Despite criticism, Mourinho sticks to his guns MARLOS LEADING THE CHARGE FOR SHAKHTAR
SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE Ahead of Champions League clash against Sevilla, United manager says winning is the only thing that matters to him
MANCHESTER: Most clubs would be delighted to be sitting second in the Premier League, into the FA Cup quarterfinals and on the verge of a return to the last eight of the Champions League.
However, Jose Mourinho is learning of the exacting demands of being Manchester United manager with incessant questions over not just results, but the manner in which they are obtained.
“If people don’t think we deserved it, I don’t care,” Mourinho said after United defeated rivals Liverpool 2-1 on Saturday despite enjoying just 32 per cent possession.
The problem for Mourinho is not just United’s tradition for winning while playing on the front foot under great European Cup-winning managers Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson, but that United are no longer even the best team in Manchester.
Manchester City enjoy a 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand. Moreover, the attractive style implemented by long-time adversary Pep Guardiola is far more in keeping with that United fans are used to seeing than the fare offered up by Mourinho’s tactics.
However, with City seemingly just a few weeks away from sealing the title and having already booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals, the pressure is on United to join them in Friday’s draw when they host Sevilla on Tuesday.
The last-16 tie is delicately balanced at 0-0 after Mourinho resorted to type by concentrating on obtaining a clean sheet at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan three weeks ago.
The decision to not go looking for an away goal against a side that has lost heavily to the likes of Spartak Moscow, Eibar and Real Betis this season will come back to haunt Mourinho if United fail to progress. To do so, Mourinho must find the right blend between attack and defence.
Mourinho’s decision to batten down the hatches against Liverpool in the final 20 minutes drew boos from the fans. “The fans they can do what they want. I’m not upset at all with that reaction,” insisted Mourinho.
has certainly improved under Mourinho is United’s home record, which wasn’t so good under his predecessors Louis Van Gaal and David Moyes. and brilliant counter attack have been the hallmark of all the teams that Mourinho has managed so far and it’s no different at United. MANCHESTER:
over Chelsea and Liverpool is a testimony to the fact that Old Trafford is back to being the fortress that it once was under Alex Ferguson.
to some friction in the dressing room, especially with their record buy Paul Pogba, who isn’t happy with the role handed to him by the
Portuguese manager. KIEV: Ukraine’s Brazilian-born sensation Marlos has starred for Shakhtar Donetsk on a Champions League run that could see them reach the quarterfinals for only the second time when they go to Roma on Tuesday.
But the 29-year-old attacking midfielder’s silky dribbling is also turning him into an integral part of Ukraine’s hopes of returning to the forefront of the international scene after the country failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia.
The Ukrainian player of the year for two successive seasons is the engine of a flamboyant Shakhtar side that features an eye-popping eight additional Brazilians and two Argentines.
Shakhtar edged out the Italians 2-1 at home in Kharkiv in the first leg of their last-16 encounter last month, meaning they head to the Stadio Olimpico in the driving seat.
They are also on course to retain their domestic title despite being based in three different cities over the past two years due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Shakhtar’s Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca has admitted that Marlos is “really important” to his side, describing him as “magical”.
Certainly, having a coach who speaks Portugese helps Marlos and the Brazilians gel into an attacking unit that has flourished in the Champions League. Shakhtar beat Manchester City at home in the group stage and won away at Dutch champions Feyenoord despite finishing that game with 10 men.