Jose’s tactics cause concern
– Jose Mourinho will be desperate for his Manchester United side to put their defensive woes behind them against the Premier League’s bottom club Fulham but the form book suggests they may struggle to do so.
An exciting, if error-strewn, 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford in midweek means United have conceded 25 goals in their 15 Premier League games to date.
Alarmingly, only the division’s bottom five teams have a worse defensive record and United have managed to record just two clean sheets all season – in a win at Burnley and a goalless home draw with Crystal Palace.
Injuries have not helped Mourinho’s cause but nor has his general tendency this season to chop and change his team selections.
Against Arsenal, Mourinho made seven changes from the weekend draw at Southampton, meaning he has made a total of 46 in the opening 15 games, more than any other team.
The past two games have seen Mourinho opt for a three-man defence, employing wing-backs higher up the field, although there has again been a lack of consistency in his selections.
At Southampton, Mourinho opted for Phil Jones, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic as his three central defenders, a bold choice given two of those players are considered midfielders.
Four days later, for the visit of Arsenal, Mourinho opted for Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo, playing in the first team for the first time this season.
Smalling and Bailly were both carrying injuries while, to further add to the uncertainty in defence, Mourinho also handed a full league debut to 19-year-old Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot as his right wing-back and handed Matteo Darmian just his third appearance of the campaign on the other wing.
Unsurprisingly, United’s defence looked terrible in conceding goals to Shkodran Mustafi, courtesy of a dreadful mistake by goalkeeper David de Gea, and a Rojo own goal.
Fulham, bottom and with just 15 league goals in as many games, should offer United’s defence a slightly easier challenge. – AFP
We have to be happy with the spirit, the effort, the dynamism, the intensity. Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager