Jose Mourinho blamed Manchester United’s forwards for their failure to beat West Brom last Saturday.
United had 75 percent possession and 18 shots, just three of which were on target, but the game finished goalless at Old Trafford.
The result seriously hampers the team’s quest to finish in the top four.
Mourinho blamed the poor result on United’s forwards – Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard.
He said they showed “a flash of talent, a glimpse of talent, one good action, almost a goal. And we need to kill opponents. This is déjà vu all season.”
That may be true, but Mourinho also chose to play two defensive midfielders against a team parked on the edge of their own penalty area.
40% – Manchester United's home league win % this season is their lowest in the Premier League era (40%, W6 D8 L1). Ransack.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 3, 2017
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absence was also a factor in the poor result.
The Swedish striker was suspended for three games following his elbow on Tyrone Mings in March.
Zlatan misses more than his fair share of chances, but he is still United’s top scorer this season with 15 goals. If the 35-year-old had been on the pitch against West Brom, United may have got the win on Saturday.
He scored in the reverse fixture between the pair earlier this season.
However, Jamie Carragher reckons Zlatan’s absence is a poor excuse for United’s failure to win – as it’s embarrassing that United are so reliant on a veteran striker, no matter how good he is.
It’s difficult to argue with the former Liverpool defender on this point.
“Zlatan has that personality and presence but I feel it’s a bit embarrassing for those other players that they need a 35-year-old centre-forward,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“It’s a big worry, the fact these young players go in there and can’t seem to cope, it doesn’t bode well for them and I think that’s Mourinho’s frustration.
“When you play at the top level, if you get a chance you must take it.”
While Carragher’s fellow Sky pundit Gary Neville said his former team lack a “killer instinct.”
“The good thing is when you can easily identify your problem,” Neville said.
“They have had too many draws against teams they should be beating.Â
“If you add those dropped points up and add them to their current tally, they would be in serious business.”
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