Mourinho must change his big game tactics if United are to win the league

Mourinho must change his big game tactics if United are to win the league

Former United captain Gary Neville has insisted that manager Jose Mourinho must change his approach to the big games away from home if he is to win the league with Manchester United.

The Red Devils played out yet another draw against bitter rivals Liverpool on Saturday, with Mourinho’s men clearly being instructed to sit back and defend. They did so, and despite the game being one of the biggest anti-climaxes of the season so far, Mourinho will be satisfied with the result.

But Neville believes the Portuguese must change his ways if he is to bring home United’s first league title since 2013, saying he must attack in the big games instead of sitting back.


“It needs to [change]. If you’re going to win the league they’ll have to be better than that away from home in the big games,” Neville said on Sky Sports after the game.

“They’ll have to, they’ll have to make sure they counter attack better.”

“The defending part is very good, the resilience, the strength, the defending, the goalkeeper. But you then have to go and score the goals away from home.”

“Jose Mourinho’s won championships in this country regularly. He’s gone to places with his Chelsea team, his great Chelsea team and beat teams away from home.”

“He knows what he needs to do, he knows his team will have to do better than that away from home in the future in the big games.”

United managed just one shot on target from the entire game, and did not create a single chance in the second half. Striker Romelu Lukaku has been brilliant in front of goal so far this season, but was widely criticised for his performance against the Reds. Many favour the 24-year-old to finish the season as top scorer, and it might be worth using this Ladbrokes Promo Code 2018 in order to check the latest odds on the forward’s chances of doing so.

But despite his usual goalscoring exploits, Neville believes the Belgian has missed the chance to define his United career early on by scoring in a ‘big match’.

“I was disappointed with Lukaku, I have to say that,” Neville added.

“He really didn’t make any impact in the game at all. No influence. It’s the big matches that will define him as a Manchester United striker, not the matches where he bullies teams.”

“He’s a Manchester United centre-forward. There’s a high expectation of what you have to do in a game – win games for your team.”

Liverpool was arguably United’s first big test of the season. The result was not one that fans would have hoped for, but above all the performance was mediocre at best and will have given everyone a bit of food for thought as to whether or not Mourinho’s men can actually compete with City in this season’s title race.