Jose can’t watch as Seagulls soar
much. Bailly had conceded a corner for no apparent reason. Captain Paul Pogba failed to win the challenge at the far post against Shane Duffy, then left him unmarked when the ball was worked back to him so he could side-foot it in.
The snarling, maniacal Mourinho was back, shouting at the world in a whirlwind of anger. He needed that rage to be channelled into aggression on the pitch. That is what United players used to do when Sir Alex Ferguson lost his rag.
But with a captain worried about being fined for media comments, nobody seemed keen to do the talking on the pitch either.
Pogba wasted possession with over-complicated dribbles and even hit a short side-footed pass out to touch with nobody in a red shirt in sight. There were others at fault too – it’s just he is the most expensive.
As it was, Luke Shaw did provide some of the tenacity United sorely needed, winning a far-post challenge in the 34th minute against two defenders that saw the ball balloon up to Lukaku to head in.
It should have been United’s cue to get back into the game but before the break Bailly needlessly clattered into Pascal Gross, conceded a penalty and, when Gross himself converted off De Gea’s shin, it was as much as Mourinho could bear to watch. The second half was little better. Even when Duffy caught the standing foot of Marouane Fellaini in injury time and Pogba dispatched the penalty, Mourinho remained inscrutable.
Unfortunately, if he is to find any answers, this is one DVD that he will have to watch this week.
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