English Premier League: Tottenham thrashes Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford

With 10 minutes remaining and Manchester United trailing Tottenham 3-0, Old Trafford began emptying as Spurs fans taunted Jose Mourinho.

Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho leaves the pitch at halftime during the English Premier League football match against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in Mancheste. Photo: AFP

Manchester United 0
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Kane 50, Moura 52, 84)

With ten minutes remaining, and with Manchester United trailing to goals from Harry Kane and Lucas Moura, Old Trafford began emptying. There was none of that confidence in this flawed, belief-free team of Jose Mourinho to engineer one of those famous comebacks that were their trademark under Sir Alex Ferguson. The departing fans were good judges; Moura added a third for a vibrant Spurs against supine hosts.

Whether Mourinho is next towards the exit remains to be seen. His need for heavyweight defensive strengthening in the summer was highlighted here. Within eight minutes of the second half, Spurs fans were serenading him with “You’re getting sacked in the morning” and “You’re not special any more”. His defensive experiment, gamble really, was brutally exposed by this confident, clinical Spurs.

Gone are the days when Sir Alex would say, “Lads, it’s Tottenham”, and send his players out to win. Spurs are more formidable now, as they showed with those ruthless goals early in the second half, and United less certain of themselves.

There had been so much scrutiny on United following their embarrassing defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Mourinho had made sweeping changes to personnel, bombing out the centre backs Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, and tactics, switching to the lesser-spotted 3-3-3-1. In came Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Ander Herrera in a back three, Nemanja Matic holding, Antonio Valencia as right wing back and Jesse Lingard raiding upfield.

Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Moura (right) celebrates with Harry Kane scoring his side's third goal against Manchester United. Photo: AP

There was plenty of pace to United’s movement and a welcome urgency too, certainly in the first half which made their collapse within seven minutes of the restart such a shock.

Maybe it was not that much of a surprise. United’s defensive vulnerabilities are deep rooted. With Toby Alderweireld, a centre back Mourinho coveted, starting for Spurs, the counterpoint to United’s problems was obvious. It was almost as if Mourinho was sending an unsubtle message to the club’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, by leaving Bailly and Lindelof (for an hour) out and by fielding a back line that folded after the break.

The frustration for United fans was that their team had actually started well. Accused of lacking fight at the Amex Stadium against Brighton, United’s players tore into their visitors. The work rate, so questioned on the south coast, was immense in the northwest. For 45 minutes.

Fred sprinted back to subdue Harry Kane, then Paul Pogba blocked a Danny Rose shot. Jones went to clear a ball at least five feet off the ground and took Moura’s boot to the head. It lacked the speed and impact of Sadio Mane’s flying into Ederson when Liverpool played Manchester City last season, but it was still high and dangerous from Moura. If Jones embodied United’s commitment, the referee Craig Pawson showed leniency by punishing Moura with only a booking.

On it went, signs of United’s determination: Valencia closed down Rose, Jones hooked the ball clear as Kane threatened and then Smalling nicked the ball away from Dele Alli despite being stranded on the ground. This was what United fans wanted, players fighting for the cause. For a while.

Sometimes they took it too far, such as Herrera diving in on Moura and being booked. Jones then barged over Moura, who had dribbled into the box and Pawson somehow waved on. It was a clear penalty. Moura sat there in front of a relieved Stretford End, smiling in bemusement. Roll on VAR.

Spurs were disappointing, far too narrow with only Rose and Kieran Trippier trying to give them some width. Kane was isolated and soon booked after following through on Valencia.

United enjoyed the more promising attacking moments of the first half. After 15 minutes, Rose underhit his pass back to Hugo Lloris, and the lurking Romelu Lukaku pounced on the ball and rounded the Spurs goalkeeper. The goal was gaping, and surely United would soon be leading, but Lukaku somehow skewed his shot just wide.

What impressed about United in the first period was that there was no time wasted on inquests or introspection. They just went hunting the ball again, and chasing the lead. When Lingard and Shaw combined, Lukaku had his low shot saved by Lloris. Lukaku, enjoying the battle with his fellow Belgians, Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, then headed Fred’s cross wide.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is consoled by manager Jose Mourinho after their team’s devastating 3-0 loss to Tottenham at Old Trafford. Photo: AFP

United’s player of the half was Shaw, constantly flying down the left, soon sliding the ball in accurately to Fred, who set up Pogba. Lloris was equal to it, saving easily. United fans were on Lloris’s case, referencing his recent drink-driving offence. It was surprising to see Spurs allowing Lloris to retain the captain’s armband.

United actually started the second half strongly, with Shaw knocking the ball easily past Trippier and crossing for Pogba, whose shot went wide. Then calamity. Four minutes into the new half, United’s defence dissolved, as alarmingly as at Brighton.

When Trippier curled over a corner from the right, Kane demonstrated all his canniness, throwing his marker Jones off the scent by taking a step forward. Jones followed, and Kane immediately stepped back, opening a yard of space to attack. As Trippier’s ball dropped his way, Kane calmly steered a powerful header past David De Gea. It was his first goal at Old Trafford and a reminder that his August hoodoo was truly buried.

Lloris saved from Lukaku, but the force was with Spurs. United were a shambles, so naive and open defensively. Three minutes later, Herrera played Spurs onside, highlighting his unfamiliarity with the position. Christian Eriksen crossed from the right, exploiting Shaw being too far forward, and there was Moura, too sharp for Herrera, striking the ball low past De Gea.

Mourinho switched to a back four as Herrera departed for Alexis Sanchez, then Jones limped off with a hamstring problem with Lindelof coming back in from the cold, before Marouane Fellaini replaced Matic on the hour. Lindelof looks to lack all the belief required to perform for United, and almost gifted Spurs a third. Alli seized on the loose ball and only De Gea’s agility rescued United.

Lindelof’s troubles contrasted with the assurance of Alderweireld, who showed all his timing and reading of situations by nipping in ahead of Lingard to win the ball and then calmly released Kane. Alderweireld then slid in to dispossess Sanchez.

As their fans left, more holes opened up in the United defence. Kane slipped the ball through the middle, and Smalling should have easily cleared up. But he dithered, he did not sense Moura’s presence. The Brazilian darted through and thumped the ball joyously past De Gea. And the march towards the exits became a flood.

THE TIMES