Jose Mourinho has had to deal with a vitriolic response to his Manchester United's side 3-2 Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, and while pundits, old players and the general football continued to launch a tirade of negativity towards the Old Trafford boss he will have his attentions turned to United's next league clash, which is an absolute barnstormer.
United will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the north west on Monday night, and they will be eager to replicate their opening day victory over Leicester City against a Spurs side that have won their opening two matches, and duly brushed aside Fulham 3-1 at the weekend.
Now, Spurs' fans will know all to well that their record against the Red Devils doesn't make pretty reading, and in the 52 previous Premier League matches the sides have played United have won 33 with the north London club winning a measly eight, with the other 11 matches drawn.
While that shoddy record doesn't make pretty viewing it's the spell post-2001 that is really alarming for Spurs fans as between September 2001 and September 2012 the teams played 25 times in the top-flight, and United recorded 19 victories, while the other six games ended in a draw, so there was over a decade that Spurs failed to beat a dominant Sir Alex Ferguson-managed side, and United fans would often feel their dominance over the White Hart Lane club was given, and they'd just have to turn up and three points would be returning to the Theatre Of Dreams.
Since Ferguson's exit things have been a lot more tighter and last season the pair both won their respective home matches, but while Spurs have been a lot more impressive on home soil not losing in the Premier League against United in six years, their record at Old Trafford is still poor.
Four defeats on the bounce for Spurs has seen them still struggle against their old foes, and their last victory at Old Trafford came on January 1st, 2014 as goals by Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen handed them three away points.
Pochettino's side have hit the ground running this year, and having beaten Newcastle United away in their first match they followed that up with a win over Fulham, and Harry Kane finally broke his August goal-scoring hoodoo by netting against the Cottagers, and he is sure to take huge confidence from his first goal of the new Premier League season, and after winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup for England he will be relishing taking on United's shaky defence.
Three goals conceded at the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon, United were inept defensively for most of the game, and you have to feel that Mourinho will have to think about tinkering with his side, as Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof came in for significant criticism at the end of the game, but the Red Devils were buoyed by the fact Alexis Sanchez is back in training, and he could potentially after missing the Brighton game.
