FANS SIDE WITH MOURINHO AS UNITED GET BACK ON TRACK
JOSE MOURINHO offered a public show of support to Ed Woodward after Manchester United fans flew a plane over Turf Moor in protest at the club’s executive vice-chairman.
A banner that read ‘Ed Woodward A Specialist In Failure’ was flown over the ground 20 minutes before kick-off – the same choice of words Mourinho had once used to describe former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
But Mourinho brushed off the protest and offered Woodward his backing, despite their relationship becoming strained over transfers during the summer.
“In the match I am not looking to the sky unless I am asking for
the guy to give me help,” Mourinho said, smiling. “I didn’t see planes, but Ed won 2-0 this afternoon.”
Mourinho suggested some of his critics would be “disappointed” to see United win, a reaction to the criticism the Portuguese has received after successive defeats by Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur.
The United manager lauded his team’s performance and claimed the positive reaction of the supporters to last Monday’s 3-0 defeat against Spurs at Old Trafford had helped to lay the foundations for this win.
“I am delighted and I think some of you must be disappointed because it would be much better if we lose,” added Mourinho, who threw his coat into the crowd after the final whistle to show his appreciation.
“We start winning this match because of Old Trafford after Spurs. We lose at home, if the fans react bad, the team loses confidence, the week is not a good week, the team feels pressure and the next match is even more difficult.
“We lost at home and the fans were amazing to the team. The week was not a sad week. It was a very good week of work.
“I am really happy to give that good feeling to the fans and to say they are the biggest reason for our week because of the way they reacted after Spurs.”
When it was put to Mourinho that United’s fans had explicitly chanted his name after a week of speculation about his job, he said: “The manager is not important, the team is important. The manager does not play. I have miles and miles and miles on the touchline to cope with every different reaction from the crowd.”
Marcus Rashford apologised on social media for his red card only 10 minutes after coming on as a second-half sub when he butted Phil Bardsley after reacting angrily to the Burnley defender, kicking out after he challenged for the ball.
Mourinho suggested that Bardsley’s experience showed.
“The only thing I can say is that the experience of Bardsley, with 20 years of football, against the impulse and naivety of a guy that is playing top football for about three years,” he said. “Harsh? I don’t know.” (©The Daily Telegraph, London)