MOURINHO GIVES UP THE TITLE CHASE

JOSE MOURINHO has conceded the title is out of Manchester United’s reach – with a third of the season remaining.

And he has warned his stars they had better buck up their ideas or they could miss out on the top four.

United’s defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday left them 15 points behind neighbours Manchester RAHEEM STERLING has claimed opponents are intentionally setting out to “butcher” Manchester City’s stars.

And the England winger warned unless referees start clamping down on the X-rated challenges some players are going to miss the World Cup because of injuries.

City have lost Leroy Sane for two months after a horror tackle by City with 13 games remaining and Mourinho is no longer looking ahead but over his shoulder because the chase for Champions League qualifying places is intensifying. “City are doing so, so well that Cardiff’s Joe Bennett last Sunday while Sterling himself, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Aguero and 18-year-old Brahim Diaz have all been victim of reckless tackles that have not been punished by red cards.

Sterling said: “The referees and officials need to cut these tackles out because some of they are not letting the others come close to them,” said Mourinho.

“With the number of points we have and the improvement we have made in relation to last season, the distance would normally be a distance that leaves the fight for the title open.

“The fight is open only for second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth, but it is practically closed for the first. We are fighting to be best of the rest.”

It is the earliest any United manager in the Premier League era has admitted they are out of the race, but Mourinho has urged his players to use the remainder

of the campaign to build a