Jose Mourinho talked about his team's fragility when trying to explain Manchester United's defeat at West Ham
He should have apologised for setting up his team in a way that led to their downfall
The system a manager chooses is the platform from which the players succeed or fail
Mourinho switched to a back three of Scott McTominay, Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof and it was clear not enough time had been spent working on the roles and responsibilities of each player
McTominay, a 21-year-old midfielder making his first league start of the season, played at right centre half with Eric Bailly on the bench
Ashley Young was United's third right back in as many games. Neither wing-back knew when to break forwards or track back
The muddled tactics were exposed by West Ham's third goal. By then, United had reverted to a back four but instead of taking off McTominay, he withdrew Lindelof
When Mark Noble threaded a ball between Smalling and McTominay, the chasm was so wide that Marko Arnautovic simply strolled through to score
McTominay was caught out of position but a recognised centre half would have known to come across and cover the space
By hooking Lindelof, Mourinho was clearly trying to send a message. Why else would he have kept on a player who lacked experience as a defender? Then there was the substitution of Paul Pogba
He may not have had his best game but none of United's midfielders covered themselves in glory
Mourinho seemed to be using Pogba as a scapegoat. His decisions did not seem rooted in common sense
Contrast this with Chelsea and Liverpool. Both displayed a freedom and certainty at Stamford Bridge that comes when managers trust their players
I see no such freedom at United, no structure, no clear plan. Mourinho keeps ripping things up and starting again
He has made 19 changes to his starting XI this season, with only Rafa Benitez at struggling Newcastle making more
Mourinho is becoming the Tinkerman and seems to have lost the respect of the group
These constant tweaks are suffocating. The least successful team I played in was the Aston Villa side who were relegated in 1987
There were times when I felt embarrassed by our tactics. With every change in formation and personnel, we kept losing our way
In the end, nobody believes in what the man in charge is trying to achieve and that is what it looked like with United at West Ham
That is a dangerous position for a manager and it usually suggests the end is close
Mourinho is wasting so much energy on proving he is top dog off the pitch that performances are suffering on it
He said recently that no individual is bigger than Manchester United but that applies to the manager, too
If Mourinho is to turn things around, he must stop blaming individuals and start taking responsibility
Emery's got all the right moves One of Arsene Wenger's 10 commandments was to never bark orders at his players from the sidelines
His view was that when players had the ball, that was their moment to shine. He did not want to overload them with information
It is why Unai Emery's dynamic demeanour — which was in full flow against Watford — will have come as a shock to the Arsenal players
In the first few weeks of the season, they seemed to be taking their manager's instructions too literally
Now, they are feeding off his energy. By being so animated, Emery is showing the desire, passion and work ethic he wants from his players
Wenger's approach from the touchline was one of nurture. His successor is more demanding
Marko Arnautovic is central to everything West Ham do. He has always been a strong, physical forward but now he is using his power and energy in the right way
He is the springboard from which West Ham launch attacks. His team-mates know that if they find Arnautovic, he will protect the ball with his life
It gives the midfielders confidence to make runs from deep and join the attack. With him in the team, West Ham have that belief they can create something from nothing
Arnautovic is still selfish when he needs to be. He will beat a player with pace and trickery
He will finish in those vital moments. But his all-round game is much more complete
David Moyes deserves credit for demanding more from him last season. Manuel Pellegrini is now reaping the rewards
When Liverpool were winning titles in the Seventies, David Fairclough was their supersub striker who supplied crucial goals from the bench
Now, Jurgen Klopp has his very own trump card in Daniel Sturridge. He is the man Liverpool can call upon to rescue them
Rarely have I seen a more stunning goal than his equaliser at Stamford Bridge. He had no right to hit it from there and it was as if time stood still
He could have had a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain last month. The Anfield fans embraced him again that night and he repaid that warmth at Chelsea
On this form, Gareth Southgate may be tempted to give him an England recall. No player must give Pep Guardiola more satisfaction than Raheem Sterling, who has taken on board everything his manager has taught him
What impresses me most is his intelligent movement. He knows when to come in from out wide and is sniffing out chances better than ever
In the build-up to Sergio Aguero's goal against Brighton, Sterling spotted Kyle Walker making a run down the right, so drifted to the left of the box
It left him in a perfect position to exchange passes with Aguero to set up the goal
Given their wealth of talent, it is hard to become indispensable at Manchester City
Sterling is fast becoming that player. My team of the weekend
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