Manchester United and boss Jose Mourinho have struggled for top-flight wins of late
It seems that Manchester United and Jose Mourinho may be well-suited to each at the moment.
Both are former Premier League winners that seem to be finding winning games in the top-flight pretty difficult at the moment.
United drew against Everton 1-1 at Goodison Park in a lacklustre affair.
The Red Devils shot themselves in the foot in the 88th minute, as substitute Marouane Fellaini gave away a penalty to give Everton an unexpected chance to equalise. Leighton Baines made no mistake with the spot-kick and United drew yet again in the top-flight.
United shaded the Everton game
In truth, the Everton v United game was not one for fans of the beautiful game or anybody really. It was two teams looking like they slightly lack attacking ideas and quality at times.
The two goals arrived through individual mistakes. Outrushing Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg was at fault for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s opening goal. Meanwhile, Fellaini cannot avoid the blame for the penalty kick.
The game was poor, to be honest. If I had not been covering the game or a fan of one of the teams I would have switched my TV over to something less dull like the painting drying channel.
The two teams had so much worth of talent on the pitch. Yet it proved to be a game that very few would call a classic.
United are not ruthless enough
United boss Jose Mourinho can moan all he likes about his team not getting the wins they deserve. His team are just not ruthless enough. At 1-0 Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera hit the woodwork.
The effort would have finished the game as a contest. Everton were completely bereft of attacking ideas, despite the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas being on the pitch.
Everton did not look an attacking threat for most of the game. However, in the final ten minutes, you could see the United defence dropping deeper and deeper. It was like the Red Devils were playing against a Manchester City, Chelsea or Liverpool.
This game was against an Everton team that has struggled for quality and confidence in recent months. Yet United played into their hands by dropping deeper and allowing the Toffees to pin them back in their own half.
The goal was quite a surprise. However, it probably shouldn’t have been considering the lack of ruthlessness in the current United team. The Red Devils have consistency given away points in the last few months.
The dropped points are not that what we are accustomed to seeing from Jose Mourinho teams. The Portuguese boss has been a master of shutting up shop in winning positions and ‘parking the bus’.
However, his current Manchester United players do not currently seem able to produce the sort of bus parking that Mourinho has mastered over the years. Unfortunately for United it has led to the numerous dropping of points this season.
United will struggle to challenge for the top-four
Manchester United started the campaign as one of the favourites to win the title. However, at the moment they may have a job on their hands to even challenge for a top-four spot, something they are odds of 11/4 to achieve.
The top-five will be seen as teams competing for the title. Meanwhile, United are sixth and struggling to win games in the top-flight. United are currently nine points behind arch-rivals Manchester City who are fourth in the table.
There is still plenty of time in the season for things to change. However, at the moment the Red Devils just do not look strong enough to be fighting at the top end of the table.
United’s problem may not just be quality, but a lack of mental strength. The Red Devils have drawn six of their last eight games in the top-flight, failing to close games out in many of those encounters.
Quite simply Manchester United and their high-profile boss are struggling with the notion that they are no longer winners anymore. If they want to return to their glorious Premier League pasts then both need to start producing or the relationship could turn very sour very soon.
Where do Manchester United’s biggest problems lie?
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