I still cant figure out if it is the tactics, or the players that are (more) at fault recently.
Yes the players lack the mental strength that SAF seemed to give everyone, and LvG and Moyes seemed to turn into a mental weakness.
Yes only four of these players were "Mourinho picks" but you'd think most of them would say they could be playing better.
On the other hand, I have seen wingers defending in line with the fullbacks, isolating the striker when gaining possession. The midfield is also so deep that they cannot support the striker.
The bonus is that we are in the final. The problems are that we do not have a back up plan (top4), our performances have been poor, and Ajax has been great.
I think the general mental resolve around United times came from the confidence that SAF and by extension the fans exuded on the players. 2-0 down? No problem! While Mourinho teams gain mental resolve by guarding a goal like an army defending their city. I think it sort of conflicts with the whole "nothing to lose" play style that everyone who watches United expects to see and turns the whole defending army into generally nervous wrecks.
Another way of putting it, we don't seem to gain any confidence from defending strongly like old-Mourinho teams. United has always gained confidence from attack-attack-attack.
TL07 - I was thinking exactly that with Darmian in the weekend. Scared sharkless to get forward though I thought he had a poor game overall anyway.
I'm very nervous about the final. Mourinho has thrown all his eggs in one basket and it would be very post-SAF United to cock it up... but then I think if you said at the start of the season "beat Ajax and you get champions league" you'd probably take it.
