'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United missed a very good chance to top their group and avoid a tougher draw in the knockout stage after losing 2-1 to the Spanish side, Valencia. Juventus’ defeat to the Swiss side, Young Boys, meant United (had they beaten Valencia) would have topped the group. But, it wasn’t to be, courtesy of a bad performance, and a few individual errors.
The lack of harmony between the players and the manager has been the main issue all season, and it was there for all to see against Valencia. For most parts of the game, United were put on the back-foot by the Spanish side who sit 15th in LaLiga, and they looked out of ideas every time the front foot was called upon.
These are some of the players who must take responsibility for this defeat, and then some more if Manchester United lose on Sunday against league leaders, Liverpool.
#1 Jones did what Jones does
One goal and one assist in the game, a strikers dream and a defenders mare. Unfortunately, for Phil Jones, they both came in his own 18 yard box. It was his assist to Barragan Soler which led to Valencia’s opening goal in the 17th minute.
The howlers didn’t stop there, as he was the gift that kept on giving. Misplaced passes, getting dragged out of position, and unsure defending, were all part of Jones’ arsenal last night.
He scored an own-goal (4th of his career) from a position where clearing the ball looked more doable than scoring. You can put that down to lack of communication between the player and the goalkeeper, but the issue is that it wasn’t his first own-goal, thus he should have known better and done better.
#2 Lukaku and his touches
Another big-money signing by Jose Mourinho, the Belgian has the first touch of a cargo ship. To be fair to the manager, Lukaku had a very good season for Everton before the switch, and was one of the leading goal scorers in the league.
Furthermore, he had a great first season for United, scoring bucket loads of goals. You knew what Jose was trying to do with Lukaku, he wanted him to be the target man, just the way he made Drogba the target man at Chelsea.
Some of Lukaku’s touches against Valencia were atrocious, to say the least. They don’t just kill United’s attack in the final third, but also suck the confidence out of the entire team. He must improve if United have any ambitions to break into the top 4 in the league, and are to have any joy in the knockout stages in Europe.
#3 Clueless Pogba
If one has to sum the World Cup winner up, they just need to watch him fluffing his lines from 6-yards, only for the off-side flag to be raised by the linesman to save him the blushes. The replay showed that it was the wrong call, and the Frenchman wasn’t offside. But in a nutshell, one gets the idea that he isn’t up to it for United, not in this abject form at any rate.
His confidence, already deteriorated, has hit rock bottom, and he looks an abject figure every time he puts on the United shirt. He is a shadow of his former self, and it’s no surprise that the strained player-manager relationship is one of the chief reasons behind it.
#4 Fred terrible again
Fred had a brilliant Champions League season for the Ukrainian side, Shakhtar Donetsk, last season. That was when Manchester United made the Brazilian one of their top priorities in the summer.
But ever since his move to United, he has struggled to regain his form, and produced yet another abysmal performance at the Mestalla. The performances have been so underwhelming that he is yet to get a full 90 minutes under his belt in the competition.
He showed passion and energy in bits and pieces, but nothing constructive came out of it, and he was shortly subbed by the manager. His name in the starting line-up against Valencia was also a strong indication that the manager has very little faith in him for the big game on Sunday at Anfield, and he is more likely to warm the bench again.
The problems aren’t over yet for Mourinho, as the uninspiring display from his team forced him into making substitutions. Marcus Rashford came on for Fred, and Jesse Lingard for Lukaku. United’s attack looked much better in the second half as the game progressed, as they were the solutions to the problems United should not have had in the first place.
Jose picked the starting XI for this game for a reason. He wanted his key players to be rested and ready for Liverpool. But the above said players made it difficult for the manager, and now everyone at United has their work cut out on Sunday.
