REVENGE OF THE DAMNED
Shunned Sanchez and Pog find their Wembley mojo
JOSE MOURINHO joked this week that he doesn’t select players based on their price tags. We’ve already seen evidence of that this season. His two big-name signings – Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez – have been respectively dumped, shamed and embarrassed at being left on the sidelines – and Manchester United’s manager has been unrepentant. His message has been a simple one: do the business and you’ll be picked. Well, both of them will be mightily brassed off if they are omitted from the Red Devils’ next outing. Mourinho was staring down the barrel of a barren return this season after Spurs plugged themselves into the Wembley mains. But – and the Londoners’ boss Mauricio Pochettino might like to take note at this point – cometh the hour both of Mourinho’s stars stepped up to the plate. Pogba – after a dreadful start in which he could be rightly blamed for his part in Dele Alli’s 10th-minute opener – gradually found a niche for himself.
While Sanchez was showing the waspish tendencies that caused such a bitter tug-of-war between the two Manchester clubs four months ago.
In the final reckoning it was decisive contributions from both of them which secured passage to the final in four weeks’ time.
Pogba won possession and then fashioned a delightful cross from which Sanchez headed beautifully across Michel Vorm for the equaliser.
Intelligent
And then, in their only real chance after the break, the goalscorer won possession off Kieran Trippier before an intelligent ball across the face of goal was slotted home by Ander Herrera.
Pogba still has a way to go – he clearly does not like returning goalside of the ball – and may yet find himself surplus if the money men can recoup a large chunk of the £89million they shelled out last year.
But this was exactly the difference Sanchez was brought to make. He worked himself to a standstill tracking forward and back along both flanks and was a general nuisance.
At times since his move from Arsenal he has looked like a little boy lost. Wandering around Old Trafford, unsure of his place in the grand scheme.
It’s been a lengthy 12 months for him, what with Confederations Cup duty with Chile last summer – and
Both Pogba and Sanchez will be mightily brassed off if they are omitted from the RedDevils next outing
fatigue has undoubtedly played a part in his below-par start. But he came good when it mattered. As did Pogba. Yes, this was a triumph for Mourinho’s costly duo – who taught Pochettino’s side yet another expensive lesson.
Big managers and big players deliver. And Spurs don’t. Much more of this and Pochettino will be borrowing the title of ‘Specialist in failure’ that is now vacant following Arsene Wenger’s surprise exit.
It’s eight times now that the club has not made it to a final and although the Argentine cannot be blamed for each and every heartache, it keeps happening on his watch. Let’s face it, it’s a good job that Spurs have a shiny new stadium to move into.
If not, the most promising side to grace that famous white shirt might get landed with a tag they don’t want: The Also-Rans.
Time and again over the past three years this vintage, led by two-time Golden Boot-winner Harry Kane, have come up short.
Whether it’s being pipped to the post by Leicester City or losing in successive FA Cup semi-finals, the clock is ticking.
The rumour mill tells us that Pochettino is on Real Madrid’s watchlist. It’s going to look a pretty poor application without any real success to boast.
Of course, Mourinho has been there, armed with a CV that is packed with silverware.
Pretty much like Kane in front of goal, Mourinho chases everything down with vigour.
His game plan wasn’t pretty.It boiled down to allowing Spurs as much possession as they liked, banking on the fact that one chance could be decisive.
It was.