Manager is the real problem

IS it any surprise that Manchester United’s central defenders made mistakes? Jose Mourinho made the first blunder of United’s season by publicly demanding new signings all summer. In doing so, he was effectively telling his players that they are not good enough. It creates doubt within the group. Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly played as if they were on borrowed time and the whole team looked shorn of confidence. Every misplaced pass was applauded by the Brighton fans. Manchester United players need to be able to handle that but it did not seem like they could. Mourinho remains an outstanding manager. Some have argued that his frustrations over the summer are signs that he is angling to get away but I do not believe that to be the case. He is determined to be successful with United. His relentless quest for perfection, however, is suffocating his players. He talked about class last week. Where he can show class is to admit that he is as much a part of the problem as his players and that he is determined to change his approach.