Jose Mourinho could be on the brink of a Manchester United exit after his side’s latest limp defeat, a 3-1 loss at West Ham.
Felipe Anderson and a Victor Lindelof own goal put United 2-0 down at halftime, and though Marcus Rashford scored off the bench to briefly give the team hope, Marko Arnautovic killed any comeback shortly after to help the Hammers record a famous win.
For Mourinho, it was a case of muddled selection and tactics contributing to a heavy loss, yet again. Here’s a closer look at the manager’s decisions.
KEY STATS
Goals – 1
Shots – 9
Shots on target – 4
Possession – 52%
Tackles – 9
30-SECOND REPORT
Mourinho’s team selection raised eyebrows as for the second time this season, he picked a midfielder to start on the right side of a back three, slotting Scott McTominay alongside Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof in a 3-5-2. Further forward, Anthony Martial was given a start alongside Romelu Lukaku with Alexis Sanchez dropped.
None of his decisions worked, however, as United looked ragged at the back and in possession and toothless in attack.
Their midfield was forced to play too far deep because of the side’s defensive frailties, meaning Lukaku and Martial were often isolated from each other and the rest of the team. Meanwhile, the two wingbacks, Ashley Young and Luke Shaw, were poor, with Shaw having his first bad game of the season. The service just wasn’t there for United’s strikers, while West Ham exploited both flanks in attack.
And the decision to take Paul Pogba off while chasing the game will be heavily scrutinised – though it must be said, the midfielder had a poor game.
Mourinho took Pogba off early, a decision that will be questioned.
TACTICAL TALKING POINT
3-5-2 with McTominay at centre-back
Mourinho’s decision to opt for a hybrid 3-5-2/5-3-2 was strange in itself, though his desire to tweak things in order to spark something after drawing against Wolves last weekend and then losing to Derby in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday was at least understandable.
However, slotting in a midfielder yet again, like he did against Tottenham with Ander Herrera, was a disastrous call. Here, it was McTominay, and the Scot looked out of his depth at centre-back, as one would expect from a young midfielder thrust into an unfamiliar role.
Just as importantly, Mourinho’s selection handed the initiative to West Ham, as the defensive nature of his set-up gave West Ham time and space to attack. All in all, the manager’s gamble ended up being a recipe for disaster.
VERDICT
United were hamstrung by the way Mourinho set them up, and the subsequent result could very well have signalled the beginning of the end for his time at the club. They could end the weekend in the bottom half – something needs to change.
RATING – 4/10
