Mourinho hails United turnaround
IT has become a recurring theme for Manchester United. Impersonate a relegation team for half an hour and then play the second half like champions.
Following on from great comebacks against Newcastle and Chelsea, Jose Mourinho’s side were at it again on the south coast.
Over-run by Bournemouth from the opening whistle, Mourinho admitted to Eddie Howe afterwards United should have been 5-1 down at interval.
Instead, they were level with Anthony Martial equalising against the run of play following Callum Wilson’s opener, and in the second period United were rampant long before substitute Marcus Rashford settled the game in injury-time.
‘We were a very lucky team in the first half. It should have been game over,’ admitted Mourinho. ‘Then in the second half, we were unlucky because we should have scored three or four goals. Traditionally, it’s called a game of two halves.
‘Any kind of defensive mistake seems to trigger instability.
‘It looks like we don’t work in the week on tactics, which is the worst thing for me, because we do. But the good thing is that this team has a face of fantastic character, and the result of games is never over.’
Victory hauls United level on points with their hosts, and while that is an absolute minimum requirement for a club of that size, they are picking up results despite some disastrous starts.
Bournemouth had played with all the energy and effervescence Howe would have wanted in the first half. ‘One of the best 45 minutes since we came into the Premier League,’ he said afterwards.
The only downside was that Wilson’s seventh goal of the season was all they had to show for it, the striker sweeping in a Junior Stanislas cross from six yards. David de Gea saved from Ryan Fraser and there were also misses by David Brooks and Stanislas.
United were a shambles but even in their worst times, they have enough individual quality to turn games. Alexis Sanchez set up Martial for the leveller and sub Rashford controlled Paul Pogba’s cross to clinch matters.