Jose Mourinho Will Reportedly Investigate Manchester United Teamsheet Leak
October 22, 2018
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will reportedly investigate the leak of his starting XI for Saturday's 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
According to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, Mourinho will make some internal inquiries in a bid to find out how his starting lineup made it onto social media ahead of the match on Saturday morning, as it was only known to his players and backroom staff.
Per Jones, Mourinho's selection for the Red Devils' 3-1 defeat at West Ham United in September was also leaked ahead of the game.
Juan Mata was handed just his third Premier League start of the season as Mourinho attempted to spring something of a surprise at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues may have been aware of his inclusion for several hours because of the leak.
The starting lineup was reported on by the Manchester Evening News and confirmed to be accurate when the team was officially announced, per the newspaper's chief United writer Samuel Luckhurst:
As Goal's Sam Lee noted, United aren't the only side to suffer from such leaks, though Lee believes they have little to no impact on results:
Given Manchester City were still able to run away with the Premier League title last season it would suggest Lee's assessment is correct, though it's possible such leaks had little impact on City because of their vast superiority compared with the rest of the division.
United don't enjoy the same status at this moment in time, so knowing their lineup in advance might be slightly more useful than knowing City's.
Alternatively, Mourinho may be more concerned with ensuring the dressing room and coaching staff present a united front as they bid to resurrect their season following a difficult start.
The Red Devils take on Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, and they'll want any advantage they can get to take three points, however small it may be.