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Do United lack resilience?
- Updated: December 8, 2016
With Manchester United losing yet another lead late on against Everton last weekend, Adam Bate assesses a recurring issue for Jose Mourinho.
When Marcus Rashford knocked in a late, late winner at Hull in August, raucous celebrations ensued among the Manchester United travelling support. Marouane Fellaini even had to help a woman who was crushed as the fans rushed to celebrate. Excitement always greets a dramatic winner but this was a goal that was seen as heralding a return to the United of old.
“I’m more than happy to say that we won in ‘Fergie Time’,” said Jose Mourinho afterwards in reference to the club’s knack of snatching stoppage-time goals during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford. As the Manchester Evening News put it that day: “This isn’t a Reds side any more who’ll sag when the going gets tough.”
However, a little over three months on and that’s exactly what United continue to do. Instead of getting a taste for late winners under Mourinho and becoming a team who punish others in the dying moments, they are the ones who continue to fall victim to game-changing goals from their opponents during the closing stages.
It’s proving costly. United would have five more points if games finished after 80 minutes and that includes Rashford’s strike at Hull. If they’d held on to all of their own leads then Mourinho’s men would have seven more points. That would put them above Sunday’s opponents Tottenham. Win that one and they’d be going above much-praised Liverpool too.
It reflects badly on their resilience. “It’s not a one off,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports. “You are getting to the stage …
