Jose Mourinho has named Eric Bailly as Manchester United’s best player in the 2-1 derby defeat to City on Saturday.
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The Chile global showcased his excellent footwork and footballing brain throughout City’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford, moving outside his area to get involved in play and starting attacks with his passing and long throws.
Mourinho’s side was handed a crucial lifeline just before half-time when City’s debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo dropped a free-kick, allowing United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic to pull one back for his team. This is the first game we have not played the best.
“Against City, I felt they had the fragility on the sides and the kid (Rashford) could give us in the second half on the sides what we didn’t get with Miki and Jesse in the first half”. “We started the game badly”.
Mourinho added that those players who did disappoint in the first derby of the season could lose their places on Thursday, but insists they are not being punished.
Despite the criticism, Manchester United seemingly see the player as a long-term prospect, and he will no doubt have more chances to impress Mourinho over the course of the next few months.
Guardiola has won all six of his games in charge of City but this will be the sweetest of them all, coming at the expense of Mourinho in the latest instalment of their coaching rivalry. “He coped with many situations”.
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“Other players were also not playing really well and obviously, as well as my decision, I don’t like to go in the direction of singling out players”. When you have three on three, four on four, five on five, you have to take advantage because in the last minutes, anything can happen.We played good. The contest saw the visitors, particularly in the first half, again produce the sort of slick, passing football with which their new manager has been associated. I know it’s impossible for 90 minutes but I’m sorry, I will not negotiate that.
