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The only surprise, perhaps, is that Manchester United have kept the title race going as long as they have when they are capable of playing this abysmally. They find themselves 16 points behind Manchester City, the newly crowned Premier League champions. Their goal difference is 31 inferior to Pep Guardiola’s team and the final twist in the story of a one-sided title race counts as a humiliation for a club with their haughty ambitions.
It was a defeat at home by the Premier League’s wooden-spoon team, with the Old Trafford stands barely half-full and the players booed off by many of the people who had chosen not to leave early. Was this really the team who won 3-2 at City in one of the season’s great comebacks? It was only eight days earlier that Mourinho’s players could be seen throwing their shirts into a euphoric away end at the Etihad Stadium. Now they were wandering around like zombies, drenched in a Mancunian downpour, losing against the worst team in the league.
Mourinho called his players the “masters of complicated football” but that was being generous after one of the more startling displays of his two years in charge. West Brom have been submerged in the relegation quicksands since December. Their previous away win in the league came in August and there has been only one other occasion in the Premier League years, against Blackburn Rovers in 2011, when United have lost at home against the league’s bottom club.
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Even when Jay Rodriguez headed in the decisive goal, in the 73rd minute, it was alarming to see the lack of fight from a team, lest it be forgotten, that have won this league 20 times. Sir Alex Ferguson used to boast there was no other side in the world who scored as many late goals as his – but not the current version. United drifted aimlessly towards the final whistle without ever looking as if they had the wit or gumption to save themselves. Thousands of people had gone before the end. “Manchester City, we’ve won you the league,” was the cry from the West Brom fans.
On this evidence perhaps West Brom ought to have put Darren Moore in charge earlier in the season. As it is, they can still be relegated next weekend and their victory will be remembered as an almost freakish result from an otherwise wretched season. Yet a result of this nature must enhance Moore’s chances of being given the job full-time and the only possible mitigation for United was that their opponents appeared to have dramatically improved since Alan Pardew’s departure.
All the same it was difficult to find any plausible excuse for a team that finished with Alexis Sánchez, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata on the pitch but barely landed a glove on willing but limited opponents. Mourinho said he could “smell” a performance of this nature coming, complaining there had been a noticeable deterioration on the training ground since beating City. His players, in other words, have started choosing their games and, in the case of Paul Pogba in particular, it would have been no surprise if Mourinho picked up the stench of complacency.
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Pogba might have risen to the challenge against City, with two of the goals in United’s second-half comeback, but when he can play with that kind of authority it makes it even more perplexing that he can follow it up by having this kind of stinker. He dawdled his way through 57 minutes and there was no dissent from the crowd when Mourinho decided the team’s record signing should be removed so early. Mourinho was in such a dark mood afterwards it would be no surprise if Pogba loses his place against Bournemouth on Wednesday, or even in the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham on Saturday.
Not that it was all the fault of one player. At one point Pogba had the ball 20 yards inside the opposition half and was so irritated by the lack of movement from his team-mates he put his studs on top of the ball and held out his arms to protest. Unfortunately, when a player with his uncommon ability can play so listlessly he is not in any position to preach.
West Brom had a let-off in the first half when the referee, Paul Tierney, gave Craig Dawson the benefit of the doubt for a penalty-box challenge that put Ander Herrera on the floor. Ben Foster denied Lukaku with two fine saves and there was another occasion when the United striker had the chance to go through the middle only to be let down by his control. Yet the reality for United is that there was never a part of the match when it became a backs-to-the-wall operation for a team that is bound for the Championship.
The most inviting chance of the first half was the one for Jake Livermore, after 11 minutes, when David de Gea’s one-handed save denied him beneath the Stretford End. West Brom played with a sense of adventure that seemed to surprise their hosts. Rodriguez scored the game’s decisive goal from a badly defended corner and, as the United fans headed away, a party was starting a few miles across this divided city.
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Manchester United fans were left furious after watching their side fall to defeat against bottom of the table West Bromwich Albion.
After stopping Manchester City winning the league against them in the Manchester derby Jose Mourinho's side handed it to Pep Guardiola's team on a plate by losing to West Brom.
Romleu Lukaku's second half header that was saved by Ben Foster was United's only shot on target throughout the entire game and the fans were embarrassed as the players produced another dull performance.
