Jose Mourinho's men second best in every department in Manchester derby defeat

Is it the fact that their rabble of a defence — talked down by Jose Mourinho at every opportunity — have shipped 21 goals in 12 games, the fifth-worst record in the Premier League?

Is it that, for all the £315million lavished on the squad since Mourinho took over, they fielded a clunking midfield of Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini, who were unable to live with City and frequently bypassed by David de Gea’s long hoofs?

Or is it the sight of Alexis Sanchez, the man United paid through the nose to steal away from City last January, sitting on the bench with well-sourced talk that he is already seeking a move away from Old Trafford?

Or what about a player as subtlety gifted and mild-mannered as Juan Mata ending this 177th Manchester derby by delivering an earful of invective to Raheem Sterling, after City’s brilliant England forward had started performing stepovers in the dying seconds?

That was probably the clearest snapshot of what United, who only had one shot on target and even that was a penalty, have become.

A side almost incapable of crowd-pleasing flair who now openly berate teams such as Pep Guardiola’s City, who can provoke the ‘ole, oles’ of their adoring public.

To think that United had travelled across town with a certain confidence after two comeback victories at Bournemouth and Juventus in the previous eight days and a feeling that Mourinho had rediscovering some of his rakish old charm.

Well, that did not last long at the Etihad.

United are used to starting slowly. They have opened the scoring just once in nine matches, another staggering statistic for a supposedly elite club.

Yet before David Silva thumped home the 12th-minute opener, the Red Devils had barely touched the ball.
City operated with such tempo and fluidity that it often felt as if they were playing an entirely different ball-game to United.

Mourinho’s men now find themselves seven points off the Champions League places, wondering whether to scattergun any more millions around with the January transfer window only seven weeks away.

But where would you even start with a shopping list after seeing United outclassed in every department here?

They did spend £53m on Fred this summer but the Brazilian cannot even get into such a plodding midfield.

And where is Eric Bailly, all £34m of him and arguably the best of a modest bunch of United central defenders?

And is Sanchez going to end up as yet another star signing just passing through Old Trafford in the post-Ferguson era?

He would join Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba, if the Frenchman and his agent Mino Raiola had their way.

Overall, the situation is a mess and there is little sign of it getting better, even if United have shown a little gumption recently.

It was staggering that City did not secure this victory until Ilkay Gundogan’s 86th-minute strike — and that at least said something about the stickability of Mourinho’s side.

But we’re not talking about a bunch of lower-league underdogs in a cup tie here. This is Manchester United, for pity’s sake.

Despite those heartening recent results, Mourinho was bellyaching again pre-match.

Usually it’s his central defensive options he bleats about most loudly. This time he brought up City’s three expensive full-back signings from the summer of 2017, compared to his own need to wait for Luke Shaw.

Yet United have still spent vast amounts over these past two-and-a-half years — not quite as much as City but surely enough to give the champions a decent game?

Sure, Pogba was ruled out by injury and Romelu Lukaku was only deemed ready enough to start on the bench after his own fitness problem. Yet from the word go, City were at a different level. It is the speed and conviction with which they pass the ball that sets them completely apart from United.

In the second minute, an emphatic searching pass from Fernandinho, in the deep, found Bernardo Silva, who drilled just wide.

And in the 85th minute, with the result still somehow in the balance, John Stones and David Silva were still pinging it about ambitiously in their own penalty area — the sort of crime Mourinho would surely have his own players horsewhipped for.

At most points in between, it was pretty much the same.

United did rumble their way back into proceedings late in the first half, only for Sergio Aguero — with the grey-rinse hairdo and stardust boots — to almost blow the roof off the net after a one-two with Riyad Mahrez as he made it 2-0 soon after the break.

Lukaku won a penalty within a minute of his arrival, tripped by Ederson, who was beaten by Anthony Martial’s spot-kick.

But Gundogan hammered the third after a 44-pass sequence which included some fine hold-up play from Sterling.

Only then could the City faithful truly relax. And when they began to roar every pass, Sterling couldn’t resist giving the soft-shoe shuffle to Sanchez, who promptly kicked him up in the air.

Even Sterling’s boss was mildly critical of this show of disrespect. Guardiola wishing his players would show mercy to Mourinho’s.

This is not the way their grand old rivalry was supposed to play out in Manchester.

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