Mourinho blames United’s exertions for derby defeat
FINDING FAULT Man Utd coach says midweek Champions League match against Juventus has taken a toll on team
MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho responded to his side’s 3-1 derby defeat to Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday by saying his team had paid the price for their midweek Champions League exertions in beating Juventus.
United fought back for a 2-1 victory against the Italian champions in Turin on Wednesday while City cruised through a home game against Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 and the Portuguese manager was quick to point out that context.
“Everybody has to agree -- it is one thing to go to Juventus and play against one of the best teams in the world for 90 minutes and another thing to beat Shakhtar Donetsk at home 6-0 and be very relaxed. We arrived in different circumstances,” said Mourinho.
“It is not the physical effort but the mental pressure. I think some of the boys felt it a little bit,” he added.
But in contrast with some defeats this season, Mourinho was unwilling to criticise his team’s attitude and effort. “The way people who don’t understand football analyse it is with stats. I don’t go for stats. I go for what I felt in the game and it was there until minute 80 something.
“We made mistakes. We were punished but the fight, the togetherness, it is something we are building and are not going to lose that because of a defeat,” he said.
“For me zero words against my players, everything is positive. I am with them and they are with me,” added the former Real Madrid boss.
Mourinho was without French midfielder Paul Pogba, sidelined with injury, and while the United boss did not want to use that absence as an excuse, he said the need to play Marouane Fellaini had limited his later options. “I don’t like to lose and speak about this player that was not (here), I don’t like that very much but he is important for us i n many aspects,” Mourinho said of Pogba.
“We had to play Fellaini, he was not ready to play for 90 minutes. I can imagine (if) when the result was 2-1 to bring a fresh Fellaini, I think they would be in big big trouble.
“When we had that final push, Fellaini was doing an incredible effort to stay on the pitch, risking his injury and condition to stay on the pitch. For different reasons we miss Paul but that doesn’t mean with Paul we win the game so that is not an excuse,” he added.
Eighth-placed United are now 12 points behind leaders City.
When asked if that meant his team now had no title hopes, Mourinho replied: “I think we are not going to be relegated.”
Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva reckons the derby win has dealt a huge blow to their local rivals’ title hopes, saying Jose Mourinho’s men would need to be “almost perfect” between now and the end of the season if they were to win the Premier League.
“It won’t be easy. Not only Man City — (they are) 10 points from Liverpool, a lot of points from the other ones as well,” Silva said.
“They need to be almost perfect and wait for the other ones to lose a lot of points. I think it won’t be easy,” the Portugal international added.
AC Milan forward Gonzalo Higuain missed a penalty and was later sent off in a fit of rage on Sunday as his side lost 2-0 at home to Serie A leaders Juventus, the side that sent him out on loan to the San Siro this season.
Mario Mandzukic and Cristiano Ronaldo struck early and late for the Turin side but it was Higuain who stole the headlines for the wrong reasons as Milan dropped out of the top four.
SOLARI GETS CONTRACT
MADRID: Interim Real Madrid manager Santiago Solari was appointed permanent coach on Monday after overseeing a startling upturn in the European champions’ fortunes since he stepped in to replace Julen Lopetegui. “Everything is in order. Real Madrid have worked out his contract and there are no problems,” the Spanish football federation stated.
Solari has led Real to four wins out of four since being installed on a caretaker basis following Lopetegui’s abrupt sacking last month. And with 15 goals scored and only two conceded he has established the best ever start for a Real manager.
After thrashing Melilla in the Copa del Rey, they won 5-0 away to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, between victories over Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo in La Liga.
The upturn has left Madrid only four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona and on the brink of qualification for the last 16 in Europe. The win saw Real climb to sixth on 20 points from 12 matches in a jam-packed La Liga table, closing the gap after the leaders were left on 24 points with their 4-3 home defeat by Real Betis.
PSG THRASH MONACO
PARIS: Thierry Henry’s disastrous start as coach of Monaco continued on Sunday as Edinson Cavani’s Var-assisted hat-trick helped Paris Saint-germain to an easy 4-0 win in the principality that saw them extend their perfect record in Ligue 1 this season.