Daily Mirror

A STAGGERING, FERGIE-LIKE 20-MINUTE COMEBACK THAT JUST PAPERED OVER THE CRACKS GAME THAT PUT MOURINHO ON AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOAS­TER

United’s superstars FINALLY stood up to be counted and earned Jose a bit more time

- BY DAVID McDONNELL @DiscoMirro­r

MANCHESTER UNITED produced a stirring comeback straight out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s back catalogue to give Jose Mourinho a stay of execution.

But it will take more than this papering-over-the-cracks victory against a beleaguere­d, winless Newcastle to provide compelling proof United are moving forward under Mourinho.

For 70 minutes, they played without spirit or purpose, their abject performanc­e laying bare the vulnerabil­ity, anxiety and lack of confidence he has engendered within his group of players.

But from somewhere deep within themselves, profession­al pride stirred them into action and provided the catalyst for an epic second-half recovery.

Yet United’s next run of six games, after the internatio­nal break, will be the true barometer of their prowess, starting with a trip to Chelsea, then a visit by Juventus, ending with Manchester City away on November 11.

The break could not have come at a worse time for United, who will have craved another game straight away, into which to take the momentum from this galvanisin­g and moraleboos­ting win.

Yet once the euphoria at Old Trafford had subsided after a breathless second-half, culminatin­g in Alexis Sanchez’s 90th-minute winner, flaws that have plagued Mourinho’s side were still evident.

The haphazard defending, uncertaint­y and lack of confidence when in possession could have seen them three or four nil down by halftime and Mourinho facing a humiliatin­g end to his tenure.

But this win, against the odds with Newcastle 2-0 up at the break and United rudderless, looks to have bought Mourinho time, as he works against a backdrop of increasing uncertaint­y over his future.

If United defend as abysmally against Chelsea as they did in the first-half here, conceding twice in the first 10 minutes, they will be pulverised.

A team of Chelsea, Manchester City or Liverpool’s merciless attacking calibre would have put them to the sword by the break.

Yet United’s fortune was to come up against a Newcastle side who, once ahead, simply did not have the quality, nous or game-management to kill a game they should have won.

And after such an inspiratio­nal comeback, Reds fans are entitled to ask why their team cannot start games in that fashion – on the front foot, taking the game to their opponents, in keeping with the club’s rich attacking heritage.

Defender Luke Shaw acknowledg­ed as much when he revealed details of the heated team talk which inspired their second-half display.

“A lot of strong words were said in the changing-room at half-time and everything that was said was correct and needed,” said Shaw. “Two nil down at home to Newcastle is really bad and the talk helped us, the changes helped us.

“We came out a new side in the second half, what we should be like in every game. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be like that with the quality we have.

“I’ve said many times after games that we’ve so much quality, but we’re not utilising that.

“But as we kicked off for the second-half, something inside of me felt it was meant to be, we were meant to come back, we were meant to win.

“The fans were amazing, especially in the second half, and that really pushed us on.”

Goals from Kenedy on seven minutes and Yoshinori Muto three minutes later stunned the home crowd into silence, and Newcastle could have won had they taken the multitude of chances afforded thereafter by their obliging hosts.

But they paid the price for failing to do so, with goals from Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Sanchez giving United and Mourinho the victory they desperatel­y needed after four winless games.

It may still not be enough to keep him at the helm. But the players here proved, with the way they turned the game, they have been cheating their manager, their fans and themselves with their sub-standard displays and now is the time to stand up and show their true worth.

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