Manchester United: 5 mistakes Jose Mourinho has made already
5. Disastrous derby tactics
The acid test. The team perceived as United’s biggest rivals for the Premier League. The Red Devils’ biggest local rivals. Mourinho’s biggest managerial rival. This was the one game Mourinho had to get right, especially at home.
Despite United’s wins prior, the derby against Manchester City was the one that would really show just how far United had come. Or, as it turned out, how far behind City they have fallen. Mourinho’s old rival got one over him again, but the United boss didn’t help himself.
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Mourinho knew a Guardiola team would be obsessed with possession and, subsequently, would flood midfield to get it. So why did Mourinho play just a two-man midfield? And on top of that, Paul Pogba as one of those two?
It was doomed to fail. United were ambushed. Nowhere near enough work rate, energy, discipline or defensive organization to compete in that area of the pitch. Not against a Guardiola team. Marouane Fellaini and Pogba were just chasing shadows in the center of the park.
When United did occasionally get the ball, they obviously had to counter-attack to try and expose City on the break. Good job Mourinho loaded up on pace then with 34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Wayne Rooney up front, isn’t it?
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard played in the wide areas. Lingard has pace but is inexperienced in such a big game, whilst speed is not really Mkhitaryan’s best asset. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford sat on the bench.
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United were dominated until City started sabotaging themselves around half time. Mourinho made some intelligent changes at the break bringing on Ander Herrera and Rashford, but it was too late. Damage done. Mourinho had made his mistake.
One of many he’s already made in just a few short months at Old Trafford.