Manchester United’s inconsistent campaign continued on Tuesday night, as the Red Devils exited the Carabao Cup due to a penalty kick defeat against Derby County at Old Trafford.
The game had finished 2-2 in normal and extra-time after a pulsating encounter that saw United goalkeeper Sergio Romero dismissed.
In truth, United boss Jose Mourinho will not lose much sleep over the exit from the underrated League Cup. However, the Portuguese boss will be concerned by another unconvincing display by his team.
A poor pre-season led to the poor start to their campaign
In truth, the writing was on the wall in preseason concerning a potentially difficult campaign ahead. Moutinho had a negative demeanour throughout the summer and it was clear that he was not allowed to bring in the sort of quality he had hoped to strengthen his squad.
United were already behind arch-rivals Manchester City going into the summer. Then their other arch-rivals down the M52 Liverpool also decided to strengthen their squad with some big money signings.
New signings like Fred and Diogo Dalot have not exactly lit the world on fire. However, they have just started their United careers. The Red Devils needed more than the pair though in the summer to compete with their two fiercest rivals.
Players underperforming under Mourinho
Away from Tuesday game, there are a number of players at United whose form has fallen off the edge of a cliff in recent seasons. The two most concerning are winger Alexis Sanchez and star central midfielder Paul Pogba.
Sanchez has struggled to rediscover his top form at Old Trafford since making the move from Arsenal in January. He was once considered one of the Premier league top players, now he is struggling to find any form at all.
Pogba is an interesting one too, as Mourinho has now stripped the Frenchman of the vice-captaincy. However, the Portuguese boss claims there is no feud between the pair. Tensions seem to have been brimming between the player and his club boss for a good while now.
Pogba should have headed into this season is top form after helping France become world champions in Russia. The midfielder was an influential figure in Les Bleus triumph, showing what he can do under the right boss. Mourinho is obviously not the boss to get the best out of the midfielder.
Question marks over Mourinho’s future
United’s poor start to the campaign has led to question marks over Mourinho’s future as Manchester United boss. In fact, the former Chelsea chief is now the favourite to be the next Premier League boss to leave his club.
Things have not been right for Mourinho at United for some time. The Portuguese boss is now is his much fabled third season at a club, when Mourinho has a history of departing clubs one way or another.
Whether the United boss leaves in his third season at United is unclear. However, one thing is clear, his team needs to improve their performances in the near future or he could just be heading for the Old Trafford exit door.
Will Jose Mourinho leave Manchester United in the near future?
