Forgettable Manchester derby gives José Mourinho some respite at last

The selection said it all. Ordering room service to a suite at the five-star Lowry Hotel may constitute a bit of a disaster for José Mourinho but losing for a second time to Manchester City at Old Trafford, and a weakened City at that, would make life far more uncomfortable for the man charged with reviving Old Trafford’s fortunes. It was not a risk he was prepared to accept.

The second Manchester derby of the season arrived with Pep Guardiola and Mourinho in urgent need of victory with the former enduring his longest managerial run without a win and the latter losing more frequently over the past 12 months than at any stage in his career. But there was pressure on only one.

Mourinho took the rare step in his programme notes of apologising for United’s humbling at Chelsea and making four changes for the fourth-round tie while Guardiola opted for nine.

“As the leader of this squad I want to start by saying sorry to all the Manchester United fans around the world,” the United manager wrote. “Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Chelsea was not a United result; it was a result that has made us all extremely sorry for all our supporters and we all apologise for it.”

Paparazzi intrusion

To be fair to Mourinho, and the Lowry, his complaints about living in Manchester were not without foundation given they centred on paparazzi intrusion and being apart from a close-knit family.

“For me it’s a bit of a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can’t,” the United manager had said.

“I just want to cross the bridge and go for a restaurant. I can’t, so it is really bad. Buy a house? I do not know, I do not know. The reality is that my daughter will be 20 next week, my son will be 17 in a couple of months. They are very stable. University in London. Football in London. Friends. So they are in an age where they can’t chase me like they did before. So for the first time the family lives in a different way.”

There will be as much sympathy for Mourinho as there have been exhilarating performances from United since he took charge. As in the defeat to City in the Premier League on 10 September, United were made to appear laboured by the vibrancy of Guardiola’s team, for whom Aleix García enjoyed a confident start in central midfield and likewise Pablo Maffeo at right-back.

There was a clear purpose to the game-plan of only those in sky blue. The contrast was particularly stark in attack where Leroy Sané, Nolito and even Jesús Navas formed a mobile unit in support of Kelechi Iheanacho while Zlatan Ibrahimovic was isolated, error-prone and off-the-pace throughout the first half.

He would make amends in telling fashion after the restart, however.

Now that Wayne Rooney has been removed from the starting line-up, and mobility has not returned, attention has switched to the contribution of the Sweden international. The 35-year-old was one of seven players retained from the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge and his display was a test of Mourinho’s patience as well as faith.

Mourinho takes responsibility for the selection but he could not legislate for Ibrahimovic striking routine passes out of play and twice gifting possession to the visitors in compromising areas.

Iheanacho almost went clean through on David de Gea’s goal after the striker played a careless pass across the United midfield just before the interval.

Ibrahimovic appeared at a loss over where he should be. He was admonished by his manager for chasing a lost cause early in the game and told to conserve energy in the centre. When Marcos Rojo then launched a clearance down United’s right, Mourinho questioned the striker for not being there to challenge Nicolás Otamendi to the header.

There were signs of a recovery from the Swede early in the second half when he released Marcus Rashford for a rare shot on Willy Caballero’s goal. The answer to what he gives United soon followed as his physical strength and awareness helped settle an otherwise forgettable cup derby. Having barged Otamendi aside as they challenged for a header, legitimately, Ibrahimovic turned into space, considered his options and rolled the inviting pass for Ander Herrera that was ultimately converted by Juan Mata.

It was not pretty but, for Mourinho and his centre-forward, it did not matter. The result was all important. Guardian service