Manchester United slipped to another disappointing draw yesterday against Everton, failing to convert their dominance into chances and their chances into goal. It’s becoming a repetitive event for United this season, and while there is still plenty of good will about the progress Jose Mourinho is making with the team, one wonders whether Louis Van Gaal or David Moyes would have been given such leeway by the press.
Every week United seem to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory – or snatch draw at least. This is a bad habit to have, although the tantalising closeness of a coherent team is keeping the Old Trafford faithful onside. As long as they are seeing progress, they will tolerate disappointing results.
The real question is if this is good enough. Jose Mourinho inherited a squad that was flawed but filled with quality, and he then spent unspeakable amounts of money adding players. He can’t complain about the players at his disposal, meaning his only excuse is bad luck.
That’s an argument that will hold for a while, but patience will run out eventually. Expectations are high in Manchester, and the Portuguese is quickly using up his grace period. He needs to get things right, and soon, starting with some intelligent moves in January.