Man United will give Mourinho time, says Essien

Jokanovic said in an interview with the Times: “He’s a fantastic man and I wish him all the best”.

However, after a dramatic 3-2 fightback win from Mourinho’s side in which the Portuguese’s tactics were key and his passion showed on the touchline, there was no such sacking.

Yet despite the scoreline, the Old Trafford crowd were subjected to 60 minutes of aimless, appalling football by United, who conceded two goals to the Magpies in the opening ten minutes. United started attacking in waves after more than an hour of sheer ineptitude.

Mata fired a free-kick before Anthony Martial levelled.

The comeback was then completed at the death, with sub Alexis Sanchez, a player seemingly out of favour with Mourinho, heading home an Ashley Young cross.

All three goals were in front of the Stretford End, goals which fans hope will be a turning point in United’s bad season.

Here are the things we saw in that match that could prove some sense into this quite unpredictable premier league season. “We’re the ones who have to put the work in on the pitch”.

“Their problems are too deep-rooted for one half to have sorted them out”.

He said in his “Team of the Week” column for BBC Sport: “Jose Mourinho owes Paul Pogba an apology”.

“Not while he still has the same defenders to choose from – the defenders he keeps criticising and chopping and changing”, the ex-England worldwide continued.

“Yet they are completely different players this season because they are constantly hearing their manager telling them they are not good enough”.

However, Newcastle themselves threatened to net another before the break. But repeatedly giving your opponents a two goal lead isn’t a sustainable strategy either, as losses to Spurs and Brighton have proven emphatically.

A report in The Mirror on Friday claimed Mourinho will be sacked regardless of his side’s result against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

They had seen Anthony Martial, another player who divides fan opinions, equalise after being set up by Paul Pogba on a insane evening of football in which a 70th minute Juan Mata free-kick had propelled United back into the game.

Old Trafford was rocking in the second half as United fans stuck with their team and, on the whole, under-fire Mourinho. On Saturday, Sigurdsson scored a attractive looping shot from outside the box to push the Toffees to victory over Leicester City. Instead, he sent a laughable penalty sailing over the bar.