Jose’s fury at revolting Boro stars
JOSE MOURINHO says he knows the traitors who he claims stabbed his friend Aitor Karanka in the back at Midddlesbrough.
Karanka, who was Mourinho’s No2 at Real Madrid, was sacked by Boro on Thursday amid stories of a players’ revolt.
Asked if it was similar scenario to Claudio Ranieri’s dismissal at Leicester last month, Mourinho nodded and said: “In this case, I know the names.”
He then assessed Boro’s record over Karanka’s three years and gave a sarcastic reaction to Boro’s decision.
“He deserves to be sacked,” he said. “In the first year he arrived, the team were going into League One and he saved them.
“In the second year, he took the team to the play-off final at Wembley. In the third year, he had direct promotion. So in the fourth year, he deserved to be sacked.”
Mourinho confirmed he had spoken to Karanka to convey his sympathy and support but he admits a draw for Manchester United at the Riverside tomorrow “will be a great result” because his players are exhausted after playing 11 times in six weeks.
Leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera are suspended, Paul Pogba is out with a hamstring injury and there are doubts over Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind.
Mourinho blamed Pogba’s injury – which is likely to sideline the midfielder for three weeks – on exhaustion and claimed that the “Premier League don’t give a s*** about the clubs in Europe”.
He is furious United’s game at the Riverside kicks off at noon for TV purposes, just 62 hours after their Europa League last-16 fixture against FC Rostov, from which they went through to a quarterfinal tie against Anderlecht.
Former United skipper Roy Keane has branded the manager’s grumbles about fixture overload “a load of rubbish” but Mourinho believes tomorrow’s game should have kicked off later – or even on Monday evening – to give his players more recovery time.
“We are living with all of these difficulties. Let’s see if we can get a point on Sunday. I think it will be a great result for us,” he said.
“The Premier League simply don’t care. I can understand if you don’t have any help in relation to the Premier League, but I don’t understand not having any help in relation to European football. In other countries they try to give that little support to the teams in Europe. But here it is difficult.
“It’s just a bit of common sense. If they are happy with having one English club in the Champions League and one club in the Europa League...wow!
“Aren’t we good enough to have more teams in the Champions League and Europa League? I think we are good enough to have more.”
Karanka’s replacement, his former assistant Steve Agnew, will recall Stewart Downing and hinted that the winger, frozen out by the Spaniard, has a big role to play in the weeks ahead.
Goals are at the top of Agnew’s agenda. “It’s obvious to everyone we need to score a goal and win a game,” he said.
“I see myself as being a creative coach. I know I am about much because if you get carried away you’ll lose focus on the here and now,” he said.
“It has to be the here and now because that’s what football is about.”
He insisted the extra games in the Champions League would not harm their relegation battle. capable of drip-feeding ideas into this group that will pay dividends.”
Agnew will take inspiration from Craig Shakespeare’s salvage job at Leicester and, while he refuses to look beyond tomorrow’s game, he believes he is ready for frontline management. “It’s always difficult deciding when you take over the key role but for the past year or so, I’ve felt that’s what I want,” he “Everybody needs to be ready and at the moment everybody is pushing each other, whether that’s the first XI, the subs or those who haven’t been involved yet. We put a big onus on the players taking responsibility but we have a very good support staff. That said. “I’m just desperate to do well for Steve Gibson who I’ve had a long relationship with, the fans and this club. This is an opportunity for me. I’ve served my time, it’s something I have always wanted to do and I am determined to make a success of it.
“I can see the comparisons with Craig Shakespeare and if
WEST HAM LEICESTER
means playing Tuesday and Saturday isn’t an issue.”
West Ham will be aiming to shackle Jamie Vardy, who has scored three goals in the Foxes’ last four games. “We have to stop Vardy,” I can be as successful as he has been in his three games, then everyone will be happy. “I do believe we will stay in the Premier League and I am capable of delivering it.” ❑UNITED were yesterday fined £20,000 by the FA for failing to control their players during Monday night’s FA Cup defeat to Chelsea. said Hammers manager Slaven Bilic.
“You have to be on your toes, you have to read his run before he makes it.
“And it’s teamwork – it’s not only the job of central defenders. They need cover. Then also it is about not letting the people who are giving service to Vardy have time on the ball.”
Robert Snodgrass and Aaron Cresswell have passed fitness tests but captain Mark Noble will rest a dead leg.
Bilic, meanwhile, will have hip-replacement surgery – for a second time – at the end of the season.