Mourinho is in need of a crucial victory fillip

JOSE Mourinho's Manchester United head to Northampton looking to avoid the ignominy of a fourth straight loss and an embarrassing EFL Cup exit.

Following Louis van Gaal's frustrating reign, the Portuguese's arrival, along with some big-name arrivals, brought a feel-good factor back to Old Trafford.

Victory in the Community Shield was followed by three successive Premier League wins, but things have gone awry since the international break.

The galling 2-1 derby defeat at home to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City was compounded by United's Europa League opener ending in a 1-0 loss at Feyenoord.

A third defeat followed as Watford triumphed 3-1 at Vicarage Road on Sunday, seeing Mourinho lose three competitive games in a row for the first time since August, 2006.

That run has increased the pressure heading into an EFL Cup third-round trip to Northampton tonight - not what had been expected after a good summer and start to the season.

The group were recently said to be standing taller playing under Mourinho and with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the Portuguese even said to have had a "hypnotic" presence.

But, Mourinho's criticism of Luke Shaw's positioning as Camilo Zuniga re-established Watford's lead last Sunday is said to have shocked teammates.

It is something the England left-back is understood to be irritated about, especially given the manager had indicated such comments about individuals would be kept in-house.

United have expected such controversies and are relaxed about such flash points given how Sir Alex Ferguson ruffled feathers during his tenure.

Changes are expected at Sixfields and whoever lines up at Northampton tonight, they and Mourinho can ill afford another bad result.