JOSE Mourinho cut a lonely figure after an embarrassing defeat to Tottenham — and one moment in particular had many suggesting his time as Manchester United manager could be up.

Mourinho took to the field after Tuesday’s (AEST) 3-0 home loss to Spurs to shake hands with his players, then went out of his way to applaud home fans who had remained inside Old Trafford for almost a minute.

He held up a scarf thrown to him by a supporter with many speculating what the poignant moment could mean.

Mourinho carried the emotions into an extraordinary press conference in which he defiantly insisted his team was united and demanded “respect” as he stormed out.