Jose Mourinho turns tables on journalist during Manchester United press conference

“Luke Shaw for example said “we players on the pitch have to give more”.

United are nine points off the title pace just seven games into the season, and to outside eyes at least Mourinho seems to have compounded their worst start for 29 years by conducting public feuds with his players.

Mourinho echoed that view and said everyone pulling together was the key element to the club finding their form and returning to winning ways.

The return of the Champions League.

However, when he was asked whether his players cared about losing matches, he said “I think some care more than others”.

“For me if you talk in the dressing room it doesn’t mean anything”, said the Serb, who followed Mourinho from Chelsea to United.

West Ham United’s Marko Arnautovic (front) and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay battle for the ball during the Premier League match at London Stadium.

The Valencia clash could prove pivotal to United’s hopes of advancing from Group H with two matches against Juventus still to come.

“It was very poor from us”.

That thought could be their undoing however, and despite United being thoroughly miserable all over the pitch so far, you get the feeling that they’ll get through this game – by hook or by crook.

United now look far from contenders, but they can take a huge step towards the last 16 by moving six points clear of Valencia in Group H tomorrow. It’s all of us, everybody has a role to play. “In fact, it isn’t really a time for posts”. The club has since only won one trophy and while the current incumbent, Luciano Spalletti, endured a stuttering start to the season he’s gone on to win his last four games on the spin meaning a managerial change is unlikely to occur anytime soon. Now the Brazil global has an admirer again at Stamford Bridge since Maurizio Sarri replaced Conte in the offseason, helping the London club start the league by going seven games unbeaten.

Mourinho gave Pogba the captain’s armband at the beginning of the season.

‘What I can do to improve things I do and I will improve the things that depend on me and my work’. Then I appreciate his qualities as a man.

Manchester United have lost only once in eight previous meetings with Valencia in all competitions (W2, D5), and never in the Champions League (P6, W2, D4, L0), with this their first encounter in this competition since December 2010, a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Midfielder Mousa Dembele and defender Jan Vertonghen are also doubts with muscle strains sustained in Saturday’s victory at Huddersfield.