Last laugh for Mourinho but no clowning about
THE only chance of Jose Mourinho resembling a clown was if his nose succumbed to the bitter Manchester cold. This was never going to be a night of overt showmanship after some quite pointed remarks about rival Premier League managers which certainly irked Chelsea boss Antonio Conte yesterday. It is never, however, difficult to deduce what Mourinho is thinking. His body language is often so transparent, even if he is more measured on the touchline. He cannot help it and that was no different against Derby County — even if he tried his best to remain guarded. United’s manager talked about being ‘more mature’ and he is definitely less excitable than ever before. With head buried into snood he stood and watched with what appeared an ache of frustration. Mourinho wants to be viewed as more restrained when leaving his dugout for the grass, not fussing over the minutiae, but his annoyance is often painfully obvious. It came with a sharp look to the left when Marcus Rashford gifted possession away as United broke at pace. It came — complete with arms twitching involuntarily and head shaking — when Rashford somehow hit the post with a header from six yards out. He knows United are still very much a work in progress and that this campaign, second in the Premier League and still in Europe, represents a good if not spectacular one. He is mindful of drawing too much attention to his reactions, such is the scrutiny on his mood. Sometimes it cannot be helped, however. Mourinho has said this squad needs reshaping and as such knows some of these players are not good enough. It is why he was seen chuntering to assistant Rui Faria when he took a seat and why more expressively he rushed to retrieve errant balls to whip up a tempo Manchester United should not need against Championship opposition.