Jose Mourinho insists Wayne Rooney is still a big player for him despite dropping the Manchester United captain for the win over Leicester.
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“If he (Rooney) is on the pitch or at home, he is my captain”.
“It is true that we came here after two defeats in the Premier League, we won the cup game during the week but we needed something like this, you know?”
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has fired a warning shot at star midfielder Paul Pogba despite the huge win over defending champions Leicester City. “He is often one of the most vocal and he was the same”.
“Regardless of whatever the situation is, whatever game, whether he is on the bench or playing or whatever, he is always that same type of character and that’s why he is England’s main man and our main man”.
“This result was about the performance, the security of the fans, and I don’t know the last time they had such a good performance and such a result at half-time”, he said.
The midweek EFL Cup victory over Northampton saw the Red Devils avoid an embarrassing fourth successive loss, but it was the swagger and panache shown during the thrashing of Leicester that was their true statement of intent.
It has not been easy for United at times despite spending big to bring in the likes of Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba. “Until somebody tells me there is a change to that I can only start with 11”.
The result in and of itself was pleasing and vital but the fact Leicester allowed United score three times from corners, including Chris Smalling’s opener, must be taken into consideration.
Speaking about Herrera, Mourinho said: “I like him”. He was criminally undervalued by Louis van Gaal and we’re starting to see just how much of an asset he can be when used in the right way.
Liverpool went one better than United at Anfield where Adam Lallana, James Milner (two penalties), Sadio Mane and a trademark special from outside the area by Philippe Coutinho brushed aside a Hull side demoralised by the first-half dismissal of Egyptian winger Ahmed Elmohamady for handball.
“It is about finding that consistency to make sure that we stay at that top end of that table because we don’t want any more blips”.
Mourinho told his players before the match to relish the pressure and enjoy living the dream of those fans crammed into Old Trafford.
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They say 2-0 is the most unsafe scoreline in football, well it is if you are Sunderland anyway.
