But he struggled to produce a sample after his first game of the season and United’s team coach left the De Kuip stadium without him.
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“I think the game on Sunday will be an independent game”. I said, yes, it’s a good start, but I was never on the moon. I know it is not a case of clicking your fingers.
“The second half was different, it was exactly when we were trying to win and Feyenoord was trying not to lose that they scored the goal, which I think we didn’t deserve”. They went 1-nil down to Dutch side Feyenoord and lost a fourth straight European away game for the first time in their history.
But the Portuguese gave a bullish answer, saying: “When you lose matches there are no miracles in terms of the players’ souls”.
“I am not saying (it was) bad, but we did not have the ambition to win the match”. That is the normal feature of football players.
United has now lost two games in a row, falling to its first English Premier League defeat of the season against Manchester City on Saturday before its Europa League disappointment. “Obviously some played better than others but I have to understand that some of these players haven’t played week after week like the other boys”, Mourinho added.
“It was double unlucky because it was a clear offside (for Feyenoord’s goal)”.
Jose Mourinho was frustrated by the result and the fact Nicolai Jorgensen was not called offside in the build-up to Tonny Vilhena’s later victor – something that irked Smalling, as did the overall display. I am going to be ready when the manager wants me to play, ‘ the midfielder told MUTV.
14/9/16 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Chris Smalling during training Action Images via Reuters / Ed Sykes Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Mourinho is expected to recall Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was rested for the Europa League fixture, to the starting lineup today. “In the second half was when they were increasing their intensity and it was when they conceded the goal”. We need to focus on ourselves and how we start.
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Even so, they still carved out the best chance of the first half when Matteo Darmian’s cross picked out Anthony Martial, who should have done better than fire wide from the edge of the penalty area.
