How much longer can this go on?
Surely the Glazers are asking themselves this very question as they’ve now watched Manchester United stoop to its joint worst ever start to a Premier League season just days after losing to a Championship side in the League Cup.
Jose Mourinho dug his grave a little deeper, his hot seat got a little hotter and about six million other metaphors for a man whose job is on the line got a bit more metaphorical as Manchester United lost 3-1 to West Ham on Saturday at London Stadium.
Manchester United falls to West Ham, 3-1, to match its worst Premier League start with 10 points through 7 games (3-3-1).
It's the first time in Premier League history that Manchester United has lost multiple matches by 2+ goals this early into the season. pic.twitter.com/Ouq3dzjCLT— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 29, 2018
DEATH BY BUBBLES III pic.twitter.com/vpJHuQVj9s
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) September 29, 2018
#LigaPremierTD ¿Se estará despidiendo José Mourinho de la @premierleague ? El saludo al final del partido del DT portugués con Manuel Pellegrini. pic.twitter.com/fePxe5ynjv
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) September 29, 2018
After the defeat, Mourinho blamed plenty of people without taking blame himself. It was the linesman who missed the offside call on the first goal. It was the unlucky deflection on West Ham’s second goal. It was the lack of VAR. It was this. It was that.
It wasn’t him.
Mourinho had some points. The first goal was offside. The second goal was an unlucky deflection.
.@WestHamUtd take an early lead over Manchester United!
Watch on NBCSN now or stream here: https://t.co/chIIRdnpOK pic.twitter.com/yQHWTEy3ST— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 29, 2018
It goes in off a deflection but West Ham won't care! They double their lead over Manchester United!
WHU 2-0 MU pic.twitter.com/OEMVDYmNVw— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 29, 2018
But the third goal was just crap defending.
#LigaPremierTD ¿Sentencia definitiva? Marko Arnautović aumenta la ventaja para el @WestHamUtd pic.twitter.com/GvimuMBwm3
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) September 29, 2018
After all the bickering between Mourinho and Paul Pogba over recent weeks, you wonder how much hotter this dumpster fire can get before a change of some sort is made. Players can’t be moved until January, so that leaves Mourinho as the only change that can be made before the new year. At this rate the Red Devils can’t afford to wait for January.
Mourinho’s tactics were curious on Saturday. Criticized recently by Pogba for being too defensive, Mourinho opted to use five defenders against West Ham, a club that had yet to win at home this season.
It clearly didn’t work. The Hammers scored two of their three goals while United still had five at the back while the Red Devils’ lone goal came off a corner kick.
Granted, it was a spectacular finish for a corner kick goal.
Marcus Rashford with a great back-heel goal! pic.twitter.com/TlpwhGAK34
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 29, 2018
Manchester United has had its share of ups and downs (mostly downs) since Alex Ferguson retired. What is happening now with Jose Mourinho, however, has to be seen as a low point in that period. The Portuguese manager can’t figure anything out right now — and he may soon be trying to figure out what his next job will be.
On the bright side, there’s still an opening for the USMNT job.
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