Prolific United too hot to hold
BOSS PRAISES HIS MEN AFTER DEMOLITION Hapless Swansea blown away at the Liberty Stadium.
Manager Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United have found their missing confidence after making a dream start to the Premier League season with backto-back 4-0 wins.
United saw off Swansea City on Saturday, three goals in the final 10 minutes completing a second successive rout after they hammered West Ham United in their opening game of the season.
Mourinho feels the biggest difference in his team from a year ago, when he had just taken charge, is in their mentality, although he warned his players they are yet to be tested.
“The word that better describes the team now is ‘confident’,” said Mourinho, whose side won in South Wales with goals from Eric Bailly, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.
“The team starts the game confident, the team starts the second half confident.
Mourinho praised his side for keeping their foot on the pedal in the second half and paid tribute to his substitutes after Martial came off the bench to score for the second game running.
“In both matches, winning 1-0 at half-time, we didn’t start the second half looking like we had to keep a clean sheet to win the match,” said Mourinho.
Mourinho dismissed suggestions that Pogba, who scored United’s third goal, could have been sent off before half-time when he fouled Martin Olsson moments after being booked for catching Tom Carroll.
“I don’t even think the first yellow card was deserved,” he said.
“Because there were actions, especially one on (Nemanja) Matic, that was a yellow card and he decided to speak with the players and go in that direction. So I thought with Paul he would do the same.”
Swansea unravelled in the closing stages of their first game since selling key man Gylfi Sigurdsson to Everton.
But head coach Paul Clement said: “We were competitive for long periods of the game – right up until the second goal.
“Although we had to defend more than they did, I thought our shape was good and we didn’t let them have any real clear-cut chances.” – AFP