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Jose Mourinho needs to follow Antonio Conte and make Manchester United his own

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Now there’s no other way to look at Jose Mourinho’s start as Manchester United manager than disappointing.

After the draw with Liverpool you could make the case that it was a point gained rather than two lost, but the arid display at Stamford Bridge and 4-0 loss exposed a side that just seemed lost.

Like a vagabond wandering through the desert unsure whether to carry on ahead or retreat, United lacked any originality or verve in attack, fight or discipline in midfield upon which to build chances or protect the backline, while their defence lacked any of the hallmarks or traits that you’ve come to expect from one organised by Mourinho.

The focus will be on Chris Smalling, who was clearly at fault for all four goals, but, as the draw at Liverpool proved, the entire team is responsible, and David De Gea for the first, Antonio Valencia for the second, Juan Mata for the third, and Paul Pogba for the fourth all need to take personal responsibility, too.

Responsibility is something that Manchester United are lacking in an abundance now. United have failed to score first on eight occasions in the Premier League since January 2016, and on all eight occasions they’ve gone on to lose. There’s no one on the side to ignite a reaction, with players seemingly too afraid to take the necessary risks while at the same time they’re void of the composure to either keep United in the game or build a response.

Having spent around £460 million on players over the last three years, Mourinho undoubtedly has the talent available to create a better outfit and, more importantly, team than was on display against Chelsea. It’s plain to see that Chris Smalling has diminished, while Paul Pogba has been mostly irrelevant, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford are isolated, and lord knows what Henrik Mkhitaryan, Michael Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin need to do to get game time.

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But rather than focusing on these micro concerns, the macro problem that needs to be solved is Mourinho himself, and how he can take responsibility for United’s lack of gumption and backbone.

It turns out that the manager whose path he needs to follow was in the opposite dug-out to Mourinho on Sunday, as over the last three games, following defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool, Antonio Conte has turned Chelsea into his own side.

After originally arriving at Stamford Bridge he patiently checked out what he had at his disposal, before these losses convinced him to return to the 3-4-3 that had been so successful for him at Juventus.

Mourinho isn’t likely to drastically alter his formation like Conte. But expect a steelier and more organised Manchester United to emerge over the next few months, one where a lack of concentration or impact is immediately punished with a demotion out of the starting eleven. It might not be pretty, but it’s the Mourinho way. And that’s exactly why Manchester United hired him.

[Images via Getty/Mike Hewitt & Getty/Shaun Botterill]