THE VERDICT: UNITED 0 SPURS 3
THE Glazer family and Ed Woodward are reaping what they have sown.
For 45 minutes, the makeshift United defence just about functioned against Harry Kane, but within 10 minutes of the restart Jose Mourinho’s managerial reign was unravelling again.
Two goals. Two defensive mistakes and the guilty parties were recalled players. Kane exerted his superiority over Phil Jones and Ander Herrera – yes, central defender Ander Herrera – forgot the memo and played Christian Eriksen onside. Lucas Moura made it 2-0. Then 3-0 late on. The culprit? Another United defender, Chris Smalling.
“You’re getting sacked in the morning,” chirped the Spurs fans, before that segued into ‘You’re not special anymore.’ Mourinho’s mood soured badly. Herrera was hooked for Sanchez amid indecision over Jones, apparently injured but insistent he was fine. Mourinho berated the United physio and three minutes later Jones was withdrawn for Victor Lindelof, the Reds having wasted a substitute.
Successive defeats, talk of a managerial change and a plane banner protest lined up at Burnley on Sunday. The United crest will be cracked in half on more newspaper back pages this morning. Everyone has seen this film before and the ending is a predictable one.
The Reds’ hierarchy’s miserliness suggests Champions League qualification is a certainty under Mourinho when it is anything but. He was sacked with Chelsea 16th in December 2015 and United finished sixth two seasons ago, returning to club football’s elite through the Europa League catflap. It is cash over glory. Complacency.
Mourinho cannot hide behind the Woodward excuse every game, even if Toby Alderweireld’s intervention on the hour mark was a reminder of the required class United fall well short of. For a manager who was seemingly so alarmed by the porousness at Brighton he still took a risk with an emergency None Kane (50), Moura (52, 84) 57% 43% 23 9 5 2 Rose 74,400 Herrera, Valencia, Kane, Moura, Craig Pawson defender in Herrera. The jittery Jones was fortunate not to concede a penalty in a first period where Spurs lacked incision, much to their manager’s animated chagrin. Once they addressed that, they were two goals up.
United’s defence has become like the Argo operation, only they might not have a best worse idea. Jones and Smalling, recalled perhaps on the strength of them neutering Kane in the FA Cup semi-final in April, were also the axis that Spurs swamped in January. Jones scored an own goal that evening – and endured a worse one last night.
Mourinho switched to a back three, a ploy that he had been considering since July. Nemanja Matic was originally ear-