Mourinho Sends A message to Man United Bosses

United’s shift to three at the back did not come as too much of a surprise, but you would have got huge odds on Ander Herrera lining up as a right-sided centre-back before the defeat to Spurs.

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Jose Mourinho has previously described the Spaniard as one of the most intelligent players he has ever worked with and he trusted him enough to parachute him into defence for a game of this magnitude.

While there were different names at the back, and United’s makeshift defence held firm in the first-half, they were again undone by sloppy errors. And Ed Woodward was again there to see it in the directors’ box.

It is 16 years to the day since Rio Ferdinand’s United debut and the reality is the Reds are no closer to finding a worthy successor – something Mourinho was desperate for in the summer.

Where do United go from here?

Mourinho has ripped up the play book – just three games in.

Only 17 days previously, Eric Bailly, Matteo Darmian Andreas Pereira and Juan Mata played a full 90 minutes here at Old Trafford in the win against Leicester. But the quartet did not even make the bench for the visit of Spurs.

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Mourinho has always stressed he does not make scapegoats of his players but Anthony Martial, who started at the Amex, was also dropped from the match-day squad.

The defeat to Spurs may yet open the door for these players again, but United can’t keep chopping and changing.

The Mourinho of old

Mourinho once berated his rivals for acting like a ‘clown’ on the touchline but he resembled old foe Antonio Conte at times under the lights. And the fans loved it.

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Barely a quarter into the game, the Stretford End serenaded him with a rendition of ‘Jose Mourinho! Jose Mourinho!’ and the United boss looked like the manager of old as he kicked every ball, appealed every decision and roared his side on.

But his midas touch again deserted him when it came to doing what mattered most: winning football matches. ‘You’re not special anymore!’ the Spurs fans taunted.

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A tale of two halves

It was a breakneck start from United – and the perfect response after what happened down at Brighton. Finally, we saw the intensity and speed that is such a part of that mythical United DNA as Mourinho pushed them on from the touchline.

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