José Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford attracted quite some attention. Rumour said United dressing room was against him when he was the Red Devils’ manager. Players including Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, and Romelo Lukaku were leading the unrest. Mourinho’s career at Old Trafford was considered a failure. Yet the funny thing is, the Europa League trophy under the Portuguese is the only major trophy of Man United in the recent few years. When asked about “revenge”, the former United Manager said it’s nothing about revenge. However, the performance of Tottenham showed otherwise.
“Outmatched”
Martial’s red card at the 29th minute completely shifted the balance. Mourinho’s attacking combination destroyed United’s disastrous backline in counter-attacks. Ole Gunnar Solskjær used Eric Bailly to replace Victor Lindelöf, hoping Bailly’s pace could solve the problem at the center-back position. It turned out Bailly was even more dreadful. The space in Man United’s backline was well-used by Son and Kane. When Kane received the ball at midfield, he was supported Ndombele and Lamela, who delivered great contributions in transitions. Lamela proved himself to be one of the key players in Mourinho’s system. The Argentinian played like a “sideline attacking-midfield”, who plays at the winger position while carrying out the function of an attacking midfielder. Lamela’s consistent movement from the sideline to the midfield provided energy and fluidity in Tottenham’s attack. As a result, Kane could easily get the ball at the third and pick out Son’s behind-the-back runs. Sergio Aurier also found more space when Lamela shifted to the center.
With Man United playing with 10 men, Tottenham easily ripped the incompetence of their opponents’ backline. When Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire struggled to cover the penalty area, Pogba and Matic were not able to provide enough support in defense, given their lack of agility in terms of covering the back. 1-6 is a seemingly shocking yet fair result based on the tactical and squad problems mentioned above.
What’s next?
It seems that Man United lacked a player who can drop back and support the transition, which often exposes Pogba to opposing pressure. Tottenham’s pressure on Pogba was effective and caused the French midfielder to lose the ball in dangerous areas multiple times. Jadon Sancho would be a perfect fit. Yet the transfer is highly unlikely to be completed before the deadline. Solskjær will have to solve the problem using the players he has. The newly signed Alex Telles might help cover some of the functions since the Brazilian full-back is a great dribbler and long-passer. Still, United needs Sancho or a similar player. On the other hand, the center-back position is beyond saving for the Red Devils. Unless any of the current center-backs can recover their form quickly, United will have to look for a new signing build an at least stable backline. Things won’t be easy for Solskjær. Although some might argue the loss against Tottenham is mainly due to Martial’s red card, no one can deny that Solskjær is outmatched by Mourinho both in tactics and decision-making. The young manager still has a lot to learn while United can not afford another disappointing season.
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