“But, in one completely isolated counter-attack – I don’t remember David de Gea touching the ball in the second half – they scored a goal”. “We can improve, we can work on it”, Mourinho said, as quoted by FourFourTwo.
Advertisement
And, when you consider that only one other team – Sunderland – have failed to rack up at least 533 kilometres this season, the statistics seem to back up the suggestion amongst some Red Devils supporters that their team isn’t working hard enough to win games.
“I was completely aware that we were not ideal, with lots of players who are not end products and can make their own mistakes”.
The Manchester City manager was speaking at a press conference on Saturday after the Premier League victory against AFC Bournemouth, a match won by the Citizens who remain ideal this season and do not look like losing any time soon. Mourinho has lost three consecutive games in a season for the first time since February 2002, when he was Porto boss, and it leaves United already six points behind the leaders – Guardiola’s City. Rooney wasted numerous critical chances in the game against Feyenoord and that wastefulness is believed to have robbed the team of some chances to get ahead.
“For the first 10 minutes, they would have announced themselves, and tried to break up the little triangles City were forming, and I didn’t see that in Jose’s team in the derby”.
Mourinho is also said to have upset some members of his squad after pointing an accusing finger at left-back Luke Shaw in the wake of Sunday’s 3-1 reversal to Watford. Their second goal was a mistake, that goes against our plan and our training.
“But even at 25 you have to jump and go and press, but no, we wait”. This is tactical but also a mental attitude.
Watford started strongly and might have taken the lead 12 minutes in when Odion Ighalo missed an open goal when the ball fell to him on the edge of the area.
“I’m sad – obviously I’m sad”, Mourinho told MUTV. It’s something that doesn’t become ideal in a couple of weeks. United face League One side Northampton Town in the League Cup tomorrow before hosting the champions Leicester City on Saturday.
Advertisement
‘He blames his players and looks to separate himself from the problem when he needs to help them be the best they possibly can.
