Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GIVE ME MOUR GOALS
Special One tells his strikers he wants special three or four
JOSE MOURINHO admits Manchester United are not scoring enough goals and has ordered his strikers to increase their output.
United have scored 13 fewer than 40-goal Premier League leaders Manchester City and have netted just 11 in their last nine games in all competitions, four of those coming in one match.
Striker Romelu Lukaku has one in his last eight games after 11 in his first 10, while Anthony Martial has two in his last 10 and Marcus Rashford two in his last 12 United appearances.
The malaise has also afflicted Mourinho’s creative players, with Juan Mata (above) and an out-oftouch Henrikh Mkhitaryan each having managed a solitary strike in the Premier League.
“A team that plays like we do, I think we should score more goals than we do,” said Mourinho. “The team that excites is the team that after five chances is winning 4-0. That’s a team that excites.
“I think the players give what they can. I cannot complain about the dedication or the motivation. They all try to give their best.
“I think we’ve had an improvement with Anthony Martial.
“He’s scoring more goals than last season. That’s why he’s playing more. He has more minutes on the pitch.
“The other players are what they are. They have different kinds of qualities.
“The reality is that in the Premier League we are still the second-highest scorers so it’s nothing too dramatic.”
The return of Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has come off the bench twice since returning from seven months out injured, has increased the pressure on United’s strikers.
But Mourinho said he will not rush Ibrahimovic back and, asked if the much-travelled hit-man was ready to start, Mourinho said: “No. Not ready. Step by step, minute after minute, match after match.
“He’s a player who is easy to bring to the game so normally he is going to have this period of 15 and 20 minutes and one day he will feel he is physically ready.
“Impact around the place is not important, impact on the pitch is always positive.
“He’s a good influence and doesn’t change if he’s playing or not playing.
“He’s one more option for us – it’s impossible for Romelu Lukaku to play every match, every minute, like he’s doing right now.”
United’s central defensive duo of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly remain sidelined through injury.