Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has tried to explain exactly why Newcastle managed to beat his side 1-0 in the Premier League.
A win was absolutely crucial for his team and while closing the gap on Manchester City would’ve been nice, it had more to do with creating a gap of their own on the teams below.
United headed into the fixture firm favourites with many expecting a routine win but it was Rafael Benitez’s men who managed to get all three points.
Mourinho will certainly be furious with players for slipping up but perhaps he should also pay attention to his own decisions too.
His insistence on playing the 4-2-3-1 formation has increasingly frustrated fans who believe a 4-3-3 suits the team better but it was something else that Jose blamed for the result.
Mourinho: “It wasn’t going to happen for us. A point for them is what they had in mind. We made a defensive mistake at the free kick. When they were in front, they only had one thing in mind. They gave everything.” #mufc
— United Xtra (@utdxtra) February 11, 2018
To be fair to the Portuguese manager the Red Devils did have chances to win the game themselves with Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez both failing to convert.
Both players are typically clinical finishers but their inability to score ultimately foreshadowed what was to come as Newcastle grabbed a goal of their own.
Paul Pogba was the focus of the media as he seemed to struggle throughout the match before eventually being substituted despite Manchester United needing an equaliser.
The Frenchman seemed to pick up a knock in the pre-match warm-up but Jose Mourinho has since denied those claims which makes the substitution even stranger.
United will have to quickly put the result behind them though if they wish to remain in the Champions League spots otherwise their season will quickly unravel.