Mourinho claims manhunt after win
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho claimed after his side’s 3-2 home victory over Newcastle that he’s the subject of a “manhunt”.
Mourinho says he may have been convinced he was set for the sack if he hadn’t received a text message on the morning of the game from the United board that told him to “ignore what you are going to read and do your job”.
Before the EPL match at Old Trafford, senior figures at the club strongly denied a report from the previous evening the Portuguese would lose his job regardless of the outcome of the contest.
United then claimed victory after being 2-0 down, with Juan Mata netting a 70th-minute free kick, Anthony Martial equalising six minutes later and Alexis Sanchez heading home the winner in the 90th minute.
After watching the Red Devils end their four-game losing streak in all competitions, Mourinho said: “In spite of the first time I see in football a manhunt, I am 55, I am mature, I can cope with it.
“Clearly some of the boys, in spite of their not being the man that is hunted, I think they are not coping well with it. The way they start the game was absolutely panicking.”
Mourinho said his players made mistakes that weren’t normal. “I think at half-time we had a good conversation. We didn’t promise to each other we would win the match, we promised we would give absolutely everything without fear. They gave everything,” Mourinho said.