Pressure piles on Mourinho as United slip again
MAN UNITED: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Shaw, Fellaini, Matic, Pogba, Sanchez (Martial, 76 mins), Lukaku, Rashford. Unused subs: Lindelof, Mata, Fred, Romero, Darmian, McTominay. VALENCIA: Murara Neto, Piccini, Garay, Gabriel, Gaya, Coquelin (Soler, 78 mins), Parejo, Kondogbia, Goncalo Guedes, Rodrigo, Batshuayi (Gameiro, 73 mins). Unused subs: Domenech, Nunes Vezo, Cheryshev, Diakhaby, Wass.
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford Match rating: 4/10
Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia) MANCHESTER United remain stuck in a rut after a stuttering goalless draw with Valencia that extends their winless run and keeps the pressure on Jose Mourinho.
Background shenanigans, disjointed displays and poor results have put Old Trafford in the eye of a storm, but last night’s Champions League tie offered the chance to divert some of the mounting focus.
Yet United’s worst start to a league campaign in 29 years would be compounded by a disappointing 0-0 draw against a Valencia side with just one LaLiga win to their name this season, leading Mourinho’s men to be booed at the final whistle.
This was the fourth straight match in all competitions that the Portuguese’s side had failed to win, meaning scrutiny will only intensify ahead of Saturday’s Premier League visit of Newcastle.
David Beckham and Gary Neville were among a number of United greats in the stands on a night that had started with their former team-mate Paul Scholes castigating “embarrassing” manager Mourinho.
Scholes said he was “surprised” the Portuguese was not sacked after Saturday’s defeat to West Ham.
Mourinho has come under pressure over the past week but, despite mounting speculation over his future, said on Monday that he does not believe his job is currently on the line.
However, while previewing the meeting with Valencia, Scholes (right) claimed to be “slightly surprised” that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had not removed Mourinho from his position already.
“I’m actually slightly surprised he survived after Saturday, the performance was so bad,” he revealed.
“He’s coming out in press conferences constantly having a go at players, having at go at people above him because he’s not getting what he wants.
Scholes added: “I think his mouth is out of control and I think he’s embarrassing the club.”
The sense of farce was added to by United’s inexplicable underestimation of Manchester’s rush-hour traffic, leading to their late arrival and forcing kick-off to be delayed by five minutes.
When things belatedly got under way, Mourinho’s side struggled to stamp their authority on their first Champions League home match since Sevilla inflicted a shock defeat in March.
Valencia attempted to replicate their countrymen’s heroics at Old Trafford, where the home faithful began chants of “attack, attack, attack” early in the second half and would then cheer the substitution of Alexis Sanchez.
Valencia goalkeeper Neto denied Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku as United pushed late on, with Marcus Rashford hitting the bar as the players showed the hunger Mourinho called for.
Mourinho plumped for four alterations after Saturday’s shock 3-1 loss against the Hammers and the change initially seemed to work as United attacked with purpose and cohesion after a rare pre-match huddle. But that promise soon faded. David De Gea held onto a fizzing Goncalo Guedes strike as Valencia grew into proceedings with sharp, quick passing.
United held firm and reduced the Spanish side to hopeful attempts but were creating little themselves.
Rashford was United’s best player in a frustrating first half. The 20-year-old hit a low shot wide after bursting between bodies and challenges in the 15th minute, then had an attempt from distance and saw a header blocked.