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In Mourning

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho produced a tactical masterclass to outwit Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino

The result has halted the Spurs juggernaut while also keeping United's title dream firmly alive, with Mourinho coming trumps

FOR weeks now it has all been Pochettino this, Pochettino that.

British football’s best-loved coach has even written a book about his Tottenham side’s ‘Brave New World’, apparently.

 Mauricio Pochettino is the latest victim of a Jose Mourinho tactical masterclass
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Mauricio Pochettino is the latest victim of a Jose Mourinho tactical masterclassCredit: PA:Press Association

When the paperback version comes out, he could always ask Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to help with a chapter called The Tactical Masterclass.

The strategy is easy to spot — meticulous planning, shrewd substitutions and then shutting up shop to protect a skinny lead secured in the tightest of games. The Special One lives for these occasions.

This win cannot possibly trouble his top five tactical triumphs — and how could it when he has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan?

Inter’s brilliant victories over Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich on the way to winning the European Cup in 2010 are among the finest of this superb coaching mind.


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 The Special One delivered the goods as Man Utd beat Spurs 1-0
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The Special One delivered the goods as Man Utd beat Spurs 1-0Credit: EPA

United fans, those who booed him when he took off Marcus Rashford and replaced him with match-winner Anthony Martial, should remember that. He is not doing so bad, you know.

This win was classic Mourinho.  The locals should learn to live with these cat-and-mouse affairs.


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The Stretford End can yearn for cavalier, scintillating, swashbuckling football as much as they like, but it will not be coming under this manager.

Mourinho’s ways are set and history tells us he is successful with this approach more often than not.

 Anthony Martial grabbed a late winner for United at Old Trafford
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Anthony Martial grabbed a late winner for United at Old TraffordCredit: PA:Press Association

He won three trophies — the Community Shield, Capital One Cup and Europa League — in his first  season at United. It is a decent haul, especially when you consider the mess he inherited.

For good measure, he also reminded the growing number of dissenters after last weekend’s defeat at Huddersfield that they are doing OK this season too. United remain second in the Premier League after this win.

They can qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League against Benfica on Tuesday and are  into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Mourinho is the ultimate trophy hunter and deserves a bit more respect for his coaching acumen.

To motivate himself to plot Tottenham’s downfall again on Saturday, to work out a way to beat one of the game’s up-and-coming coaches again, is worthy of credit.

His defensive reshuffle, playing three central defenders to stifle the threat of Heung-min Son, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, worked well enough.

 It's back to square one for Pochettino as he figures out a way for Spurs to win a trophy
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It's back to square one for Pochettino as he figures out a way for Spurs to win a trophyCredit: Reuters
Anthony Martial nets winner as Manchester United beat Tottenham

Poch talked about Tottenham becoming “a target” for the top teams, rationalising this defeat by measuring his team’s progress under him.

They are a nice side to watch, pleasing on the eye when Harry Winks, Eriksen and Dele start slicing their way through opposition defences.

They did that in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and they did it in last weekend’s 4-1 thumping of Liverpool at Wembley.

Tellingly, without the talismanic presence of Harry Kane up front, they could not do it against West Ham on Wednesday. Crucially, they could not do it at United.

This is yet another Tottenham team that is in danger of being remembered for being all fur coat and no knickers.

Martial smacked their backsides when he came on as a substitute, unchallenged as he made his through the Spurs defence to slot home the winner.

 Mourinho is showing once again he has what it takes to challenge for the highest honours
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Mourinho is showing once again he has what it takes to challenge for the highest honoursCredit: EPA

It was throwback stuff — David De Gea to Romelu Lukaku to Martial, goal — but the agricultural approach was in keeping with the game.

Mourinho was entitled to be miffed about the boos that greeted his decision to bring on Martial for Marcus Rashford. It was a like-for-like replacement, a positive decision designed to nick a late win.

Martial, bounding through on goal, clipped his effort beyond Hugo Lloris in the 80th-minute with a sweet left-foot finish. It turned out to be enough to win it.

This was anything but a classic, but Mourinho knows the game moves too fast for that to matter for very long.

 Next up for Mourinho is a battle with Chelsea foe Antonio Conte
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Next up for Mourinho is a battle with Chelsea foe Antonio ConteCredit: AFP

Tomorrow they play Benfica and then it is on to Chelsea for a date with sworn enemy Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham, losing ground in the title race after wins for United and Manchester City, are licking their wounds again. For the Nice Guy, this is a damaging defeat.

At some point the coming man has to become the main man, to shove the old boys like Mourinho out of the way.

Poch is supposed to be leading the new world order, the poster-boy for a new breed of exciting coaches coming into the game. Against the master, he got out-manoeuvred.

Tottenham's Dele Alli and Manchester United’s Ashley Young confront each other at Old Trafford
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