However, speaking at Friday’s news conference ahead of the Sky Live game against Premier League champions Leicester City on Saturday lunchtime, the United boss denied being ruffled by his critics – even claiming he was happy to keep the “Einsteins” in work.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is under pressure to drop Wayne Rooney.
United won their first three Premier League matches under Mourinho, as well as beating Leicester in the Community Shield, but then lost to City and Watford, either side of a Europa League defeat at Dutch club Feyenoord.
Mourinho also named 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford in his team along with midfielder Jesse Lingard.
That result earned United a last-16 tie at home to derby rivals Manchester City, whose 100 per cent winning start to the season under Pep Guardiola has contrasted starkly with United’s stuttering beginnings.
Put to Mourinho that people expect Rooney to be strong enough to deal with, even driven on by it, he added: “That’s what he tries every time”.
Mourinho said in his first news conference as United manager that he will only play Rooney as a center-forward or as a deep-lying forward.
“For me, I think it’s the flawless draw”, he told MUTV. “I’ve worked hard and tried to do my best for the team”. Football, everyone is the same and if he has to go on the bench, he goes on the bench; if he has to stay at home, he stays at home. He’s our captain, but of course, no privileges.
“I’m sure obviously we will come back and definitely be challenging this season”.
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In 2014, van Gaal said: “We are in a process and that process shall take more than one year, it shall take three years”.
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Mourinho is expected to retain the 4-3-3 system that he has dabbled with in recent weeks, with Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini joined by the reassuring presence of Michael Carrick in central midfield.
