This time, at least, Jose Mourinho didn’t blame the quality of his players.

The Portuguese had been asked whether yet another chastening derby defeat had proved he needed a quality centre-half, as he had argued in the summer. Unlike after the home defeat by Juventus, though, he did not make any unfavourable comparisons about Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling.

“I don’t think today was the game to touch on that point. Victor and Chris had a positive performance,” the Manchester United boss argued.

It was a game that highlighted a wider point, though, that the centre-half issue is part of.

Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ederson - 6 out of 10 Gave away the penalty that brought United back into the game. It was a poor choice from the goalkeeper but he wasn’t really troubled for the rest of the match. REUTERS Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Kyle Walker - 6 out of 10 Pushed high with the rest of City’s back line and gave them options in attack, from runs down the wing to long balls over the top. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings John Stones - 6 out of 10 Led the defence and pressed high up the pitch to give City options to pass the ball around and probe the gaps in United’s defence. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Aymeric Laporte - 6 out of 10 Was as happy to attack as he was to defend, he fed balls through to the front men easily and was solid when asked to defend. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Benjamin Mendy - 6 out of 10 Offered City another dimension on the left wing, linking well with Bernardo Silva and Sterling. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Bernardo Silva - 8 out of 10 With David Silva they controlled the game for City in the first half, he chased the ball and kept it in play to lead to the opening goal and set up Gundogan for the third. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Fernandinho - 7 out of 10 Often forgotten in this quick, sharp, attacking Man City side but he provided a stable presence in the mid-field making challenges and interceptions to stop United’s attacks fully developing Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings David Silva - 9 out of 10 Scored the opener and caused the most problems for United. He combined with the whole front line to get the ball into the box and utilise the tight spaces on offer. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Riyad Mahrez - 7 out of 10 Gave Luke Shaw a good battle on the right wing and won it in the first half. Making space for himself to cross the ball or cut inside and run with it. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Sergio Aguero - 8 out of 10 Scored City’s second goal with a brilliant finish but the build up one-two with Mahrez was glorious. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Raheem Sterling - 7 out of 10 Offered pace and skill for Man City up front. He moved out wide and delivered a great ball into the box that led to the opening goal. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings David De Gea - 6 out of 10 Conceded three, saved more than that. United need a better back four or De Gea will be gone come summer. AP Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ashley Young - 6 out of 10 Like every United player he started slowly and left gaps in behind him that Sterling found, but he got into the game and offered United a more attacking presence on the right. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Chris Smalling - 6 out of 10 Had the chance to level things in the first half but didn’t really catch his header. Found it hard to nullify the threat of the Silvas. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Victor Lindelof - 6 out of 10 Found it tough going in the first half but came into his own in the second 45 minutes and stopped Aguero on a few occasions. AP Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Luke Shaw - 6 out of 10 Probably came of worse when battling Mahrez, he gave away a free kick and was fully able to get forward due to City’s pace on the counter. REUTERS Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ander Herrera -5 out of 10 Asked to mark David Silva in the first half and failed miserably. He lost the ball on multiple occasions but worked hard to recover. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Marouane Fellaini - 7 out of 10 Defended well. Attacked well. It’s a pity no-one else kept up with his standards. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Nemanja Matic - 5 out of 10 Lacked creativity to send United forward in the first half and preferred to sit in and defend. He let Gundogan drift away from him and score the third goal that sealed United’s fate. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Jesse Lingard - 6 out of 10 With Rashford and Martial, Lingard gave United pace up front but the lack of creativity in mid-field meant that they weren’t utilised well. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Marcus Rashford - 6 out of 10 Had a lacklustre game leading the line. He didn’t get as much of the ball as he needed and communication the between the front three wasn’t the best. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Anthony Martial - 7 out of 10 Was quiet in the first half as he didn’t get much off the ball. Stepped up to the plate and sank the penalty to bring United back within one. PA

It actually cuts to the core of why Mourinho’s entire reign at United has felt unsatisfactory and underperforming, and why they are so far behind Manchester City in so many senses.

A primary issue is that, in such games, the Portuguese’s inherent inclination – his scorpion-and-frog nature – it to sit deep and keep things tight. That is something that would obviously be aided by having a rock-hard resolute centre-half of the type that Mourinho has always idealised. Without that, and the injured Paul Pogba, he instead went for a three-man midfield of Marouane Fellaini, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera that was supposed to be obstructive but ended up more like just lining up the non-moving monoliths from 2001 Space Odyssey. City just played around United, who only ever looked good in the brief spells when the game opened out for them a bit.

That has of course been the case for the last month, and that points to a huge problem with this team.

The top-heavy attacker-filled United squad is just not built to suit Mourinho’s preferred approach. It suits adventure and attack and risk and chaos, characteristics that have never really enthused the Portuguese.

That is likely one strong reason why the side’s performances have swung so wildly within individual matches, and point to a fundamental confusion within the squad. That maybe makes it logically inevitable that the clarity that comes from having to chase a game – the fundamental requirement of just scoring – actually brings their best performances. It enforces an idea, where previously there was none.

Ed Woodward realises there is a need for football expertise b (Getty)

Mourinho is thereby caught between two mindsets: his own, and that which seems to more naturally suit his players.

There is thereby a fundamental confusion at the core of United.

They are team without a clear idea, something that is actually amazing to say after two and a half years and five transfer windows.

It is also so strikingly different from most of Mourinho’s managerial career, given he has previously been a manager famed for his laser focus, particularly during his peak at Internazionale.

Mourinho rued having to start Fellaini due to injuries (Getty) (Getty Images)

The only focus at United right now seems to be when they are chasing a game in the last few minutes and Fellaini is thrown on to fire balls at, something Mourinho lamented he couldn’t do… because he had to start the Belgian.

“We had to play Fellaini, he was not ready to play for 90 minutes,” the Portuguese rather remarkably said. “I can imagine when the result was 2-1 to bring a fresh Fellaini, I think they would be in big, big trouble.”

This obviously emphasises one reason why Mourinho’s job and very status as a manager has been in trouble of late, given it emphasises the fundamental poverty of ideas at a time when there has never been so much attacking sophistication at the top level of the game.

It is impossible not to wonder whether, as much as not having any ideas at United, he is actually out of ideas.

But it’s equally impossible, and unfair, to say it’s entirely down to him. The lack of a core football idea reflects the way the club has operated since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, and is why executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has now realised the requirement for proper football expertise between the manager and the hierarchy.

Compare that to City. Pep Guardiola came into a job that effectively had been shaped for him. Everything around the football side of the club had been built towards a clear idea, with Guardiola the idealised choice for the top role.

Mourinho came into a job that was pretty much a response to City. United were organisationally in such a disarray that they had to go for the manager with the biggest reputation, who also had a reputation for getting results off Guardiola.

Mourinho's position is one of clear contrast to Pep Guardiola's (AP)

That was the extent of the thinking, and it has not evolved much since.