The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Jose Mourinho was condemned for his negative tactics after Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League to Sevilla, with Alexis Sanchez anonymous and Paul Pogba’s confidence apparently in tatters.
United, riding high in the Premier League, started the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday as strong favourites to progress to the quarter-finals after a goalless draw in Spain but mustered just four shots on target across both legs.
Two late goals from substitute Wissam Ben Yedder gave the home side a mountain to climb and a consolation goal from Romelu Lukaku was far too little, too late, with United exiting the competition 2-1 on aggregate.
FT: #MUFC 1 Sevilla 2.
United bow out of the #UCL. pic.twitter.com/Ly3o53oON7
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 13, 2018
Mourinho fielded four forwards — Sanchez, Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard — in an attacking-looking line-up at Old Trafford but United only broke free of the shackles in the desperate closing minutes.
A stubborn Mourinho, who has won the competition with Porto and Inter Milan, said his side had not put in a “bad performance” but that contrasted with the sour mood in Manchester after a first home European defeat since 2013 to a Sevilla side only fifth in La Liga.
“If you are a team at home, the onus is on you to go out and attack and make sure you take the game away from the opposing team,” said former United defender Rio Ferdinand, who won the Champions League under Alex Ferguson in 2008.
The question for fans is why Mourinho is seemingly unable, or unwilling, to set his attacking superstars free.
Pogba, who cost a then world-record £89 million ($124 million) in 2016 as Mourinho’s first big signing, was again dropped, this time in favour of the more robust Marouane Fellaini, a decision that drew stinging criticism from The Times newspaper.
Number 9⃣ @WissBenYedder comes off the bench ➡
5⃣ minutes later history is made pic.twitter.com/P4VSVDWTFS
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) March 14, 2018
“Fellaini was by no means United’s worst player but what was he there for exactly? To expose what failing in Seville? To bring what to United’s midfield?,” asked chief sports writer Matt Dickinson.
“True, he did go closer than his teammates to breaking the deadlock but if picking him always felt like turning up at a party with a baseball bat, United were duly lacking in any subtlety. Creative passing through central midfield was non-existent.”
The Telegraph called United’s display “embarrassingly inept”.
Only once the situation was dire did Mourinho throw on another £70 million of attacking talent in Anthony Martial and Juan Mata to ride to the rescue. But to no avail.
“There are players in that squad to play good attacking football with the money that’s been spent,” said former United midfielder Paul Scholes, also part of the team that won the 2008 Champions League.
