Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Everton has left many fans asking the same question.

Has Jose Mourinho actually improved the Red Devils?

One rather worrying statistic was doing the rounds after the game that would suggest United may not have taken such great strides as it first appeared.

In Mourinho's first 29 Premier League games at the club, his side have picked up 54 points. That's two fewer than Louis van Gaal managed in his first 29 fixtures.

Yet, Mourinho's United are much easier on the eye, and Van Gaal's critics would argue that his successor has had to undo much of the damage done during the Dutchman's reign.

The only element of the Special One's reign that has really been called into question so far is his man-management.

The Portuguese admitted in last week's press conference that he regrets the way he treated Bastian Schweinsteiger, but he doesn't seem to have learned from it.

Schweini wasn't the only player left out in the cold this season. Following his move from Borussia Dortmund, Henrikh Mkhitaryan found himself excluded from matchday squads as he struggled to adapt to life in England.

More recently, the young Luke Shaw has been the focus of withering comments about his attitude and fitness.

Shaw's confidence must be shot

It came as a surprise then, when he was introduced against the Toffees.

Despite obviously lacking confidence, the defender did pretty well and it was his ball into the box that hit Ashley Williams' hand to win the hosts the equalising penalty.

So, how come he's suddenly good enough to play? Mourinho has an answer, and as you might expect, it's all about himself.

How Mourinho made sure he did well 

"I tell you because I told him already: he had a good performance which was his body with my brain," Mourinho said, per the Manchester Evening News.

"Because he was in front of me and I was making every decision for him.

"And the communication was possible because we were very close but I was thinking for him. When to close inside, when to open, when to go in there, when to press the opponent.

"I was making every decision for him and at this level we need the fantastic body he has to play football, the fantastic physical qualities he has, the very good technical ability he has but he cannot play with my understanding of the game, he must understand the game, he must think and he must accelerate the process because 21-years-old is old enough to have a better understanding of the game."

Quite what Shaw is supposed to make of that, we're not sure.

To put a positive spin on his comments, at least it sounds like he's actually trying to coach him instead of giving up on the youngster altogether.

Does Luke Shaw have a future at Manchester United? Have your say in the comments.