José Mourinho retains the full backing of Manchester United’s hierarchy following Sunday’s dismal 3-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion.
United beat Leicester City 2-1 at Old Trafford in their opening game of the season but despite following this with the loss to Brighton the board remain behind the manager, it is understood.
Mourinho is yet to have all of his squad fully fit and available because of injury and post-World Cup breaks, with Alexis Sánchez, Nemanja Matic and Antonio Valencia among the senior absentees on Sunday.
On United’s pre-season tour the Portuguese pointed to the opening two matches as problematic due to the number of players missing because of holidays taken after Russia 2018.
United’s next game is at home to Tottenham Hotspur next Monday, so Mourinho will have had more than a week to prepare for a match where he will be under pressure to record a win.
In January Mourinho signed a contract extension to at least 2020 but he was at loggerheads with the board over signings this summer.
Pogba had hoped to spend most of the match on the front foot after being assigned an advanced role in front of the two janitors in United’s midfield, Andreas Pereira and Fred. That scheme had looked tolerable against Leicester even though Claude Puel’s side had spells of dominance – at least United had looked solid. But here their midfield flailed in the face of Brighton’s dynamism.
Pereira, making his second start after being forgiven by Mourinho for going on loan to Spain last season against the manager’s advice, was removed at half-time after several misplaced passes and lost duels.
United’s midfield flakiness exposed their inadequacy at the back. Victor Lindelöf and Eric Bailly were often discombobulated in the centre while Young floundered at right-back. The panic that preceded Brighton’s third goal – a penalty following a foul by Bailly – was typical.
As Mourinho surveyed the mess from the sideline, he no doubt found himself pining for the defensive recruits he had hoped to sign this summer. But Lindelöf and Bailly were bought on his watch and now transfers are another thing over which he no longer has as much control. There are many people at United who need to get a grip.