VULNERABLE VISITORS ARE THERE FOR THE TAKING

I CAN’T remember a Manchester United team who have ever been so vulnerable. When they line up at Anfield tomorrow, they are there for the taking. It is not because United lack quality. The players are struggling because they are devoid of confidence. The last thing I would say to my team-mates before every game was: ‘Don’t forget to enjoy it.’ I still say it to my colleagues in the commentary box before a broadcast. In any field of work, you can’t hope to be successful if there is no enjoyment in what you do. Watch Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp and there is a real joy in the way they embrace their players. They want to share in their success. Jose Mourinho does not seem to have a relationship worthy of the name with his stars. Rarely do you see him smile and he cuts a distant, lonely figure. When there is no shared bond between the manager and players, it reflects in the performances. Phil Jones scored an own goal in Valencia because he panicked. When confidence is so low, how can anybody thrive? Mourinho has risked alienating his players with his public criticism. I have been in dressing rooms when managers have behaved this way and it feels like they are trying to destroy you. Eventually you have to ignore what they are saying and put your energy into playing for the shirt and the fans, rather than your manager. The United players who are playing well — Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard — are almost doing so in defiance. On the pitch, United are not being given a platform to perform. The players I felt most sorry for in Valencia were Fred and Andreas Pereira. Whenever they got on the ball, there was no movement in front of them and they could only go sideways or backwards. There was a moment when Pereira hit a brilliant shot from distance almost out of frustration at his lack of passing options. Valencia, sitting 15th in La Liga, gave United a footballing lesson. Now United are facing a Liverpool team top of the Premier League. It seems highly unlikely United can win — but equally it seemed impossible they would beat Juventus. That 2-1 win in Turin was the standout result in European football this season. With Liverpool 16 points ahead of United, Mourinho needs another monumental result just to save face — never mind his job.