Things really have gone from bad to worse for Manchester United this season, with manager Jose Mourinho under increasing pressure to deliver results at Old Trafford.
United currently sit 10th in the Premier League table, having only registered 10 points from their first seven games this season. That record equals the club’s worst start to a Premier League campaign, with David Moyes’ debut season with the Red Devils in 2013/14 the only other time United have had 10 or fewer points at this stage.
The players have been criticised for a lack of effort and in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mourinho conceded that his side’s start to the season has not been good enough.
“We can do much better. To do that we need points – points we lost in the last two matches,” he told reporters ahead of United’s clash with Newcastle.
“Only one defeat at home all season, only one defeat in the past seven matches.
“But no victories at home in the past three matches – three draws. Not the feeling of the defeat, but not the happiness of the victory.
“So, yes, it is important for us to try and win this match on Saturday.”
But which of United’s worst league starts of the Premier League era really was the worst?
Read on as we compare Moyes’ 2013/14 nightmare with Mourinho’s 2018/19 horror in more detail below.
Moyes vs Mourinho: Fixtures
Moyes’ defeats
Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd
Man City 4-1 Man Utd
Man Utd 1-2 West Brom
Mourinho’s defeats
Brighton 3-2 Man Utd
Man Utd 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 3-1 Man Utd
Interestingly, both campaigns got off to positive starts, with the Moyes era at United beginning with a 4-1 away win at Swansea City and Mourinho’s side edging out Leicester City at Old Trafford on the first day of this season.
When you look at the opposing sides, you’d argue that Moyes’ team had a tougher start with the teams they faced on paper. United faced Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in their first seven games of 2013/14, whilst the only top six side Mourinho’s team have faced so far this season is Spurs – a fixture that saw Mourinho suffer the heaviest home defeat of his career.
Moyes vs Mourinho: Shooting
Goals scored: 10 vs 10
Shots: 97 vs 94
Shots on target: 38 vs 39
Shot conversion rate: 10.3 vs 14.93
Moyes’ side edge out Mourinho’s team in terms of the total number of shots on goal here, but this season’s side just about come out on top when it comes to shots on target and shot conversion rate. Nevertheless, this will all look worryingly familiar for United fans.
Both teams have tested the opposing keeper a similar amount of times, averaging between 5 and 6 shots on target per game. Not much.
Moyes vs Mourinho: Passing
Passes: 3639 vs 3719
Successful passes: 3070 vs 3091
Passing accuracy: 84.4% vs 83.11%
Crosses from open play: 146 vs 110
Passes ending in the final third: 1176 vs 962
Successful passes ending in the final third: 860 vs 685
Interesting, right? Mourinho’s side might have the edge when it comes to total passes and total successful passes, but it’s the final two stats that we find intriguing.
Moyes’ team made a lot more attempts to move the ball into the final third, over 200 more, in fact. Whether this the result of a more traditional, direct style of play can be debated.
The number of open play crosses certainly nods further towards that – the famous 81 fired in against Fulham was still to come – but it also highlights the complete lack of style, let alone invention, of Mourinho’s side.
ON THIS DAY: In 2014, Man United attempted an enormous 81 crosses as they drew 2-2 with Fulham at Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/aw1D3e3alH
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 9, 2018
Moyes vs Mourinho: Defending
Goals conceded: 9 vs 12
Shots faced: 76 vs 70
Shots on target faced: 26 vs 30
Clean sheets: 2 vs 1
United have only managed one clean sheet this season, something you’d never associate with a Jose Mourinho team. In 2017/18, it was, in fact, the complete opposite: Man Utd kept six clean sheets in their opening seven games, conceding just twice to Stoke.
Overall, they’ve conceded three more goals than Moyes’ team had at this stage in 2013/14 and have also faced more shots on target. Not the most encouraging reading, especially given the calibre of opposition Moyes had to try and keep out.
Moyes vs Mourinho: Final Verdict
Manchester United supporters are absolutely right to suggest that Jose Mourinho has brought more to their club than David Moyes ever did.
During his time at the club, the former Chelsea coach has won an EFL Cup, a Europa League and a Community Shield and lead his side to a second-place finish behind a record-breaking Manchester City side last season. By contrast, David Moyes lasted just 10 months at Old Trafford, with United in seventh place when he was sacked.
But you have to admit, these stats do not reflect at all well on Jose Mourinho. You might argue that the level of opposition in the Premier League is higher now, but falling to such disappointing defeats to sides such as Brighton and West Ham is just not acceptable for a team of Manchester United’s standing.
Things were always going to be difficult for Moyes at United after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, but Mourinho is in his third season at Manchester United now and should have had the time to make his side one that will challenge in all of the competitions they’re involved in. Whether fully supported by Ed Woodward and co. or not, the team is more Mourinho’s than it ever was Moyses’.
With matches against Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon, things are looking ominous for Jose Mourinho at Manchester United and he could yet suffer the same fate as Moyes after repeating the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
April is the month to beat.
The post Moyes or Mourinho: which of Man Utd’s worst-ever starts to a Premier League season was the worst? appeared first on Squawka News.
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