Jose Mourinho Points to Mental Weakness After Watford Defeat

While Mourinho did lose three consecutive games past year with Chelsea, one of those was after a shootout in the Capital One Cup. But then we made the changes and everything went the right way. This is a tactical but also a mental attitude.

It was the first time United had lost three in a row since the unlamented Louis van Gaal presided over four successive defeats in December a year ago.

The France global required medical treatment after a clash of heads with Watford’s Daryl Janmaat in the 26th minute.

But he will surely need to look more closely at his own side’s failings as they drifted six points behind league leaders Manchester City.

“The referee and linesman’s mistake is not under my control”. At 1-1 everyone thinks we are going to win the game.

It was as if the Manchester United manager was telling us that this defeat might have surprised the fans and the pundits and the football historians but was something he suspected was liable to happen.

United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash.

Mourinho blamed “individual and collective mistakes” for the defeat, while Paul Scholes hit out at the “sloppy” manner of United’s play.

He criticised how his team started, but Jose also wasn’t impressed with the officials today.? The second goal comes from there – completely against the normal tendency of the game.

Is it too early to ask questions? We were in control so at 1-1 the tendency of the game was there to win and never to lose.

The former Tottenham midfielder put Watford ahead in the first-half with his fourth goal in five Premier League games.

Nordin Amrabat cut past United defender Luke Shaw and released Roberto Pereyra, who fed Zuniga with a cutback, allowing Capoue’s replacement to restore Watford’s lead.

It was a tepid display that recalled the worst moments of Louis van Gaal’s reign and Mourinho believes his players are suffering from a lack of belief that takes an extra toll whenever an important moment goes against them.

After the tie Mourinho admitted that his side did not play well, for particularly the first 30 minutes, he said: “I think in the first half, for about 25 to 30 minutes, we didn’t play well and that is something we can control”.