KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
Jose warns Reds not to get carried away but to keep up their blistering start to the campaign
JOSE MOURINHO has told his Manchester United players he wants a repeat of their opening-day performance this lunchtime.
Mourinho is refusing to get carried away, despite United’s thrilling start to the season, with their emphatic 4-0 win over West Ham at Old Trafford last weekend.
The United boss (right) claimed his side are no “dream team” or favourites for the title, just because they turned on the style on the opening day to go top of the table.
“I’m too experienced and stable to lose my discipline and to think a 4-0 win makes us the best team in the country, the favourites or the dream team,” said Mourinho.
“We’re not favourites, we’re not the dream team, we’re just a team with more confidence than last season, with more time to work together, with more happiness and more relaxed going into matches, but I’m calm. “When I look to the last match, I like many, many things, but the challenge is not to repeat the result – because a 4-0 win is difficult to repeat in the Premier League – but to repeat the same kind of performance. “We had good tactical discipline in the team, a really good clean sheet, played good football, and had a good dynamic in attack. We were winning 1-0, but kept playing to try to score more goals and to try to play well.” Despite his caution, Mourinho, whose side face
Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, does feel his dynamic young attackers can help the Reds push for the title this season.
Romelu Lukaku scored twice in the victory over West Ham, his Premier League debut for United, while Anthony Martial, who endured a tough second season with the club, came off the bench to score and set up the fourth goal.
Mourinho has been looking to add a left-sided attacker to his squad this summer, which suggested Martial’s future was in doubt after struggling last term.
But the Portuguese said he still has faith in 21-year-old Martial, despite publicly criticising him last season, and is convinced he will rediscover his best form.
“I have faith in him,” said Mourinho of the Frenchman. “Probably the player I was looking for wasn’t a pure winger, because I have pure wingers.
“Probably the player I was looking for was one that allows me to play with three at the back and to have wing-backs.
“As a pure attacking player, Anthony is a good player. I believe he’s one of the players who is going to have a better season this season than the previous one.
“I look at my players and I’m sure that some of them will be better this season than they were last time, and Anthony is that for sure.
“They are all young. Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are close to their 30s, but not yet.
“Romelu is 24, Anthony 21, Lingard 24, Rashford 19 – they’re all at a good age and are all playing.
“We’re in the Champions League too, so it’s the first time for Rashford to play in that tournament.
“Anthony had a bit with Monaco and with us, Lingard a few matches but not much more than that, and for Romelu it’s the first time.
“I don’t think he played in the Champions League with Chelsea but, if he did, it was only a couple of matches.
“So I think for them, the Champions League can also be a great experience.”
Luke Shaw and Ashley Young, both of whom have been sidelined through injury since last season, will play for United’s Under-23s on Monday against Swansea.