Jose Mourinho was a three-time loser in Manchester United's loss to City
GETTY Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho made a lot of mistakes
And come the end of the season it will be a major surprise if he does not end up losing the Premier League title race to his old rival Pep Guardiola as well. Before the game he was up to his old tricks by trying to influence referee Michael Oliver, suggesting City’s players dive – “a little bit of wind and they fall” – as well as pointing to what he clearly feels is the cynical tactic of giving away free kicks high up the pitch to stop their opponents’ momentum. He even questioned Guardiola’s wearing of a yellow ribbon in support of those fighting for independence in his native Catalonia. None of the mind games or gamesmanship, call it what you will, worked because Oliver turned in a thoroughly professional performance and got just about every decision spot on, while City and Guardiola simply turned a deaf ear and got on with the job of playing United off the park. In fact, Mourinho ended up with egg on his face when Ander Herrera was booked for “diving” after throwing himself to the ground over Nicolas Otamendi’s challenge. As for the game itself, even United die-hards were admitting through gritted teeth that City’s football made their team look second rate and Mourinho’s tactical approach look dated.
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The taunting chant of “park the bus, park the bus Man Utd” from City’s travelling fans will have irritated and embarrassed even someone with such renowned thick-skin as Mourinho. Former United stars Eric Cantona and Andrei Kanchelskis had both expressed their reservations about Mourinho’s style in the build-up to the derby, even though it would not have given them any satisfaction to be proved right. Manchester United sat deep, allowed City to play and, when they did have the ball, they kicked it long. It ensured Romelu Lukaku had a miserable afternoon. Lukaku touched the ball 27 times against City, including three touches inside the City area. Both his touches in the United area led to City’s goals while he got little service or support at the other end of the pitch. When he did get chances in the second half he ballooned the first shot over the bar and then saw his close-range effort hit Ederson in the face when it looked easier to score. Lukaku has faced all of last season’s top six and failed to score this season, underlining his flat-track bully reputation. Only after David Silva had put City ahead did United suddenly show some attacking threat. They had their first shot on target, won their first corner and equalised in the final minutes of the first half. It left United followers thinking what would the final outcome had been if they had started with the same attacking approach.
Whether it was their own anxiety and insecurity or Mourinho’s pragmatism that was behind the caution is difficult to assess. But his teams have played that way in key games in the past. City players have bought into Guardiola’s total football philosophy; you do not get the feeling it is the same at Old Trafford. After the game, Mourinho did himself no favours as well. Whatever the level of City’s exuberant celebrations, it was unwise to poke his nose into their dressing room to tell them to turn the volume down and show some respect. No wonder it caused a fracas. It was a bit rich coming from the man who was once ran down the touchline like a whirling dervish after Porto’s Champions League win at Old Trafford back in 2004 and who was once described as “an enemy of football” by a UEFA official after countless disciplinary misdemeanours in his first spell at Chelsea. What goes around comes around. He was churlish in his post-game comments, inviting ridicule when he claimed City were “lucky” and that Herrera should have had a penalty when every ex-referee and every ex-player employed by the media these days – and there are quite a few – said referee Oliver got it right.