After a recent run of comeback wins, Manchester United’s streak came to an end against their crosstown rivals, Manchester City.
Manchester United’s Jekyll and Hyde start to this season could hardly provide a greater contrast to Manchester City. United start games slow, and seem to need to concede a goal before really beginning to play. City, in contrast, start fast, and usually get even faster. An early goal is usually a sign of a five or six-goal outburst.
The derby didn’t exactly follow the script.
City did start very well, and were able to take the lead courtesy of their ageless captain, David Silva, but it wasn’t until the second half they got the second and then the third. After taking the lead, they were happy to sit back and play a bit of a possession game, waiting to see if their opponents would attack.
It was a sign of respect. United have been sparked into life over recent weeks after going a goal down, and City’s relatively conservative play reflected that. Clearly the memories of April’s derby defeat still lingered in the mind of City coach Pep Guardiola.
But nothing came.
The old United teams under Sir Alex Ferguson stole victory in the face of defeat out of pure skill and passion. There was always a swagger and arrogance about United when they attacked. It was as if the opponents being in the lead was an insult to their very fabric.
For United this season, there has always been a sense the victories were somewhat lucky. They weren’t achieved by any significant tactical tweaks, but by sheer willpower, and a greater willingness to throw men forward in attack. That has hardly been Jose Mourinho’s modus operandi over the years.
Mourinho’s critics have always highlighted his style of play as a reason he’s fundamentally unsuited to the United job. There have been signs of greater attacking emphasis over recent weeks, but the lack of a clear plan going forward was clear once against on Sunday.
United were set up today to defend. When they conceded so early, they had to switch things up, which they never really did. On one level this shows just how much respect Mourinho has for Guardiola and City, but once United were chasing the game, this game plan was never going to work.
Keeping Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini on the field, while leaving creative players like Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez on the bench until late in the second half was mind-boggling. In tough fixtures like this, it’s imperative to balance steel in defense with creativity in attack, and United could really have used the subtlety of Sanchez or Mata in attack.
Instead, there was a sense of foreboding and doom to their play; they never seemed to believe that they could get a result out of this game. Even even after pulling one goal back, United sat off their opponents and allowed City to play their game.
They should have pressed high, as they did against Chelsea, throwing a spanner into the works, causing havoc. They should have given their fans a reason to cheer by attacking City and actively searching for an equalizing goal. Instead they allowed City time and space on the ball, typified most by City’s third goal. Forty-four passes were played before that goal was scored, and while that shows the quality of City’s attack, it’s also a sign of how passive United were off the ball.
Mourinho didn’t seem to believe United could win, and that thought transferred onto his players. United were dull and passive, with hardly any player looking to take responsibility. This is not a team. This is a group of talented individuals that had developed an uncanny knack of snagging good results through dumb luck and pure adrenaline. That was never going to last, and boy did it show against City.