Underperforming United players lashed

Manchester – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho (right) openly criticised four of his key stars after yet another frustrating league game at Old Trafford ended in a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Mourinho’s side have now drawn eight league games at home this season, and in seven of them they were comfortably the more dominant team but ultimately failed to turn possession and chances into goals.

The latest disappointment on Saturday followed that pattern with United enjoying 75% possession against Albion but failing to end a run of home draws that has left them facing an uphill task if they are to finish in the top four.

And Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial found themselves publically criticised by Mourinho as a United team without six key players through injury or suspension, took their total of home points dropped in drawn games to 16 for the campaign.

“This is deja vu all season,” said Mourinho. “We’re not consistent. We miss easy chances. We have moments or periods when we push but then a couple of players disappear for 10 minutes.

“You always see the same people, the same guys in front of the train, pulling the train.

“We need to kill off teams. When you see the number of goals we score compared to our domination, it’s a big contradiction.

“If you’re somebody who doesn’t know, you would think we’re a defensive team, a counter-attack team, waiting for opponents’ mistakes. And it’s completely the opposite.”

Mourinho’s decision to single out his under-performing stars by name is not an option usually taken by modern managers.

And his words could easily be taken as a warning to the quartet as he prepares for a busy summer in the transfer market.

“In teams that want to win things, you need consistency in individuals,” said Mourinho.

“In some other clubs where you are playing for the top 10, any player with talent is welcome, even if that talent is not consistent, even if that talent is one day yes, one day no.”

For all Mourinho’s anger, he saw United stretch their unbeaten run to 19 league games and their total of three league defeats is now joint-best in the division, along with Tottenham. –