Mourinho blames lack of intesity as Red Devils let top spot slip
MANCHESTER UNITED manager Jose Mourinho felt his side’s lack of intensity cost them dear as a much-changed Red Devils side blew the chance to top their Champions League after they slumped to a 2-1 loss at Valencia.
Progress to the last 16 was already assured ahead of the trip to the Mestalla, yet this was a chance for Paul Pogba and Co to prove their worth and secure a win that would see them top Group H in the unlikely event that Juventus slipped up in Switzerland.
The improbable played out 650 miles away as Young Boys secured a remarkable 2-1 win against the Serie A behemoths but United failed to capitalise as they lost by the same scoreline in Spain, with Marcus Rashford grabbing a late consolation after Carlos Soler struck and Phil Jones turned into his own goal.
It was a largely lifeless, incoherent display from Mourinho’s men and awful preparation for Sunday’s trip to Premier League-leading rivals Liverpool.
Mourinho said: “We scored two goals and instead of winning 2-1, we lost 2-1. I think we were too passive in the first half, quite comfortable with the ball but not with intensity and ambition.
“And in the second half I was pretty sure after speaking at half-time things could be different but we started the second half with an own goal, which gave Valencia a better position to control the game.
“I made the two changes and the team improved immediately. We started playing faster, arriving in more dangerous positions.
“We got to 2-1, probably we should get to 2-2 because we had a couple of important chances to equalise. We wasted the first half playing too comfortable and with not enough intensity.”
Soler, once a reported United target, put Valencia ahead 17 minutes into a first half that saw Pogba – back after two games on the bench – somehow miss a gilt-edged chance, unaware that offside had been wrongly signalled.
Any hope of a comeback disappeared seconds into the second half as Jones turned into his own net on a night that heaps unwanted scrutiny on United ahead of the trip to Anfield, despite Rashford leading a late push.
While the forward may have rubber-stamped a starting berth against Liverpool, none of Mourinho’s eight changes in Spain boosted their hopes after toiling against a side who lie 15th in the LaLiga standings.
Mourinho’s men were muddled at the back and little better going forwards.
Former Valencia favourite Juan Mata saw an effort deflected wide on his old stomping ground, before Pogba held his head in his