Draw vs Valencia annoys Mourinho
Jose Mourinho risked causing another rift with his Manchester United stars as he slammed his defence’s lack of “technical quality” after their 0-0 draw with Valencia.
The frustrating Champions League clash at Old Trafford means Mourinho’s side have gone four games without a win in all competitions.
United rarely looked like scoring against their out-of-form opponents and were booed off at full-time.
Mourinho has feuded with star midfielder Paul Pogba, as well as other members of his squad.
And now he has taken a swipe at his back four, which against Valencia featured Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw.
“We don’t have the technical quality to build from the back,” Mourinho said.
“The players tried. They raised the level of their intensity in spite of the fact we don’t have many with that intensity. “We had probably a couple of the biggest chances to win it but I have accepted the result as a fair result.”
“We tried to do something we did well which was to stop a fast team on the counter attack.
We knew we wouldn’t create 20 chances,” he said. “Our attacking players aren’t in their best moments of confidence and individual level.
We thought with three or four chances we would score and win the game.
I’M NOT ALLOWED TO TALK, SAYS POGBA
Paul Pogba said he was not allowed to talk after Manchester United failed to arrest their recent slump with a drab 0-0 Champions League draw against Valencia.
Many players avoided the post-match mixed zone interview area after the game to avoid awkward questions. Pogba was among those to go through but told reporters
“I’ve been told I’m not allowed (to talk).” The French World Cup winner, who was last week told he would not captain the side again, appeared to get under Mourinho’s skin after their recent draw with Wolves by saying United should attack more.
BAYERN NEED BASIC APPROACH: KOVAC
Bayern Munich must keep it simple if they are to regain their dominant early season form after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by an inexperienced Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League on Tuesday, coach Niko Kovac said.
“We must go back to the basics, get stuck into the duels, play fewer bad passes and let the ball flow,” the Croat said. “Our opponent showed us how to do it. Now we have to look to display our face again, which saw us to wins in the first seven games of the season.”
The draw means the usually consistent and dominant German champions have gone three games without a win.