5 things that went wrong for Manchester United last week

All is not going according to plan at Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho seems to have lost his magic touch since his altercation with Eva Carneiro during his fateful last season at Chelsea. United have gone on to lose three games in a week, the latest being a 3-1 loss to Watford. The Portuguese had last lost three games in a row back during his Porto days as United prepare for a visit to Northampton in the League Cup tomorrow.

A lot was expected from the Red Devils after spending more than £150 million this summer but United does not seem to have made any real progress after sacking Louis van Gaal. There has been a host of problems that Mourinho needs to address in the coming days as United play the likes of Leicester, Liverpool and Chelsea in their next five games.

So, let's take a look at the five things that went wrong for United last week:

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#1 Mourinho not finding his best eleven

Jose Mourinho has not found his best eleven after being appointed in July

Jose Mourinho has had a full pre-season with the club and played five League games along with a Europa League but still has not found his best eleven to start the game. At centre back, he has shifted between Daley Blind and Chris Smalling. In midfield, he has tried all of United's midfielders except Bastian Schweinsteiger who has been completely ignored by United since the arrival of Jose Mourinho.

In United's biggest game against City, Mourinho went on to make two changes on the wings which ultimately cost him the derby and the bragging rights against his nemesis, Pep Guardiola. Mourinho has earlier played Anthony Martial and Juan Mata on the wings but preferred the duo of Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for the derby.

Both of them were substituted at half-time as United were beaten 2-1 by Man City. Mourinho has to settle on his playing eleven quickly who he thinks can do the job accordingly.

#2 Balance in midfield

Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba have failed to form a formidable partnership

United have not been efficient in their midfield under Mourinho and it has not been because of player's inabilities but because of the manager's insistence on playing them in a certain way. Pogba has played his best football in a midfield three but Mourinho prefers to play two midfielders in which one of them has to be the world's most expensive player.

The Frenchman can play in a midfield two also but needs the other partner to do the defensive work as Pogba lacks that in his game.

Marouane Fellaini has done well under Mourinho but the duo of Fellaini and Pogba does not work at all. Pogba needs someone like Michael Carrick beside him who can calm the proceedings in midfield and dictate the tempo of the game whereas Pogba can drift forward with his hustling runs and do what he can best.

United played three in midfield against Feyenoord as it looks the safest bet to bring out the best from Paul Pogba but Mourinho scrapped that after just one game.

#3 Playing Wayne Rooney despite his poor run

Wayne Rooney has been consistently poor under Mourinho

Jose Mourinho is making the same mistake that the former managers, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal did. Both lacked the courage to drop Rooney from the starting lineup and the Portuguese is playing United's captain on reputation rather than his contribution. After playing in a number of positions for club and country, Rooney's best position is still a big mystery for everyone.

Rooney disrupts the flow in this United team and is just not worthy of being in the team for now. His passing has gone array, his first touch is disappointing and he has lost his sharpness over the years. The man with combined goals and assist tally of over 50 last season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, is being benched along with the talented Marcus Rashford.

Dropping Wayne Rooney can allow Mourinho to shape his team more tactically as the 30-year-old, who is close to being United's top scorer has emerged as a liability for both club and country.

#4 Paul Pogba dilemma

Paul Pogba has been a disappointing figure for United since his return

There is no doubt about the fact that the Frenchman will come good for United but needs the right position and a defined role to start with. Pogba enjoyed his best football when he had the freedom to roam and play as a shuttler in midfield with Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo shielding the defense. Playing with Fellaini has hampered his forward runs and he is not able to influence games at all after his return.

He didn't have a preseason and will take time to settle but Mourinho needs to create a midfield strategy where Pogba can flourish rather than the current situation where his abilities are not being used to the fullest. This system is not suitable for Pogba's style of play and Mourinho needs to adapt his system for the Frenchman to justify his £89 million price tag.

#5 Mourinho throwing his players under the bus in press conferences

Jose Mourinho has a knack of criticising his players infront of the media

Mourinho has this habit when things don't go his way that he starts criticising his players in public. This may not bode well with the players as it may result in a strenuous relationship between the players and the manager. It was wrong to criticise Luke Shaw in public after Sunday's defeat to Watford as the 21-year-old was an easy target for the manager rather than Wayne Rooney or Paul Pogba.

He criticised Henrikh Mkhitaryan after the derby loss though the Armenian was making his debut in a new league and had just recovered from an injury. Mourinho should realize that he is a part of the problem so he needs to be a part of the solution as well. He lost the dressing room at Chelsea and at Real Madrid and must stop hammering his players in public if he wants to be a success at Manchester United.

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