José Mourinho’s irritation with the “movie” that Manchester City released last week was mild compared with his anger at the horror show that Manchester United made him sit through when losing at Brighton in May. He did not want to see a repeat of that performance on his latest visit. But the sequel was worse.
In May there was an excuse. Mourinho had not picked a full-strength team, instead giving a clutch of fringe players a chance to impress before the FA Cup final. They blew it. “Some of them are not as good as they think they are,” Mourinho said after that match before confessing to a failure of his own: “I did not succeed in persuading them the points were important.” Maybe he felt like bawling something similar after this reverse but he said he could not reveal his true thoughts.
That, like this week’s televisual trolling by the makers of City’s All or Nothing documentary, spoke of the same reality – a world in which Mourinho wields less control than he once did. For most of his career no one could mock his decisions even if they did not admire his vision. Now his neighbours are broadcasting jibes at him from the top of the podium (although he has not become totally powerless, as his well-aimed riposte proved). And his squad contains players who do not seem to be responding to his methods.
None of United’s players emerged with credit from this collective malfunction at Brighton. They were chaotic defensively and mostly impotent in attack. Even when they were two goals down they could not summon an onslaught like United teams of old.
The displays of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial were particularly interesting given their relationships with the manager have appeared under strain even if United have scoffed at reports of a clash with Pogba and suggestions that the midfielder would like to leave Old Trafford. The inclusion of Martial here, meanwhile, suggested an attempt to build bridges with a player Mourinho criticised last month for leaving United’s tour to attend the birth of his child.
Pogba started the season well during United’s win over Leicester but consistency has eluded him at United and he did not even make it two good performances in a row here.
Martial ballooned a cross from the left over the bar in the seventh minute and that was all he did in the first half until getting booked for pulling down Anthony Knockaert. He could have been replaced during the break but Mourinho withdrew Juan Mata instead, the Spaniard having been even less effective, notably forsaking Ashley Young to cope with two attackers in the buildup to Brighton’s first goal. Martial did not improve and was replaced on the hour.
Pogba was involved in Brighton’s second goal, making a feeble attempt to clear a corner before the ball ricocheted around the penalty area and Shane Duffy scored. That was symptomatic of Pogba’s performance. Some observers have a base tendency to talk up his physical prowess to the detriment of his finesse but here he showed almost no qualities at all. Displays such as this will endear him neither to United nor to would-be buyers such as Barcelona.
Pogba converted a penalty in stoppage time but his contribution was better encapsulated by a vignette in the first period when he tried to pirouette between Glenn Murray and Knockaert midway inside his own half. He was dispossessed easily and then fouled Knockaert.
Pogba had hoped to spend most of the match on the front foot after being assigned an advanced role in front of the two janitors in United’s midfield, Andreas Pereira and Fred. That scheme had looked tolerable against Leicester even though Claude Puel’s side had spells of dominance – at least United had looked solid. But here their midfield flailed in the face of Brighton’s dynamism.
Pereira, making his second start after being forgiven by Mourinho for going on loan to Spain last season against the manager’s advice, was removed at half-time after several misplaced passes and lost duels.
United’s midfield flakiness exposed their inadequacy at the back. Victor Lindelöf and Eric Bailly were often discombobulated in the centre while Young floundered at right-back. The panic that preceded Brighton’s third goal – a penalty following a foul by Bailly – was typical.
As Mourinho surveyed the mess from the sideline, he no doubt found himself pining for the defensive recruits he had hoped to sign this summer. But Lindelöf and Bailly were bought on his watch and now transfers are another thing over which he no longer has as much control. There are many people at United who need to get a grip.