Amy off to flyer as Hibs smash Fifers
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
JOSE MOURINHO began the mind games last night after being drawn against his former club Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Mourinho’s Manchester United side came from behind to beat Blackburn and were then handed a return to Stamford Bridge – where they were hammered 4-0 earlier this season.
The Special One wasted no time in trying to get inside the minds of Chelsea’s players by declaring them Premier League champions already and claiming he has no time to think about the FA Cup tie.
After Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score his 24th goal of the season and rescue United from a replay they dreaded, Mourinho tried to play down the significance of drawing the Blues.
Asked for his reaction to facing his old club again, the Portuguese coach said: “No reaction. I have to play Saint-Etienne, I have to play the EFL Cup Final, I have to play hopefully another opponent in the Europa League.
“I have to fight for a top-four position in the Premier League. I have so many things to think about. Chelsea can only think about the FA Cup because they are champions and they have nothing else to fight for.”
United boss Mourinho admitted the upsets in the fifth round had focused his players’ minds ahead of their clash with Championship strugglers Rovers.
He said: “They really felt it was a difficult match. What happened yesterday, with every Premier League team in difficult situations, was one more alert.
“The players knew it was difficult and came with the right attitude.”
There might be a congestion of stellar talent at United but there is probably no team in the Premier League with such a domineering talisman as Zlatan, such a commanding individual presence.
He did not do a great deal more in his half hour but for one moment of simple splendour he was once more Mourinho’s key performer.
That Ibrahimovic and Paul
ANDY DUNN
Pogba were called up with a third of the contest still to run showed Mourinho’s repulsion at the idea of a replay. His air-punching after Zlatan’s intervention confirmed it.
There was no doubting the consequences when, not for the first time, Blackburn’s central defence vanished and the linesman was not licenced to come to the rescue.
Once Ibrahimovic had clocked the hard-held flag, the