NO IDENTITY, CONSUMED BY NEGATIVITY. IT’S TIME TO GO

I JUST cannot see how Manchester United can turn things around with Jose Mourinho at the helm. It is time for him to go.

During their abject surrender at the london Stadium on Saturday, United no longer looked like a top- six side — never mind a team challenging for the title.

almost from day one of pre-season, United have been consumed by negativity. I was criticised recently for suggesting that arsenal could finish ahead of them. When you watch Unai Emery’s team, there is a clear style of play emerging and a togetherness among the players and staff.

United are the complete opposite: no identity whatsoever on the pitch and in-fighting from one week to the next off it.

This team finished second last season and were runners-up in the Fa Cup but Mourinho has allowed the atmosphere surrounding the club to become toxic.

he does not seem willing to back down in his feud with Paul Pogba. Of course, Pogba is not blameless. he has been out of control in recent weeks, criticising his manager’s tactics after the draw with Wolves and posting on Instagram during the defeat by Derby.

But Mourinho cannot resist having the last word. he must have known that the cameras were rolling when he had his frosty exchange with Pogba at training.

Can you imagine those scenes playing out in public with Sir alex Ferguson in charge? he

had his fair share of falling-outs with big players — I think of Jaap Stam, David Beckham and Roy Keane — but Ferguson left us in little doubt who was boss. He always came back stronger and kept delivering success.

Mourinho can defuse the negativity with positive results but he is making a mess of two things within his control: picking the team and tactics.

Some of his selection decisions have been bizarre. First it was Ander Herrera playing at centre back against Tottenham. Then, at West Ham, Scott McTominay was drafted in to play there while Eric Bailly — a centre half Mourinho bought for £30million — was left on the bench.

The performance itself was a mishmash. I wrote in these pages last week that watching United has become like watching Wimbledon in the 1980s, and there was no improvement on Saturday. Mourinho picked a team of sixfooters to try to win the game in the air and West Ham simply played them off the park.

Following a week of turmoil, this was an opportunity for the players to put things right on the pitch. Instead, they did not look bothered to even run around.

It is clear that some of the players have turned on their manager and it was damning that United greats such as Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes questioned their commitment.

You cannot doubt the record of success that Mourinho (right) has enjoyed, but that is in the past. He is the manager of Manchester United and his team are regressing fast. After three summers and more than £300m spent on players, do the club or the supporters really believe that Mourinho is the man to lead their club to glory?