Jose Mourinho is under pressure, suffering back to back defeats in the Premier League after his Manchester United side lost 3-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford last Monday. However, it’s time to scrutinise the men on the pitch in the player ratings.
Manchester United have now lost two of their opening three games of the season for the first time since 1992. That season United went on to win the league with six famous academy graduates in their starting XI. Forgive me for thinking of the metaphor, lightning never strikes twice.
The match on Monday was one which started so brightly for Mourinho’s men with Fred squirming a shot wide in the opening minute. United were full of energy and first to pick up all the second balls.
However, as usual so far this season, there seemed to be little pattern or flow to United’s play and Spurs grew into the game. There were warning signs prior to the break and after half-time Tottenham hit United with two sucker-punches as Harry Kane and Lucas Moura got on the scoresheet.
Moura made it three well into the final ten minutes of the match, killing Mourinho’s slim chances of inspiring a late comeback. And despite some rather bizzare calls from the Portuguese-man, the players put in some poor performances of their own.
Player ratings
David De Gea – 6
De Gea once again could do little about any of the goals on Monday. Due to the poor defending on show, the Spanish number one has been left helpless on countless occasions.
Perhaps we are starting to see what could have been over the past few years had David De Gea not been the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for four out of the past five seasons!