Are Jose Mourinho's Manchester United the unluckiest team in the Premier League?
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Updated 07/12/2016 at 08:30 GMT
Another day, another draw. Manchester United began the season as favourites to win the Premier League alongside Manchester City, but have slipped to 50-1 long shots with the 'Special One' suddenly becoming a draw specialist.
Jose Mourinho at Goodison Park.
Image credit: Eurosport
The Portuguese coach continued to lament his perceived ill fortune after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park, the latest Premier League match that he claimed his side should have won. Mourinho has watched his side draw six matches out of 14 this season, but believes they have paid a heavy price for failing to convert their chances.
"We are not getting the results we deserve," he said. "We are getting draws but deserving victory. Opposition are leaving the stadium super happy with points they don't deserve and we are leaving the stadium with a feeling we deserved more."
Does he have point about the dropped points? We look back at the six of the worst that have led to Mourinho's gloom.
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Mourinho: United aren't getting the results we deserve
October 2
Manchester United 1-1 Stoke City
It says enough that the visiting goalkeeper Lee Grant was named man of the match. He made eight saves as Joe Allen restored parity eight minutes from time after Anthony Martial's opening goal. Yet Stoke City were bottom of the Premier League when they visited Old Trafford, and United scored only once from 24 shots and 67 percent of possession. Not really acceptable.
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Stoke City's Joe Allen celebrates scoring their equaliser against Manchester United at Old Trafford
Image credit: Reuters
What Jose said:
Best United performance all season. It could have been 3-0 or 4-0 at half time, 6-0 at the end of the game, but the result was 1-1. But that's football. For me, a great performance. With a bad result, the reaction of the fans at the end of the game says absolutely everything. Stoke fought like they do every game. They came for a draw. They were lucky but luck is part of football and my tribute to them is that they're not guilty of our bad luck.
October 17
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0
A wretched match between two bitter rivals at Anfield. United enjoyed just 35 percent of possession, the lowest United have managed in a match since Opta began its data recording service 13 years ago. David de Gea produced two fabulous saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho to ensure United departed Anfield having made a point.
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Manchester United's David De Gea saves from Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho
Image credit: Reuters
What Jose said:
It is not the result we wanted, but it is a positive result. It is a result that stops a direct opponent getting three points at home, so not a bad result. The game was difficult for both teams but for longer periods it was more difficult for them than us. We controlled the game not just tactically but the emotion of the game. That was probably the quietest Anfield I had and I was expecting it to be the other way. It was a positive performance.
October 29
Manchester United 0-0 Burnley
Like Stoke, this was a match that saw the visiting goalkeeper Tom Heaton depart Old Trafford as man of the match. When Heaton was not halting the home surge, the woodwork and referee Mark Clattenburg apparently denied them. Mourinho was sent off for complaining too vociferously about Clattenburg's big call after Jon Flanagan appeared to fell Matteo Darmian inside the box. Ander Herrera was sent off in the 68th minute for a late challenge on Dean Marney which earned him a second booking as United's efforts on goal totalled 37 by close of play. Without a goal.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho kicks a water bottle
Image credit: Reuters
What Jose said:
The United manager avoided the post-match press conference after his sending off, but assistant Rui Faria confirmed his contentment.
For sure, Jose is happy with the players' performance and that was a feeling from all of us. We tried, we created many chances, their goalkeeper was the best player on the pitch. Things didn't happen.
November 19
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
United were largely dominant against Arsenal, but the narrative was similar. Juan Mata swept them into the lead on 68 minutes, but Arsene Wenger's side somehow plucked a point from the day with their solitary effort on goal as Olivier Giroud arrived with a header to equalise on 89 minutes. Mourinho avoided the temptation to criticise referee Andre Marriner with Antonio Valencia taking a tumble under pressure from Nacho Monreal in an incident that many felt was a penalty.
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Olivier Giroud - Manchester United vs Arsenal - Premier League 2016/2017
Image credit: AFP
What Jose said:
Of course it is two points dropped. We were the best team by far. They had no chances to win. They could not be Arsenal the way they normally play football. We were phenomenal defensively. The way we pressed and the way we controlled their counter attacks. The team played very well. This team at the moment is the unluckiest team in the Premier League. That is the reality.
