Not for the first time this season, Jose Mourinho was left in a wretched mood after watching his Manchester United side control a Premier League match only to end up missing out on victory on Sunday.

In a tetchy news conference following the 1-1 draw at Everton that left his team in sixth place, the Portuguese was adamant they deserved to win and said there was "nothing more" he could do to change United's fortunes.

Rather than address why the visitors were continually failing to kill off opponents they had dominated, a stern-looking Mourinho launched a counter attack.

Also, having been in so much trouble of late with football's authorities, he gave a non-committal response when asked about a Marouane Fellaini foul on Idrissa Gueye that gifted Everton an 89th-minute penalty converted by Leighton Baines.

"I didn't see it," Mourinho said while many observers felt the penalty award was soft.

Then asked why he brought on the beanpole Fellaini as a substitute with United leading 1-0, he snapped at his questioner: "I thought you would know more about football than you do -- because the answer is obvious.

"When a direct team is losing they intensify their direct football and when you have a two-metres (tall) player on the bench you play him in front of the defensive line to help the team win."

United have drawn six of their last eight league fixtures and quizzed about another match without a win, Mourinho interrupted: "It's another game with a very good performance. We are not getting the results we deserve.

"When you play well there's nothing more you can do."

So many of Mourinho's teams in the past have been damned with faint praise for winning without flair.

What seems to be irritating him now is that he feels United are being criticised for playing attractively without getting the results.

"You (reporters) have to make a decision," Mourinho said. "Because when my teams are playing pragmatic football and winning matches and titles, you say that is not right and nice.

"When my teams, like now, play very, very well, you say that what matters is to get results no matter what.

"At this moment in the Premier League you have teams getting results that defend with 11 players and attack the space on the counter-attack (and you say) it's phenomenal, beautiful. So you have to make a decision," added Mourinho.