UNITED V BRIGHTON Mourinho’s praise for Sevilla players

JOSE Mourinho has questioned the quality in his United squad by insisting ‘many’ Sevilla players would improve his team.

United were eliminated from the Champions League by Sevilla, who are fifth in La Liga, in midweek.

Despite Sevilla shipping five goals in five separate fixtures this term, Mourinho trumpeted their recent European record over United’s. Sevilla have won the Uefa Cup and Europa League four times in the last 12 years – but United’s squad was assembled at a cost of £286.2m.

The Reds managed a pitiful four attempts on target over the two legs against Sevilla and, despite the damning statistics, Mourinho claimed some of the analysis of United’s Champions League humiliation was penned by ‘idiots’.

“We went out to a side that’s more successful than Manchester United in the last seven years in Europe,” Mourinho said.

“We went out to a side that has a huge tradition in knockout competitions, a side in the Spanish Cup final. We are out to a team that knocked out Atletico Madrid in two legs.

“They’re a team with a great deal of experience at the highest level, playing every week against Real Madrid, Valencia, Atletico, Barcelona, the best players.

“Do you think they didn’t have any players who could play in my team?

“In Sevilla, there are many players who would play in my team.”