MOURINHO: WOODWARD WON TODAY

SO THE crisis is over for now, but there is rarely any shortage of drama with Manchester United. Jose Mourinho goes into the international break with valuable breathing space. Some disgruntled United fans paid to fly a banner over Turf Moor before kick-off in protest at Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward. ‘A specialist in failure’ it called him, borrowing Mourinho’s famous jibe at Arsene Wenger. On the banner, the United boss was conciliatory towards Woodward. ‘You know, in the match I am not looking to the sky — unless I am asking something for the guy to give me help!’ he said. ‘I didn’t see planes but Ed Woodward won this afternoon. He won 2-0. ‘I have miles and miles and miles on the touchline to cope with every different reaction from the crowd. For the players, it’s more important.’ There were still some difficult moments, not least when Marcus Rashford was sent off for thrusting his forehead into Phil Bardsley’s face after the former United defender tripped the young substitute just 10 minutes after he came on. It was a rather cynical challenge by Bardsley but Rashford knows the punishment for retaliating like that. ‘Emotions got the better of me,’ he tweeted afterwards. ‘I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Sorry to everyone at the club and all the fans.’ Mourinho was more sympathetic, suggesting that Bardsley played his part too. ‘I would say it was naive,’ he said. ‘It was a kid and a very experienced man. Bardsley’s been in the game for 20 years and Marcus is a naive boy.’ Rashford had earned the penalty kick that gave Paul Pogba the chance to score from the spot for the third time in four games. Again, he produced the peculiar stutter-step run-up, but this time Joe Hart was equal to it. ‘Paul’s good at what he does and makes decisions late, that’s his game,’ said Hart. ‘I checked his run-up. I’ve got my own technique against players like that and it worked.’ Will Pogba, who denied Romelu Lukaku the chance of a hat-trick by seizing the ball first again, keep the penalty duties? ‘If he wants, yes,’ said Mourinho. ‘I never blame a player for missing penalties. I blame the ones who refuse to go up there.’