Let’s be like Federer
Jose inspired by Swiss master as United tackle plastic pitch
WHEN Jose Mourinho landed on Swiss soil yesterday concerned about the fact that Manchester United will not be playing on grass, he decided it was a good moment to turn to Roger Federer for inspiration.
United kick off their Champions League campaign on the artificial surface at the Stade de Suisse in Bern tonight after Mourinho claimed on a trip to Geneva last week that it will give Young Boys a ‘huge advantage’.
The United boss left captain Antonio Valencia at home because the player’s fragile knees will not stand up to the rigours of a plastic pitch, and decided to train here instead of Carrington so his team could get used to the unfamiliar conditions.
However, perhaps wary that he was giving his players a readymade excuse to lose, Mourinho used the example of Switzerland’s favourite son — and eight-time Wimbledon champion — Federer to tell them to make the best of the situation.
‘Everybody knows it’s different but what I had to say I said last week in Geneva,’ said Mourinho, who could be heard telling his players to ‘get used to it’ as they were put through passing drills in Bern last night. ‘I don’t want to use that as a possible excuse for a not very good performance.
‘I can give as an example, we are in Switzerland, the home of one of the best ever tennis players, and I’m pretty sure that the big man sometimes is not happy to play on such a surface. But he has to play and has to win.
‘He has a favourite surface but he has to win on the surfaces he is not in love with. We have to do it. We decide not to play Valencia because his knee is not a knee that needs an artificial pitch. We need to protect his clinical situation. Apart from that, we go with everything we have and have to try and win.’
The current artificial pitch was laid for the 2014-15 season and didn’t prevent Romelu Lukaku from scoring a hat-trick on it for Everton in the Europa League.
Young Boys coach Gerardo Seoane doesn’t think it will cause his opponents too many problems in what is the first meeting between United and the Swiss champions.
‘We can’t change the pitch,’ he said. ‘It’s clear they are not used to pitches like this, so in the beginning it will be a special feeling. But with training and the warm-up, I think they will be all right.
‘ They have the quality and technique to play on this pitch. I don’t think that it’s going to be a problem.’
Mourinho has the option to give new £ 19million signing Diogo Dalot his debut as Valencia’s replacement, and he confirmed that Luke Shaw will start after recovering from the head injury he suffered on duty with England.
The Portuguese is aware just how important a good start will be, as Juventus and Valencia are United’s other opponents in Group H.
Mourinho did not need reminding that he has lost his two previous games in Switzerland — against Basle with Chelsea and again with United last season.
‘It depends on the way you look at it,’ he countered. ‘Yes, I lost in Switzerland both matches but I won the group both times.
‘So if tomorrow I lose and win the group, if you give me that I sign immediately.’