Jose Mourinho’s stuttering Manchester United gave a glimpse of their old image, roaring back from a two goal deficit in the first half to beat Newcastle United 3-2.
Alexis Sanchez scored the winner with a header on 90th minute.
The duo of Kenedy and Yoshinori Muto had shot Newcastle United ahead in the first half of a make or mar match for Mourinho at Old Trafford, scoring two goals in three minutes. And the two goals came in the first ten minutes of the match.
Manchester United lumbered through the half, not really threatening the boys from Newcastle.
But in the second half, Mourinho made some changes in his squad, throwing in Marouane Fellaini and Alexis Sanchez. Their introduction added some pep to the attack, and along with Juan Mata who came in as substitute for Eric Bailly in the first half, the result showed in the goals.
With United dominating possession and piling the pressure on New Castle, Mata first pulled one back on 70th minute, after a foul near the box by Mohamed Diame for teh visitors.
Six minutes after, Paul Pogba set up Anthony Martial, for the equaliser.
Then in the 90th minute, a cross by Ashley Young found Alexis Sanchez, who nodded in for the winner, to send the fans at Old Trafford into rapture.
The victory for Manchester United must definitely offer some relief to the embattled coach, following reports that the board members were unhappy with him and were planning to sack him.
United’s first win in five games in all competitions could buy the coach some much-needed breathing space heading into the international break.
“I am 55 years old. It is the first time I see man-hunting. There is too much wickedness in something that should be beautiful,” Mourinho said of his critics.
“I can cope with it. Some of the boys, in spite of them not being the man that is hunted, they are not coping well with it.
“Every ball around our box was almost a goal or some mistake, a bad decision, panic.
“At half-time we spoke and the team faced the second half with a different spirit, a different belief, giving everything for the victory.”
Asked if the speculation would stop, Mourinho added: “No. I go to London now and if it rains tomorrow in London then it is my fault.”
With the scoreline, United, after eight games, are now eighth on the league table with 13 points, six points away from leaders and city rivals, Manchester City, who still have a game in hand, against Liverpool on Sunday.
