The Red Devils host Valencia in the Champions League later and desperately need a positive result. Manchester United have already lost four times this season at the hands of Tottenham, Brighton, Derby and West Ham.
Their Carabao Cup exit and 3-1 defeat at the London Stadium last week piled further pressure on Mourinho. And the manager has turned on his squad, having suggested some care more than others in his pre-match press conference for Valencia. United’s second game in Group H tonight could give them a major boost heading into Saturday’s Premier League visit from Newcastle before the international break.
And Mourinho has hailed the United supporters who continue to stick by his failing team at present. Asked if Old Trafford can be a key factor on a European night, Mourinho told United’s official website: “I prefer to say that the players’ attitude is the most important thing.
“And then from the supporters I cannot ask for any more. I cannot ask for more than they are giving at home. Away with bad results, I cannot ask for more. I think it’s time for the people on the pitch to show them [the fans] that they love the club as much as the fans.”
On if a win against Valencia would lift everyone, Mourinho added: “I don’t want to go in that direction.
“The game is difficult enough without trying to add some more ingredients to the game.
“It’s a difficult game, we have to win if we want to be in a fantastic position and we shouldn’t lose if we want to stay at least in control of our situation.”
Mourinho has some big decisions to make tonight regarding his team selection.
Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard have all been ruled out through injury.
But it will be interesting to see who starts out of the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Eric Bailly given what happened at West Ham on Saturday.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright,had initially slamed Mourinho saying that the ongoing feud between Mourinho and Paul Pogba is ‘embarrassing’ for everyone involved.
It has been another week of discontent at Old Trafford on and off the pitch, with a run of poor results culminating in a defeat to West Ham on Saturday.
Last weekend the Red Devils could only draw with newly-promoted Wolves before they crashed out of the Carabao Cup to Championship side Derby.
Away from the pitch, the ongoing feud between Mourinho and Pogba has showed no sign of stopping after the midfielder criticised his manager for not playing more attacking football at home.
Pogba was then stripped of the vice captaincy role at the club and left out of the match day squad for the game with Derby.
The Portuguese boss then chose to omit the club’s highest earner Alexis Sanchez from the squad for the defeat to West Ham, while Pogba was taken off after 70 minutes.
And pundit Ian Wright took aim at Mourinho on BBC Radio 5 Live, branding the current situation at Old Trafford ‘embarrassing’.
“At the end of the day, do you think Man Utd fans will sing Jose Mourinho’s name when he is gone? If he’s gone?” he said.
“I’m not hearing too much from Man Utd fans singing Mourinho now to show him support or anything.
“He’s starting to lose them as well because what I think what he’s doing now is embarrassing Man Utd and their fans. It’s embarrassing.
“What’s going on at Man Utd, a club I respected because they were the ones you had to beat, they were the ones you tried to reach and now we’re watching it all come apart because of two massive egos.
“Just like Chris Sutton said it’s totally ripping Manchester United to the core in respect of embarrassment.”
United currently find themselves in tenth spot in the Premier League, already nine points behind rivals Liverpool and Manchester United.