To ruin United-loving wife’s day
Champions League we have to play the biggest candidate in Juventus. They were always a big candidate but they transformed themselves into the biggest candidate.
“They don’t hide that the investment they have made is really to win the Champions League. But even against the big team, we are going to try to win.”
Mourinho is referring to Juve’s sensational signing of former United hero Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
And the United boss said: “I think Cristiano will like it, coming back here. He was happy to come back when he was at Real Madrid. But he comes back to do a job for Juventus – like he did for Real Madrid.
“But I think he is very happy to come and, of course, he is still a top player. Unless he fails to score for two weeks and you, the media, tell me he’s not a good player anymore.”
Mourinho, meanwhile, is looking for his exciting talent Alexis Sanchez to finally get his United career up and running.
The United boss said: “He is committed, focused, is working hard and I believe he will improve.”
Sanchez has pulled out of Jan 2018: Burnley 0 Man United 1 Dec 2017: Man United 2 Burnley 2 Apr 2017: Burnley 0 Man United 2 Oct 2016: Man United 0 Burnley 0 Feb 2015: Man United 3 Burnley 1
Burnley – 44 wins Man United – 60 wins Draws – 22 “There’s a bit of a split in the family. To be fair, in my wife’s family there is quite a bit of red.
“She’s a Claret now she comes to our games. But she grew up a Red, yes. They are a bit frustrated and they’ve had to vent their frustrations. But it’s early days for us both.”
Burnley were back to their in-your-face best against Olympiakos on Thursday night and held their heads high despite going out of the Europa League. And it will be a case of “Welcome to the Bear Pit” as Mourinho leads Chile’s next two friendly matches to concentrate on building up his fitness at United – but Mourinho denied he had applied any pressure.
The Old Trafford gaffer said: “I didn’t ask and I never ask. I never ask players not to go. I never contact national teams and ask for players not to go.
“It’s a personal thing between him and the national manager.
“At the same time, coming from injury he feels that, for him, it is a much needed two weeks off – but he is still in condition to play against Burnley.
“But he feels he needs these two weeks to put himself in good shape.
“And because they are friendly matches in Asia, they made a decision for his good and by consequence, for our good for him not to go.”
Mourinho goes to Turf Moor this afternoon admitting that United’s defending has to improve.
He said: “Against Spurs we were really positive and really strong against a very good opponent, who felt that and felt they were in trouble. But two defensive mistakes in five minutes lost us the game.”
And the United boss indicated his side will try again to get on the front foot at Turf Moor, adding: “It is a process that has risks, especially if you make defensive mistakes. That breaks the dynamic.
“The teams that are really good offensively are those that are very, very solid at the back.” his underperforming superstars out at Turf Moor with a fanatical crowd baying for blood.
Mee said: “This place a bear pit? I think so. We like to put people under pressure and hopefully it will be the same against United. We deserve to be taken seriously and I think teams do.
“But this is a tough place to come and we need to make sure it is still the case. We have expectations on ourselves and that is another challenge for us.
“United are under a lot of pressure but have MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho believes he has the backing of his players as he says he would give them everything.
Mourinho has had high-profile clashes in the past with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid.
And at United there have been issues with Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and the back-in-favour Luke Shaw but Mourinho insists he is a players’ man.
He says he does not get involved in contract negotiations because he would be too generous.
The United boss said: “I don’t belong to the process of discussing deals with the players and negotiations with the agents.
“I never did that – it is something that I don’t even like to do. I’d be a bad negotiator – I’d give everything to the players.”
Goalkeeper David De Gea is close to signing a new deal and Mourinho said: “I know that everything is in movement and hopefully, sooner rather than later, we will have the news.”
PAUL HETHERINGTON UNDER PRESSURE: United boss Jose Mourinho lots of good players and will want to prove a lot of people wrong. That could work in our favour but they do have a lot of fantastic players.
“It’s up to the gaffer how he wants to play, whether it’s in your face or sit off and absorb a bit of pressure. So you have to pick your moments when to go after them. Teams never take us lightly. And we don’t expect them to.
“That’s the challenge for us now because teams coming here will know they are going to be in for a game for sure.”