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The Glazer family and Ed Woodward are reaping what they have sown. For 45 minutes, the makeshift Manchester United defence just about functioned against Harry Kane but within 10 minutes of the restart Jose Mourinho's managerial reign was unravelling again.

Two goals. Two defensive mistakes and the guilty parties were recalled players. Harry Kane exerted his superiority over Phil Jones and Ander Herrera - yes, central defender Ander Herrera - forgot the memo and played Christian Eriksen onside. Lucas Moura made it 2-0. Then 3-0 late on. The culprit? Another United defender, Chris Smalling.

"You're getting sacked in the morning," chirped the Spurs following, before that segued into 'You're not special anymore'. Mourinho's mood soured badly. Herrera was hooked for Sanchez amid indecision over Jones, apparently injured but insistent he was fine. Mourinho berated the United physio and three minutes later Jones was withdrawn for Victor Lindelof, United having wasted a substitute.

Successive defeats, talk of a managerial change and a plane banner protest lined up at Burnley on Sunday. The United crest will be cracked in half on more back page newspapers on Tuesday morning. Everyone has seen this film before and the ending is a predictable one.

The United hierarchy's miserliness suggests Champions League qualification is a certainty under Mourinho when it is anything but. He was sacked with Chelsea 16th in December 2015 and United finished sixth two seasons ago, returning to club football's elite through the Europa League catflap. It is cash over glory. Complacency.

Mourinho cannot hide behind the Woodward excuse every game, even if Toby Alderweireld's intervention on the hour mark was a reminder of the required class United fall well short of. For a manager who was seemingly so alarmed by the porousness at Brighton he still took a risk with an emergency defender in Herrera.

The jittery Jones was fortunate not to concede a penalty in a first period where Spurs lacked incision, much to their manager's animated chagrin. Once they addressed that they were two goals up.

United's defence has become like the Argo operation, only they might not have a best bad idea. Jones and Smalling, recalled perhaps on the strength of them neutering Kane in the FA Cup semi-final in April, were also the axis that Spurs swamped in January. Jones scored an own goal that night and endured a worse one on Monday.

Mourinho switched to a back three, a ploy that he had been considering since July. Nemanja Matic was originally earmarked as the auxiliary option and United indeed began with a defensive trident, only the twist was that Herrera dropped back beside the returning Jones and Smalling. That made it look more makeshift and knee-jerk; a response to Woodward's failure to sign Harry Maguire or Alderweireld, listed on the wrong side of the Monday night teamsheet for Mourinho.

The United manager did acknowledge his culpability by dropping Lindelof to the bench and Eric Bailly altogether as another power play was at least played out before the football started. Anthony Martial, Andreas Pereira, Juan Mata were all hooked at Brighton and demoted from the 18 along with the blundering Bailly. Martial's omission was maybe the most significant as Mourinho reminded the Frenchman, perhaps empowered by the board's refusal to sell him and the speculation surrounding compatriot Zinedine Zidane, there can only be one 'boss' in a dressing room. But for how long?

Mourinho's 'sergeant' should have provided his manager with more stability on 16 minutes. Danny Rose almost had an impact without getting that move to United he pined for as Romelu Lukaku intercepted his underhit back-pass, rounded Hugo Lloris and rolled the ball past the open goal post. United supporters responded positively and the J Stand treated Lukaku to a rendition of his chant as Mourinho spoke words of encouragement. It was still goalless when the home support rocked to George Best and Chris Smalling's chants as the manager and team retained vociferous backing.

For an XI lacking width United continued to fashion chances for the toiling Lukaku but the dicey defence was befuddled by Moura, who was tripped by Jones in the 29th minute. Referee Craig Pawson kept his hands by his side and minutes later Antonio Valencia tested Lloris and Matic's deflected side-footer looped narrowly wide. Lukaku implored the crowd to turn it up to the 11 and they obliged.

A London team had not won at Old Trafford since Tim Sherwood was managing against David Moyes in January 2014 and Pochettino might have reminded his players of that statistic. Kane had never scored at Old Trafford until he nodded Kieran Trippier's outswinger beyond David de Gea in the 50th minute. Two minutes later, Eriksen capitalised on Herrera's dithering defending and Moura, once coveted by Sir Alex Ferguson, finished nervelessly.

Mourinho got angrier but his players didn't. The majority let their heads slump to their chests. Lindelof almost gifted Spurs a third with a calamitous back-pass Alli failed to finish. He needn't have worried. United did not muster an attempt on target.

"You're just a s**t Man City," the Spurs fans sardonically sang. Moura then raced through, slowed down and hurdled a weak Smalling challenge to leather past De Gea. Now the chorus was 'You're f*****g s**t' and the stadium was emptying.

You reap what you sow.

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