As Manchester United's players emerged into the snow outside Old Trafford on Saturday night and scattered around the globe, an international break will have come as a blessed relief from the icy blast of Jose Mourinho.
It had been a painful couple of days.
Victory over Brighton did little to thaw Mourinho's mood after that astonishing 12-minute outburst on Friday. Nemanja Matic aside, his players had displayed a 'lack of personality, lack of class and lack of desire'. Ouch.
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It is clear that Mourinho is upping the ante at United, publicly challenging his players to raise their game to try to get a response.