Watford vs Manchester United: Jose Mourinho blames failure to learn lessons from City defeat

One week after United failed to close down Aleksandar Kolarov, and paid for it, Mourinho pointed to the failure to close down Nordin Amrabat which led to Watford's crucial second goal.

Jose Mourinho believes his players have not learnt the right lessons after slumping to a third straight defeat (Getty)

Jose Mourinho criticised his players for failing to learn the lessons of last Saturday’s Manchester derby, after conceding an “incredibly similar” goal to Watford this afternoon.

Juan Camilo Zuniga’s crucial strike put Watford 2-1 up with just seven minutes left, and it all started when United failed to pressure Watford right-winger Nordin Amrabat as he advanced with the ball. Mourinho said afterwards that he had to coach defensive mistakes out his players, and pointed to how left-back Luke Shaw had allowed Amrabat too much space. It was the same mistake that Henrikh Mkhitaryan had made at Old Trafford on Saturday.

“What is in my hands is the improvement of the team and the individuals,” said Mourinho, after saying he could not control refereeing mistakes or bad luck. “To try to stop with the defensive mistakes, and I knew that I had a task. I knew that because, for example, between the first Manchester City goal and this second goal today, you can find an incredible similarity.”

Kevin De Bruyne scored for City on Saturday after Mkhitaryan allowed Aleksandar Kolarov to play a long ball from left-back. “Kolarov had the ball in a difficult situation in the corner and my players, instead of going up to press, they decide to give space,” said Mourinho. “Today for the second goal, Amrabat receives the ball and our left-back [Luke Shaw] is 25 metres from him instead of five. But even at 25 metres you have to jump and go and press, but no, we wait. This is a tactical but also a mental attitude. It's something that doesn't become perfect in a couple of weeks. So we have to improve, no doubt, individually and collectively. And that’s my job.”

Mourinho said that United had been the better team in the second half and that that mistake had turned the game. “At 1-1 everyone thought we were going to win the game, and we were showing complete control, intensity and creation,” he said. “Obviously after 1-1 that was clearly the tendency of the game. The game was there to win, and never to lose. Their second goal was a mistake, that goes against our plan and our training. Their second goal comes from there, completely against the normal tendency of the game.”

United started the season well but have now lost three consecutive games, the first time that has happened to Mourinho since he was Porto manager. Mourinho said that there is still a lot of work for his team to do, and that his players will have tocope better with the pressure of expectation. “I was completely aware this is not a perfect team, that lots of players are not end products, and they can make their own mistakes,” Mourinho said. “My only doubt was the way they can cope with negative moments, because the negative moments will be always arriving sooner or later. I feel some individuals feel too much pressure and responsibility, but by the collective point of view I only have good things to say about them.”

Mourinho was criticial of his players for conceding the second goal (Getty)

Mourinho said that Watford’s first goal “obviously” should have been disallowed for a foul by Miguel Britos on Anthony Martial, which led to Martial being substituted. While Mourinho did not speak extensively about the incident, he made it very clear what he thought. “When you come with that question it’s because you know,” he said when asked. “you don’t ask me if you think nothing happened. So I answer with your question: the reason why you come with the question, is my answer. It is obvious.”