A fourth successive win-less game and another dire performance, Manchester United\u2019s 0-0 Champions League draw with Valencia on Tuesday extended the club\u2019s current crisis.<\/p>\n
It also prompted their manager, Jose Mourinho, to question his role in their struggles.<\/p>\n
With media reports intensifying in the past few days that former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was being lined up for Mourinho\u2019s job, the Portuguese cut a deflated figure at the post-match news conference.<\/p>\n
Admitting he too was at fault for United\u2019s poor start to the season, Mourinho took some responsibility for backfiring tactics and team selection which he had previously defended adamantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there are things that are difficult for me to say. I think you have enough reasons to criticise me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had probably a couple of the biggest chances to win it but I have accepted the result as a fair result.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said in pre-season last season was phenomenal to finish second, (in the English Premier League (EPL). And I don\u2019t say more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n
United\u2019s second-place finish last term flattered their cagey performances, but the formula \u2014 heavily reliant on goalkeeper David De Gea\u2019s consistent heroics \u2014 was less likely to yield success this season.<\/p>\n
With United seemingly lacking depth and quality in all departments to launch a title challenge, it is questionable whether axing Mourinho would bring an instant change of fortunes.<\/p>\n
Although Mourinho may be on borrowed time, with United nine points off the pace in the EPL after they were also dumped out of the League Cup by second-tier Derby County, the current squad look unlikely to start firing on all cylinders under another manager.<\/p>\n
A shaky defence looks in constant need of protection by a midfield lacking creativity.<\/p>\n
This has the effect of forcing the forwards to drop deep in a predictable pattern, no matter how often the team\u2019s formation is reshuffled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have the technical quality to build from the back,\u201d said Mourinho, conceding United\u2019s most glaring weakness, which West Ham exploited to devastating effect in Saturday\u2019s 3-1 win.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur attacking players aren\u2019t in their best moments of confidence and individual level,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mourinho then showed how far expectations have been lowered at the club, which dominated English football for two decades under former manager Alex Ferguson.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have Newcastle before the league stops (for the international break) then we have Chelsea and Juventus in three days. It will be good for the team if we can beat Newcastle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Judging by United\u2019s results and performances, victory against the EPL\u2019s 18th-placed team, who have racked up two points from seven games and scored only four goals in the process, cannot be taken for granted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A fourth successive win-less game and another dire performance, Manchester United\u2019s 0-0 Champions League draw with Valencia on Tuesday extended the club\u2019s current crisis. It also prompted their manager, Jose…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":31001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[462,463],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Jose-Mourinho-960.jpg?fit=960%2C620&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8580,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/mourinho-drops-england-internationals-rooney-carrick-jones\/","url_meta":{"origin":61330,"position":0},"title":"AGAIN? 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