Manchester United and Jose Mourinho prove they are underrated

In recent weeks, Liverpool’s discernible attacking style and the fluidity of Mohammed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane has seen many label them as the true challengers to Manchester City’s dominance in the Premier League.

Saturday afternoon was going to be the moment of proof, when Jurgen Klopp out-witted and thrusted his team past Jose Mourinho’s supposedly stagnant and uninspired gaggle of over-priced and over-paid Manchester United players, who were the team actually in second place.

Instead, we finally got an answer to the age old question of what happens when an unstoppable force comes up against an immovable object, as the latter was able to halt Liverpool’s seemingly irresistible attack thanks to the combined efforts of Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling and the impervious Eric Bailly. Not even the Ivorian’s bizarre and implausible own goal really took away from his outstanding performance.

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Come the final whistle, when Manchester United’s victory was confirmed and Liverpool were unable to win against the Red Devils, you could almost hear the frustrated collective exhale of the football media. Because suddenly their predisposed narratives of Mourinho being past it and Klopp being the future hadn’t unfolded according to their scripture.

United’s lack of attacking style is always going to create headlines. It’s too juicy a topic not to, as their history and the expectation of the fans is completely at odds with Mourinho’s approach and willingness to resort to a flat back six.

But mountains are currently being made out of sand dunes, as any cry of ‘Attack Attack Attack’ or a smattering of boos from the United faithful when a ball is passed backwards is now being interpreted as a vehement revolt against Mourinho.

Every self-respecting Manchester United fan wants to see the side attacking in a free-flowing and entertaining fashion. That’s not going to happen under Mourinho. It was basically written in stone the moment the club appointed him. So the constant jabs and never-ending think pieces that bring that point to the fore on a daily basis have long since become a bore.

But supporters also want United to return to the pinnacle of the Premier League, and not just fight Liverpool for the best of the rest spot. That is something that, following the Europa League and League Cup triumph of last season and the improvements this campaign, is slowly happening under Mourinho.

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Because what Mourinho is going to do, though, is win on a regular basis at all costs. Sure, the Manchester City juggernaut has made him look like a has-been to some, and Mourinho still needs to figure out how to overcome Pep. But every other manager in the Premier League is now behind him, from Klopp to Pochettino to Conte to Wenger.

Let’s leave the stuttering Chelsea and the embarrassing Arsenal to one side at the moment, though, and focus on Liverpool and Tottenham.

Tottenham and Liverpool haven’t just repeatedly been praised for their admittedly impressive attacking play and approach, but they have also taken turns being called the second best teams in the country, even though their Premier League positions this season have never warranted such a claim.

Then there has been United. A team without a discernible style, who bore and bully their way to victories. For better and for worse that is all down to Mourinho, who has used his squad to have this success.

Not just in bringing in Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata at the perfect time for Liverpool, and deploying them exquisitely, but also doing the same with Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, Jesse Lingard, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young throughout the season and from the bench, too.

Lest we forget he is still bedding in the always improving Victor Lindelof and the dormant Alexis Sanchez, and he has been without Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba for long parts of the season, all four of which could easily form the spine of the team with David De Gea, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku.

That’s exactly why, for the meantime, United don’t have an obvious style. As Mourinho knows exactly how to use the players available to him to do just enough. That’s the modern way, too, because he is also very much aware that if he was to lose three games in a row then the club would suddenly be in crisis.

Mourinho approaches each game individually. Against lesser teams he knows he has the players to overwhelm and capsize them, but, against the top six, he wants to keep his side close to his chest, rotate his players, unnerve his opponent, and be the one to surprise and prize them open.

It is a short term solution, but one that is turning into a long term answer.

It is why Liverpool and Tottenham are still behind Manchester United under Mourinho, and look destined to be so for the foreseeable future. Now there’s just the problem of Manchester City. Because Mourinho will only be deemed a success once he has finally tackled that behemoth.