Mourinho said United deserved to be punished after complicating the game and not only did the fans have to endure defeat against a team who are bottom of the table but in doing so they gifted City the league.
Embarrassing.
Mourinho deserves the blame.
Mourinho out brigade in full force.
Awful.
Disgrace.
No desire.
Story of United's season.
Gutless.
No passion.
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Manchester United change like the city's weather these days. As the rain lashed down and drenched Jose Mourinho's raincoat and Alexis Sanchez ceded possession for the umpteenth time, a supporter screamed 'F*** off back to Arsenal'. Paul Pogba was already watching on from the substitutes' bench.
The sunshine of The Etihad eight days earlier seemed a distant memory on an afternoon where United's loss to West Brom finally confirmed City's status as Premier League champions. Eight days earlier, Sanchez and Pogba's impacts in the coruscating comeback at City were heralded as possible watershed moments in their United careers. Instead, they mirrored United's fixture scheduling, going from top to bottom on an afternoon where some spoilt supporters booed as early as the half-hour mark.
West Brom are so resigned to relegation their supporters' gallows humour consisted of rejigging 'Que sera sera' to 'We're going to Shrewsbury', yet Mourinho repeated his mistake of overestimating the opposition by retaining three central midfielders, a tactic which the Baggies' interim coach Darren Moore must have welcomed as much as Jay Rodriguez's 72nd minute header.
A draw seemed likely but not defeat for United. Then Chris Brunt's inswinger was diverted back across goal inadvertently by Nemanja Matic and Rodriguez lost the dithering Romelu Lukaku to nod in. It was then that it maybe occurred to United fans that their opponents had won two and lost only one on their four visits to M16 in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
This was a day of regression for United, who have recovered stirringly in recent months against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and City, but on Sunday resembled the side who previously looked as awkward as Mark Zuckerberg during a grilling whenever they trailed opponents. Despite a superb denial by Ben Foster from Romelu Lukaku, there was no Alamo-style finale as they endeavoured to avoid a first league defeat in two months and the substitutions left them disjointed.
This time, it was United fans' turn to be the object of the broadcasters' ridicule after City fans wept a week ago.
Maybe those first-half jeers were prescient on an afternoon where impatience was ubiquitous. Mourinho told three substitutes to warm up before the 30-minute mark, supporters sighed at backwards passes and there was even the odd spoilt boo at an unadventurous pass. Lukaku, lauded by the singing section for his selflessness, was testing others' patience with his heavy touches. "Pass the ball, Pogba!" screamed one Red and another demanded to know "Who wants it?"
Starting three central midfielders against the league's basement club was a dubious decision and aided West Brom's compact approach. The central congestion was further compounded by the bullish Alexis Sanchez and perceptive Juan Mata darting inside and depriving United of attacking outlets on the flank. Jesse Lingard, peerless in the previous home win over Swansea, was missed.
The right-sided quandary has remained unsolved for the best part of three years. Mata, the best option to occupy it, was moved there by Louis van Gaal in March 2015 and after Henrikh Mkhitaryan did not relish the role Mourinho has relied on Mata to paper over the cracks. It has made United productive but for the first-half on Sunday they were profligate. Predictably, Lingard was introduced for the scratchy Herrera at the interval and United started the second-half with the front six who arguably should have started the first-half. Lingard nearly scored instantly.
United became so desperate in their desolate first 45 minutes Pogba laughably punched the ball towards goal. The 'Hand of Pog' was spotted and the Frenchman collected a booking from referee Paul Tierney.
Even during a serene United start David de Gea stood out with an outstanding save, diving to his eight to prevent Jake Livermore's caressed shot from rippling the corner of the net in the 12th minute. Four minutes later, Herrera was felled by Craig Dawson inside the area but neither a penalty nor a yellow card for simulation were given by the contradictory Tierney. The flashpoint was almost rendered moot seconds later but Romelu Lukaku smacked the ball into goalkeeper Foster's face.
"F****** rubbish," was the summary from one of the more vociferous supporters in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand less than 10 minutes after the restart. Mourinho decided Lingard was not sufficient so on came Anthony Martial, whose name was serenaded loudly, for Pogba, on a yellow card and guilty of committing another foul in the early stages of the second period.
Mourinho had just called Marcus Rashford back ahead of sending him on as Brunt swung in his 73rd-minute centre.
And then the rain got heavier.
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