YOU LOT KNIFED MY PAL

Jose fury at Karanka axe and says he knows names of the Boro players who betrayed him

JOSE MOURINHO claims he knows the identity of the Middlesbrough players guilty of knifing his pal Aitor Karanka in the back.

Mourinho is unimpressed with the manner of Karanka’s departure from the Riverside, where some senior squad members are understood to have agitated to get him out.

The Manchester United boss feels it was a shoddy way to treat his former Real Madrid No.2 after his achievements at the Riverside during his four-year reign.

Mourinho was one of the first to ring the Spaniard on Thursday following the sacking and of those responsible for Karanka’s exit, he said: “In this case, I know the names.”

The pair have remained close since they were at the Bernabeu together and Mourinho was looking forward to seeing Karanka when he takes United to Boro for their Premier League clash tomorrow.

The Portuguese has always been a staunch supporter of Karanka and listed his successes at the Riverside, which have been rewarded with the boot.

Karanka saved Middlesbrough from relegation to League One when he took over in 2013 before winning them promotion back to the top-flight last season after a seven-year absence.

Mourinho said sarcastically: “I think he deserves to be sacked.

“In the first year he arrived, the team was going into League One and he saved the team.

“In the second year, he took the team to Wembley, to play the playoff final. In the third year he had direct promotion. So I think in the fourth year, he deserved to be sacked.”

Middlesbrough’s treatment of Karanka gives Mourinho extra motivation to win tomorrow, even though he tried to suggest he would be happy with a draw because his players are so weary.

He claims finishing in the top four has become even tougher for United because they are the only one of the leading sides left in European competition.

“It’s more difficult, obviously it’s more difficult,” he said. “We played 11 matches in the last six weeks. It’s going to get worse for us and it’s going to get easier for the other five teams. Before it was only Chelsea and Liverpool who weren’t in Europe. Now Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City are also out.

“So obviously it is very difficult for us.”

Mourinho insists he will ask for one last effort from his tired players because it would be unfair on Boro’s relegation rivals to field a team of kids.

“What do you want me to do?” he said. “Do you want me to go to Middlesbrough and play with Nicky Butt’s boys? Then what would Hull City and Sunderland and the teams playing against Middlesbrough for the relegation battle say? We can’t do that. We go with what we have.

“We can’t do another thing.”