Jose Mourinho accepts there are “no miracles with the players’ souls” when it comes to rebuilding confidence at Manchester United.
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An unnamed Manchester United player was trapped in Rotterdam after United’s 0-1 loss to Dutch side Feyenoord in a Europa League match as he struggled to provide his urine sample for doping tests.
Mourinho had expected the Frenchman’s tail-off after his bright start to life at United, and now wants him to block out the background noise that comes with his status.
Hornets captain Troy Deeney has suggested that his side can “do a Leicester” this season, and Mourinho’s men will have to be on their guard on Sunday to avoid a hat-trick of defeats.
“But, to be honest, I think we didn’t play phenomenal matches in these two defeats, but in both I think it is a punishment for the team because we deserved more than the results we got”.
“Obviously when you lose matches then the mood and feeling is not the same”.
“If you win, you always know it is a good plan but there were moments in the game where we had it tough”, the former Arsenal, Rangers and Barcelona player said.
Despite the two consecutive losses Mourinho remains calm. We were not trying to win, we were just in control of the game and waiting for the possibility to win or not to win.
“I think he was like the team”.
“I know that he is a very good guy with a lot of ambition, so the form will come naturally and will come with the team”.
Writing in his column for The Daily Mail, Keown said: “He’s the first teenager to score a goal under Jose Mourinho in the Premier League”.
“I said, “Yes good start, very good start” but I never was on the moon”.
“On Sunday, character. needs to shine through”, United defender Chris Smalling said, “because it’s unacceptable to lose three games in a row”.
“The last two games we’ve played, we haven’t made the best of starts especially in the first half, and we need to change that. They bought a powerful, strong midfield player and if he plays the right way, no one can live with him”.
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Tonny Vilhena latched onto a fizzed cross from Nicolai Jorgenson to drive a low and powerful shot past a despairing David de Gea, despite Jorgenson clearly in an offside position during the buildup play. Ajax conceded an early Marcus Berg goal at Panathinaikos, but fought back thanks to a Bertrand Traore first-half strike, and took the lead when Jairo Riedewald fired in the rebound after Luke Steele saved a Davy Klaassen penalty in the 67th.
