It has been a week to forget if you’re a United fan and especially for Jose Mourinho. If the shock loss at Brighton was not enough, United lost 3-0 at Old Trafford to Tottenham. Although United were the better team at Old Trafford, criticism has flowed in from fans and pundits alike.

To make things worse for the manager, this is his third season at the club. It is public knowledge that at every club the Mourinho has managed, his third season has always been cursed and characterized by a sudden collapse and people fear something similar might be on the cards here.

Jose Mourinho is one of the best ever, says Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino #mufc pic.twitter.com/26s49FNfkZ

— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) August 29, 2018

United fans have been excited by the appointment of Jose Mourinho three years ago. He was looked at as the manager that simply guaranteed silverware that the Mancunian Giants have missed out on since Sir Alex Ferguson departed. But, the concern of how Mourino’s defensive approach would fare at United was always there. Defying all the fears Mourinho won three silverware at the club. But, after the first season, things have only gone downhill for United.

Second season was plagued by injuries and conflicts. The treatment of Shaw and the conflicts with Pogba along with a trophy-less season only helped supporters fuel further doubt if Mourinho is the man for the job. His rant, disregarding United heritage, worsened the situation, after a humiliating exit from Champions League.

Three games into the third season the supporters seem to have totally lost faith in Mourinho. His playing style has frustrated the supporters. Matches, that United previously eased past, they are having to scrape through. Teams that they previously dominated, are being sat back against.

Jose Mourinho watching Burnley vs Olympiakos #MUFC pic.twitter.com/F52K1DULze

— Devils Latest (@Devils_Latest) August 30, 2018

Mourinho was seen applauding the crowd for a rather long time after their loss to Tottenham. Many regarded this as a sign that Mourinho might depart the club and hence such show of respect towards fans. The press conference was also explosive as Mourinho reminded the journalists that he has more Premier League Titles than all the other managers combined presently in charge of the teams.

Followed by the comments he stormed out of the press conference and was even absent from the training session on Wednesday morning.

Mourinho is an excellent man manager. He deals with the journalists and fans equally efficiently. More than a sign that he is leaving the club, his latest antics are a sign that he is under pressure and he is feeling every bit of it.

The long applause was to make sure he had the fan’s support. For a manager who previously criticised the fans for the atmosphere around the stadium and even disregarded what they think about his playing style, it is safe to say he went out of his way to please the fans. He knew that there would be much unrest after their thrashing at home. So he made sure he appreciated the fans to minimise such criticism coming his way.

Refuse to believe that it's all José Mourinho's fault. Players have to take responsibility. A sharing of the blame is more appropriate. Something needs to change and it has to happen quick.

— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) August 28, 2018

Also,there are reports emerging about Zinedine Zidane being lined up as his replacement at Old Trafford and speculations refuse to go away. Zidane left the Real Madrid Job after winning three Champions League in succession with the Galacticos and one would think that the current crop of United Players would buy into Zidane’s approach more than Mourinho’s.

As for Journalists, this is not the first time Mourinho reminded them of his previous achievements. United lost to Sevilla, a match that many expected United to edge past. More than the loss the fans seemed frustrated as the team seemed to have been set to sit back against a comparatively weak opponent.

Mourinho knew his tactics didn’t work and in the following press conference he went to great lengths to remind them of his past achievements and disregarded the United Heritage. These tricks to avoid pressure might prove to be beneficial as of now but will surely be futile if results don’t follow in near future.