United struggled for inspiration and coherence at De Kuip, where unfancied Feyenoord grabbed three points from the Group A clash.
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It’s only the Europa League. AFP/Getty Images Feyenoord fans cheer on their team during the UEFA Europa League Group A match between Feyenoord and Manchester United FC at Feijenoord Stadion on September 15, 2016 in Rotterdam, .
Eindhoven, meanwhile, come into the high-profile Dutch domestic fixture on the back of a 1-0 home defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Making their first appearances of the season, Darmian and Rojo simply couldn’t carry out the lofty demands Mourinho places on his full-backs, and the side wilted as a result.
The only goal of the game came from Tonny Vilhena following a break down the right flank from Nicolai Jorgensen.
Mourinho will now attempt to pick up the pieces ahead of Sunday’s trip to Watford, but he might find limited support from the travelling United faithful.
“In the second half they looked a little bit stronger than us, but we are very happy to win”. You lose matches and people are sad and feel it. They had the luck to score in the last part of the game.
“I don’t like to individualise too much because I answer and your mate comes with another name”, Mourinho said when asked about Pogba.
“I am very pragmatic in my approach to matches and competitions, the next match and next competition we play is always the most important”. I know it is not a case of clicking your fingers.
“I think he was like the team”.
“First of all I have players that are not here, I have players that didn’t play here for 90 minutes, so it’s not a problem of accumulation”, he added.
“Obviously, when you lose matches, the mood is not the same, that’s normal”.
“We saw the opponents had time on the ball and to play, so that’s why we had some belief to do something. I know they want to work”.
Saying that the team improved once the second half started, Mourinho claimed that United did not deserve the loss.
What makes the above revelation even more astounding is the fact he lost just 21 of his 185 games (11%) during his first stint at Chelsea.
Den Haag could temporarily move above the Amsterdam side if they win at FC Twente on Saturday. “I don’t think he’s ever going to be able to do that”.
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“I don’t want to go in that direction, I don’t want to personalise”, he told BT Sport. I tried to not let him play a lot and it was good.
