ALL CHANGE
Mourinho defends rebuilding
JOSE MOURINHO defended his indifferent start as Manchester United manager by listing the changes he has made since succeeding Louis van Gaal, from zonal marking and high defensive lines to playing between the lines and keeping goalkeeper David de Gea out of the action.
Mourinho travels to Goodison Park to take on Everton today having overseen United’s poorest start to a Premier League campaign, garnering less points at this stage of the season than David Moyes, who was sacked after 10 months.
But the defiant Portuguese manager responded by listing the different aspects of United’s approach as they seek to return to their natural DNA after the deliberate approach of predecessor Van Gaal.
He said: ‘I know that it is difficult for a manager to change things completely. My goalkeeper last season was making 10 saves a match. In this moment, the ball goes there once in 90 minutes.
‘The circulation of the ball was an external circulation, left-back, central defender, central defender, right-back. Everything was made behind. We play now between the lines, in between the opponent’s lines. We look forward, our defensive line is very high.
‘Our goalkeeper doesn’t touch the ball for 90 minutes. Our central defenders don’t follow the man, they defend zonal. I am not better than the others (managers), we just think in a different way.’
Mourinho also bemoaned his side dominating four home league games in a row and drawing the lot.
Known as a coach who built from the back, he acknowledges this is probably the most creative team he has presided over. ‘I have never had a team with so much ball possession or creates so many chances,’ he said. ‘If we manage to have all of those with more pragmatism in front of goal, we will be very good.’
Mourinho knows that the margin for error is very slim with United in seventh, well behind pacesetters Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. But if Everton shut up shop to get a result today, he will not have any complaints.
‘Football is about points. A team that has two shots on target and scores two goals deserves credit,’ he said. ‘A team that parks the bus and defends phenomenally well and doesn’t concede deserves credit. We lost eight points at home we didn’t deserve to. But the reality of football is the result after 90 minutes and it doesn’t matter if you were unlucky. What matters is the number of points and where we are in the table. To change things is difficult but it’s fun also.’
Of all the words of support coming Mourinho’s way during his difficult start at United, few will mean more than those from Juan Mata, a player he cut from former club Chelsea. Rather than bearing a grudge, Mata has embraced his former manager’s arrival at Old Trafford, with only Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring more than the Spaniard’s five goals.
Mourinho today returns to the dug-out at a hostile Goodison Park having served a second touchline ban of the season, but Mata refused to put the boot in. ‘Passion is needed in life, let alone as a footballer or a manager. And Jose has always been like this. That is what I believe,’ said Mata, who is in contention to play the No10 role at Everton.
Mata’s Old Trafford obituaries were written the day Mourinho was appointed, but he has been one of the most-used outfield players this season.
The 28-year-old does not think he has changed as a player from the time Mourinho discarded him at Chelsea, but other circumstances have. ‘I think the manager has explained it,’ he said. ‘The teams are different, the club is different, the squad is different. I just try to play the best I can every single game.’
Record signing Paul Pogba returns today after serving a one-match ban but Rooney is suspended against his former club after collecting a fifth booking.