least in the upcoming Manchester derby on Sep 10.

Despite that, though, Blind deserves credit. From the moment he arrived at Old Trafford, he was seen by some as something of an afterthought, partly evidenced by the way that he was signed so late in the transfer window. He might have feared for his future, too, when Mourinho came to United and stated his preference for "specialists" -- players who were experts at one specific position rather than very competent in several. In that sense, Blind immediately seems to be much more of a Pep Guardiola player, who upon joining Manchester City extolled the versatility of Fernandinho. This is perhaps a surprise, given that one of Mourinho's trademarks is to work with a small squad -- by this logic, it would be thought that "multi-functional" players would be an asset.

But Mourinho, always a man of contradictions, has worked very well with players like Blind in the past, most notably Michael Essien at Chelsea, and Pepe at Real Madrid. Essien and Pepe, like Blind after them, could occupy a variety of roles with immaculate discipline, and Blind should go on to follow in that tradition. What Mourinho demands, above all, is tactical rigour and defensive excellence.

In the very short time that the Dutchman has worked with his new manager, he has certainly shown that.

Musa Okwonga is one of ESPN FC's Manchester United bloggers. Follow on Twitter: @Okwonga.