Having lost 2-1 to Manchester City, we take a look at five things we learned from Manchester United’s derby loss.
Manchester United lost 2-1 at Old Trafford in the Manchester derby this weekend, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring their consolation after Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho had given Manchester City the lead.
Jose Mourinho made some huge calls with his starting line-up, giving starts to Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the United manager looked to gain the momentum in the race for the Premier League title.
But the bold move backfired as both players were substituted at half time, with United trailing their city rivals 2-1 and looking the team in need of some real inspiration.
As United went in search of the equaliser, City stood firm and left the derby with their 100% start to the season in tact, while United were left with a number of questions that needed answering.
We take a look at the five things we learned about United in the defeat to their fierce city rivals.
Mourinho made some bold moves and they backfired
Mourinho made two big changes for the derby, bringing in Mkhitaryan and Lingard for Juan Mata and Anthony Martial, and to put it bluntly, the changes backfired, fairly emphatically.
The changes made in a derby of such significance, even at this early stage of the season, were bold but may come back to haunt Mourinho, as both were substituted at half-time, with Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrrera coming off the bench in an effort to try to get back in to the game.
Ultimately the two players were not the sole reasons for United struggling in the derby, but they must at least take their share of responsibility, with both putting in poor performances for the time that they spent on the field.
Rashford needs an extended run in the starting lineup
Having scored a hat-trick for England under-21s in midweek, Rashford will feel he would have done enough to convince Mourinho he at least deserves a start in the Manchester derby, but Mourinho had other ideas, and only brought Rashford on for the second half because he was forced to, given the scenario that the Portuguese manager was faced with.
But Rashford looked lively when he came on and for periods throughout the second half looked United’s biggest threat, the question that now needs answering is how long will it be until Mourinho gives the 18-year-old an extended run in the starting lineup, having shown against City that he can go toe-to-toe with the best of them.
Blind looked out of his depth
For the derby, Mourinho kept faith with the partnership in central defence of Daley Blind and Eric Bailly, as it was these two players who had performed so well since the start of the season.
Both had afternoons that they will want to put behind them, particularly Blind, who had a torrid time and was out thought and out played by De Bruyne for City’s opener.
Ibrahimovic is key
There was much talk about how Ibrahimovic would perform before the game, thanks in large part to the history between the enigmatic Swede and City manager Guardiola, and the striker rose to the occasion in the only way he knows how.
Ibrahimovic has now scored four goals in four Premier League games, and is rapidly showing why United moved for the 34-year-old, and he in return is showing that he is key to everything United are doing right now.
Jose has work to do
Mourinho got his team selection so wrong that after 20 minutes he had instructed Rashford, Martial and Mata to start warming up, as his entire game plan looked to be falling to pieces before his very eyes.
After the awful end to his reign as Chelsea manager, is there a danger that the love for Jose is wearing off and that the opinion is forming that he is not so special anymore.
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