Mourinho gives three reasons for Watford defeat

Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and Troy Deeney inflicted a third consecutive defeat on United in just over a week. 

It means they now trail league leaders and rivals Manchester City by six points in the title race.

United fans took to Twitter to blame Wayne Rooney for another insipid display, but Mourinho pinpointed three things that went wrong at Vicarage Road. 

“I reflect on three factors from the match, but only one of them I can improve," Mourinho told the BBC.

"The first factor depends on ourselves, it relates to our individual mistakes and collective mistakes as individual players and as a team. We have to improve something, it is in our hands.

"The second factor is the referee and I can’t control their mistakes, The story of the game is the result and not the ridiculous situation of the first goal.

"The third factor is luck, we didn’t have it. We were the best team when we lost. Heurelho Gomes made a phenomenal save from a Zlatan Ibrahimovic header."

Mourinho's comments about referee Michael Oliver came just eight days after the Manchester derby defeat to City. 

The former Chelsea boss was livid that Mark Clattenburg failed to award a spot-kick when Rooney was brought down by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo inside the area. 

United were also on the wrong end of a refereeing mistake in the Europa League on Thursday, where Feyenoord scored despite Tonny Vilhena being offside.