Jose will try suffocate United Casumo preview

Jose will try suffocate United 

Manchester United, despite being second in the standings are probably one of the most predictable teams to watch. They only tend to thrive in open games where their opponents take the game to them. They struggle when teams park the bus and sit deep, giving United more ball possession but less room to use it. 

Sounds familiar, Jose? When Spurs welcome Manchester United on Sunday evening Mourinho has the perfect platform to defend his own brand once more. He was prickly after his side drew against Newcastle, and even argued that he now has a different set of players at his disposal than he had at other clubs, where his side famously defended slim leads better. 

On Sunday he comes up against a club where he is considered to have failed, despite delivering the Europa League and the League Cup. He seems to have reached a familiar point in his career where he switches gears to stop defending his players but defend himself as a manager. He is becoming predictable, his Spurs side grew boring and the morale seems low. It is precisely what happened twice at Chelsea and at Manchester United. This same team beat United 6-1 and even outplayed Manchester City, but now they are struggling to beat the likes of Newcastle United. 

We lauded them as potential champions earlier this season but we regretfully have to take that back as the Mourinho roller coaster takes the familiar, and dull, twists and turns. The Special One seems to lose his ability to lead players when things don’t go well and the void left when he eventually departs is unhealthy for clubs; which many predicted this when Daniel Levy gambled to pounce on Jose Mourinho. 

Yet, he welcomes a club he already beat 6-1 this season, a club whose style is equally predictable and all he needs to do is make his side produce a typical Jose performance. That is: sit deep, play a tight game and launch counter attacks. With Harry Kane and Son Hueng-min on the field a goal is achievable and with that a 1-0 win is entirely possible. 

What bemuses many is Manchester United’s extremely slow starts to games. Brighton outplayed them in the first half and really should have asserted themselves more in the second to prevent the comeback. That’s what being “too nice” does to you, Graham Potter. United are the comeback kings, or the second-half-showmen so a 1-0 lead at half time (priced at 4/1 or 5.00 ) for Spurs might be tough to defend.

United are after all unbeaten away from home in the Premier League which takes some doing, but will Mourinho and Tottenham be brave enough to go for a first half jugular? They need to outscore that potential second half comeback by racing to an early 2 two or three goal lead in the first half. It sounds overly simplistic, but have you seen the way United start games? Statuesque, flat and frustratingly dull. 

Jose, this one is entirely up to you. Set out a Spurs side for a big first half win, and you’re halfway there. Try to suffocate United and go for the one goal lead, and you’re risking. We think he’ll go for the more comfortable, less risky second option and there lies Tottenham’s biggest issue: no risk = no rewards. To dare is to do, anyone? 

Correct score: Tottenham Hotspurs 1-2 Manchester United, priced at 8/1 or 9.00

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