The Modernist wrote:He rejigged the defence for tonight's game, but obviously to no avail. A supposedly sound defence has been their main strength under Mourinho, so if that goes he's in big trouble as they're never going to be free scoring.
I think for the first time I can remember in English football, he looks tactically shot at the moment. He's becoming the new "tinker man", never picking the same players or formations or tactics. And he can clearly blame the central defenders last night, without actually doing so, and say he never bought those...but he did spend over £60 million on Bailly and Lindelof and they were equally as bad last week (and were both dropped this week). Who knows where he got the idea to play Herrera as a centre back in a three, or Pogba (I think) right of a top two/three. To be honest when, after 90 minutes, no one quite knows exactly what formation they did actually play - or who filled which roles within that- then it suggests they were a shambles. Which they were.
I think in the walk off the pitch and the interview afterwards I saw an emotion I don't recall from Jose last nght - fear. Pure naked fear. I think he knows it's only a matter of time before the Man Utd experiment is over - and he'll go as a failure. A failure that wasted a huge amount of money on decidedly average players and never got them to perform. And set a few promising youngsters back too - maybe irreparably. The first real blot on his management CV.
One last thing - Ed Woodward is not coming out of this with any credit either. The press briefing that completely undermined Mourinho on the eve of the first match, and the sulking/scowling/shaking of the head in the stands (quite clearly for the benefit of the cameras/the Glazer's) has been absolutely appalling. Hopefully he'll get sent on his way too - but I very much doubt that, because he makes loads of money for the club/the Glazer's. And that seems to be all that matters.