Manchester United 'deserved' to lose against Huddersfield, admits Jose Mourinho: 'The team that started with emotion, aggression and desire won'

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Jose Mourinho ripped into his Manchester United stars by questioning their attitude after an embarrassing defeat at Huddersfield Town.

United have dropped five points in a week to fall further behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and Mourinho was left seething on Saturday night.

He demanded his players front up after hearing Ander Herrera bemoan a lack of passion during a post-match television interview.

Manchester United lost to newly-promoted Huddersfield in the Premier League on Saturday 

Aaron Mooy fired the home side ahead before Laurent Depoitre added a crucial second goal

United manager Jose Mourinho admitted the better team won at the John Smith's Stadium

‘I heard that Ander Herrera in his interviews saying that the attitude and desire was really poor,’ Mourinho said.

‘Oh my God! When a player says that and a player feels that, I think they should all go to the press conference and explain why because I can’t explain why.’

Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre capitalised on mistakes by Juan Mata and Victor Lindelof but Mourinho insisted a lack of desire was his team’s undoing.

The Portuguese also suggested it was the worst performance he has witnessed as a manager.

Mourinho added: ‘In the first half I was just waiting for that mistake. It was Mata and Victor but it could be another one because the attitude was really poor. So they beat us on attitude.

‘When I lose matches, I like to lose matches because the opponent was better than us, had more quality than us. When you lose a match because of attitude, that’s really bad.

Laurent Depoitre rounded De Gea on 33 minutes to score and put Huddersfield in dreamland

‘Of course it concerns me. If it happened today, why can’t it happen tomorrow? I don’t even remember a friendly match where the attitude was so poor.

‘I know you like to individualise the mistakes and defeats. I think it’s very unfair because the mistakes of him in the second goal and Mata in the first goal belong to the context.’

Herrera claimed United ‘lost every ball’ and didn’t have enough fight. ‘When you play against a team that normally you are better than, you have to match their aggression and passion,’ he said.

‘We didn’t do that. It cannot happen again. They were more passionate than us, more aggressive. We cannot accept that.

Marcus Rashford cut the deficit with a header but the goal proved to be only a consolation

David Wagner revelled in the victory secured by Huddersfield’s early aggression. He said: ‘I live in Huddersfield so I know a little bit how huge this result is for this town, for the supporters, for the chairman, for the board. I am totally aware that this is a very special moment.

‘Today was extraordinary. For sure one of the top three I would say of the moments I personally have as a manager of this club.’

Mourinho - who was quick to leave the John Smith’s Stadium in fury - admitted Huddersfield’s physicality became too much for United.

‘Huddersfield played like I like,’ Mourinho said. ‘They played with everything they have. Like it has to be. With everything: aggression, desire, motivation, sacrifice. And we didn’t. So the team which deserved to win, won. Simple.

‘It is a surprise but reality. For me it’s simple to say that the team that deserved to win won.’