November 27
Manchester United 1-1 West Ham
Another match at Old Trafford, and another game in which the visiting goalkeeper was the main protagonist. West Ham's Darren Randolph excelled for a mediocre West Ham on another frustrating day for Mourinho, who was sent off for kicking a water bottle. Referee Jon Moss opted to book Paul Pogba for diving, much to Mourinho's chagrin. Replays appeared to vindicate the referee as Mourinho was again ordered to the stands. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the equaliser after Diafra Sakho headed an opening goal on two minutes. United had 17 shots and dominated possession, but again failed to win. Another forgettable day.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is sent to the stands by referee Jonathan Moss
Image credit: Reuters
What Jose said:
With Jose again departing the scene, Faria was left to meet the media.
I think everyone saw again, we were the best team on the pitch. We didn’t have any tactical issues during the game. Offensively we have created chances in a comfortable way in the last few matches the people have come to see at the stadium. We are showing that we are a strong side and we create chances that in a normal way should be goals and we should win the game in a comfortable way. Okay it isn’t happening and we are getting frustrated at that but we need to keep at it and it will happen.
December 4
Everton 1 Manchester United 1
Substitute Marouane Fellaini made an unhappy return to Goodison Park. Fellaini fouled Idrissa Gueye in the final minute enabling Leighton Baines to convert a penalty for the home side. Zlatan Ibrahimoivc struck a delightful lob with a sixth goal in five, but United could not see it out as a third league win in 11 games proved elusive. Yet United also benefited from Michael Oliver's leniency when Marcos Rojo flew into a ridiculous two-footed lunge on Gueye that could easily had extracted a red from the referee's pocket, an incident Jose didn't catch.
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Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini prepares to come on as a substitute as manager Jose Mourinho points the way.
Image credit: Eurosport
What Jose said:
We were the best team by far, but we didn't win. We had chances for a 2-0 and had the ball against the post and then we conceded a goal in the last minute. I notice my team trying always to play the 90 minutes in the same way, but that is not always possible because your opponent tries to react, which they did a little bit in the last 10 or 15 minutes. I am concerned because we don't get results we deserve.
The harsh facts of life
- United's habit of conceding goals in the final 10 minutes has cost them seven points - the most of any team in the Premier League
- United's 21 points from their first 14 games is worse than David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, who managed 22 and 25 respectively
- Mourinho has won only nine of his past 30 matches in the Premier League at Chelsea and United
- United are sixth in the standings, 13 points behind leaders Chelsea
- Only Phil Jagielka has given away more pens this season (3) than Marouane Fellaini in the Premier League (2).
- United have won just one of their last eight games in the Premier League, with six draws and one defeat
Our verdict: Is Mourinho right?
Mourinho has put a great stock throughout his gilded career on the end justifying the means. He has been a master of achieving memorable results by producing tactics to encourage an outcome in his favour. Some will say negatively, he will say productively and pragmatically.
This was evident most memorably during Porto's run to lifting the Champions League in 2004 and Inter Milan's rise to conquer Europe in 2010 when they parked the bus at the Camp Nou yet progressed to the final despite being destroyed 1-0 by Barcelona in the semi-final second leg on 24 percent of possession and no attempts on goal.
It is interesting to note that United have played more offensive, expansive football under the 'Special One' yet have not etched out the results that have been the hallmark of his career.
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Jose Mourinho Pep Guardiola Inter Barcelona
Image credit: Reuters
Some will say if Mourinho cannot achieve better results than Moyes and Van Gaal then what use is he? But there is certainly a degree of truth when he says that the fare on offer is better than it was under the much-maligned Scot and King Louis. Clearly, in the six drawn games there are matches they should easily have won.
Unfortunately, Mourinho has also been handed £145m to inspire United to produce a first challenge for a title they last lifted in 2013 under Fergie. His transfer budget is the real noose around his neck. If desire does not translate into fulfilment soon for Mourinho, it would not be ridiculous to imagine him being ejected by a twitchy board. Football management is littered with the remains of coaches that came up short because their team could not convert chances.
It is all about results as Mourinho knows from his most successful times at Porto, Inter, Chelsea and Real Madrid. He might be right in what he says, but nobody will sympathise if this run continues. Better to be lucky than good, Jose.
Desmond Kane
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