The pick of the rest of the Champions League games

would have been against his natural instinct to even try.

So what we are seeing now is a concerted attempt both on and off the field to wean fans away from those heady days - aka in terms of style at least to lower expectations. His unsaid message is: Stick with me and I’ll deliver but it won’t be as exciting.

Last season, like any new boy, he was on his best behaviour and got lucky to land two trophies – the League Cup win over Southampton was larceny – and the Europa League was a gamble that paid off.

Bolstered by that double triumph and having returned the club to the Big Boys League in Europe, he is now seeking acceptance for his own distinct modus operandi. That he should come close to parking the bus at Old Trafford – even for a half - is a measure of his greater confidence in the hot seat.

He was the only big-name boss available at the time and there’s no way he’s going to be sacked in the foreseeable future. But the Glazers are no doubt happier with him than those dissenting fans.

To be fair, he’s brought in a few players with something about them – Zlatan Ibrahimovich, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku. And he is trying to meld them with a token youngster – Marcus Rashford – even if that seems grudging at times.

But he has been fortunate this season too. Had David de Gea not got a telescopic boot to Joel Matip’s tap-in at Anfield, had Dele Alli not missed on Saturday and had Harry Kane been playing…

The fact that Old Trafford had the temerity to boo tells us that with the fans Mourinho is still treading something of a tightrope.

On Saturday, he got away with it again but only through a prod off a shin pad after uncharacteristic errors by two of Tottenham’s most reliable defenders.

United just about deserved it but I doubt whether putting his finger to his lips would have silenced the derision had they not scored. Even in KL there were mutterings of discontent among United fans and a lively debate ensued about the need for United to move away from the Ferguson era.

For me it was another Saturday night spoiled and I feel that football – even the EPL – can ill afford to have many more Big Six encounters, with all the hype they’re given, to be such miserable, anti-climatic non-events. People will turn off.

I had watched Blade Runner earlier in the day. And the thought occurred that if Mourinho carries on like this, he will not just be the “enemy of football” for playing “anti-football”, but for playing… dystopian football.

Even if he wins another trophy this season, he’s going to have to keep shutting people up. And with his nemesis having the fans in utopia just across town, that may be beyond even The Shushing One.

Bob will be signing copies of his book Living the Dream… or Enduring the Nightmare? from 7.00pm at Sid’s Pub 34, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, November 5, before Sunday’s Triple header – Spurs vs Palace, Man City vs Arsenal, Chelsea vs Man U. GROUP B Celtic (Scot) vs Bayern Munich (Ger) CELTIC matched their century-old British record by stretching their domestic unbeaten streak to 62 matches with Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Kilmarnock. But Brendan Rodgers’ team face a stiff test against Bayern Munich as they bid to keep their European adventure alive. A resurgent Bayern eased to a 3-0 win over the Scottish champions a fortnight ago, and a repeat success would all but end Celtic’s chances of reaching the knockout rounds. Jupp Heynckes is hopeful striker Robert Lewandowski will be fit for the trip to Glasgow after limping out of Saturday’s 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig – their second triumph in four days over their title rivals after a shootout win in the second round of the German Cup.

PSG (Fra) vs Anderlecht (Bel) UNAI EMERY’S French heavyweights have cruised through their opening three fixtures – netting 12 goals with none conceded – and will be expected to again sweep aside Anderlecht at the Parc des Princes. Edinson Cavani struck twice more in Friday’s 3-0 victory over Nice, giving the Uruguayan 15 goals in 14 matches this term, as PSG stayed four points clear in France. Neymar is also set to return after serving a domestic one-match ban following his red card against Marseille. Anderlecht have yet to register a goal or point in this season’s group stage, with their last away win in the Champions League proper coming in December 2005.

GROUP C Atletico Madrid (ESP) vs Qarabag (AZE) DIEGO SIMEONE’S Atletico Madrid are still searching for their first win of the competition after a goalless draw in Azerbaijan a fortnight ago. They are in danger of missing out on the knockout stages for the first time since failing to qualify at all in 2012-13. The Spanish side have made a solid start in La Liga and are unbeaten in their first 10 games, but sit eight points adrift of leaders Barcelona in fourth place after five draws. Although Qarabag picked up their first Champions League point in Baku, Atletico will be expected to have little trouble in closing the gap on Chelsea and Roma, ahead of a home match against the Italians and a crucial visit to Stamford Bridge.

GROUP D Olympiakos (Gre) vs Barcelona (Esp) BARCELONA could secure a last-16 place tomorrow morning. A fourth straight group-stage win in Greece would book a knockout spot unless Sporting Lisbon beat Juventus. Ernesto Valverde’s men are on a 14-match unbeaten run in all competitions since losing both legs of the Spanish Super Cup to Real Madrid. The five-time European champions are flying high in Spain, having only dropped two points in their first 10 outings. Barca talisman Lionel Messi is La Liga’s top-scorer so far this term with 12 goals and has also netted three times from three Champions League outings. The first meeting two weeks ago saw Barcelona ease to a 3-1 win with only 10 men, while Olympiakos, bottom of Group D, will be eliminated if they lose and Sporting fail

to beat Juventus.

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