The scoreline may have only been 1-0, but Manchester United’s defeat to Juventus was as emphatic as any they have suffered so far this season
Recent results had inspired faint hope at Old Trafford, easing the pressure that has been building on José Mourinho ever since the shock 3-2 loss at Brighton in August.
The thrilling fightback against Newcastle, as well as a creditable draw at Stamford Bridge, showed just what this United team are capable of when there is no other option but to attack. Those performances led to murmurs of a resurgence; United were back, Mourinho could still turn things around, and there was nothing to worry about.
But of course they weren’t, he seemingly can’t, and there is plenty to leave the red half of Manchester troubled by sleepless nights.
Facing their biggest challenge of the season so far, United were completely outclassed by a Juventus team who barely had to get out of second gear – despite suffering a setback of their own in Serie A last weekend. Dybala’s early goal put them in the driving seat, while Miralem Pjanić was granted license to drive the team in whichever direction he pleased.
The midfield battle was non-existent. As Pjanić pulled the strings, with protection provided either side from Blaise Matuidi and Rodrigo Bentancur, United’s disjointed triangle of Nemanja Matić, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata showed no signs of cohesion with or without the ball.
"Where are you going to finish in your CL Group, Jose?" pic.twitter.com/alLuM5jXLg
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 23, 2018
United began to creep back into the game in the second half, but a lack of incisive movement in attack prevented them from creating any clear cut chances. The closest they came to an equaliser was Pogba hitting the post in a moment of individual brilliance, which is becoming far too common an occurrence in a team that appears weaker than the sum of its parts.
The most pressing issue is, fittingly, the lack of pressing. It’s well known that Mourinho prefers to play without the ball rather than coach attacking patterns, but by leaving his players to work it out for themselves they have all too often slipped into disarray. The Portuguese may have to admit that his methods need updating if he is to get the best out of this group and last the season.
With such a fragile defence – who, to Victor Lindelof’s credit, remained solid for most of the game – Mourinho must ditch his famed pragmatism by adopting a more attacking approach. Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford have all struggled in recent weeks, but their talent is being stifled by the manager’s decisions. They need direction, support from midfield, and most of all ideas.
United were not embarrassed by Juventus, but it was a stark reminder that the fleeting encouragement of their last two matches merely papered over the cracks. There are big problems that loom beneath the surface, and time is running out for Mourinho to escape them.
