Jose Mourinho’s decision to publicly question the commitment of Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling is a demoralising move at a vulnerable time for Manchester United.

The Red Devil’s 3-1 victory at Swansea City stopped a run of four league games without a win, but it is Mourinho’s prematch comments that have needlessly soured what should have been a moment of light reprieve for the underachievers. Both Shaw and Smalling declared themselves unfit for the trip to South Wales, prompting Mourinho to imply that players should be able to play through the pain barrier and sacrifice their bodies for the cause.

Not only does this insinuate that Shaw and Smalling are somehow faking it or can’t be bothered but it also potentially turns the fans against the young England pair.

You can say Mourinho is probably playing mind games to get them back and hungry for Arsenal at home on November 19 but it could also backfire and either lose the Portuguese his dressing room or destroy the confidence of his youngsters.

Shaw has already come in for criticism from Mourinho when he was effectively blamed for United’s 3-1 defeat away to Watford.

It is not too dissimilar to Mourinho’s treatment of Juan Mata who he substituted just 30 minutes after coming on against Leicester City during the Charity Shield because he was “the shortest player” on the pitch.

Mourinho had sold Mata to United from Chelsea in January 2014 while he was still Blues boss before joining United himself the following season, and the substitution was seen as a message for Mata to leave Old Trafford.

But Mata responded by getting the opening goal in United’s first game of the season at Bournemouth.

Whatever the reason was for publicly embarrassing Mata, it appeared to work but then Mata is a bit older and experienced and seemingly more able to handle the mind games. Shaw and Smalling on the other hand could be better off shielded from such antics.

There’s a fine line in management between saying or doing something to provoke a reaction and bullying, and at times that distinction appears blurred with Mourinho.

If United were top of the league and all was going well this would have been seen as genius man-management, but with the team sixth on 18 points from five wins and three draws from the first 11 games, it can only be seen as risky.

Couldn’t he just have bit his tongue and gone into a game United were odds on to win anyway without causing anymore divisive controversy? Why does he have to rock the boat when things are just getting back on track?

Mourinho’s judgement and tact is questionable since that bust up with team doctor Eva Carneiro led to his Chelsea downfall.

Everything after that leaves you wondering whether what he does is constructive. Is he actually trying to do good by his players or are things really as acidic as they seem behind the scenes? The current rhetoric he uses doesn’t differentiate and doesn’t paint the picture of a man happy with his squad or confident about his prospects.