City coast through ...but it’s more woe for Mourinho
We didn’t score when we could, and we could in the first half kill the game
Jose Mourinho
JOSE Mourinho admits he knew United were in trouble in the shoot-out defeat against Derby.
The Reds crashed out 8-7 in penalties to the Championship side after the game finished 2-2 in normal time.
Phil Jones missed the decisive penalty, but the United boss revealed he had doubts they would go through the longer the shoot-out went on.
“Going after the sixth and seventh penalties I knew we would be in trouble with Jones and Eric (Bailly in the shootout),” he said.
And Mourinho believes the change in rules to the Carabao Cup this season, which has seen extratime being scrapped, didn’t help the Reds.
“The Carabao Cup is not a worry any more,” he said. “We don’t play again until next season.
“Like I told the players, I agree with the new rules, the favourite team is put more in danger.
“With a draw in the past you had 30 more minutes to play but without extra-time you go straight to penalties.
“And I think that goes against the team who, with 30 extra minutes, would win the match. I don’t blame a player missing in penalties.” United led 1-0 at half-time through Juan Mata’s strike but Harry Wilson and Jack Marriott put Derby ahead as the Reds were reduced to 10 men with the sending off of keeper Romero. Marouane Fellaini equalised in the 95th minute. Jones’ feeble penalty was saved to gift Derby victory, and Mourinho admitted he was unimpressed by United’s reaction to Wilson’s leveller. “We didn’t score when we could, and we could in the firsthalf to kill it,” Mourinho said. “At half-time I repeated the words I said in the last match. Their dressing room is a dressing room with belief and we need to go and kill the game, which we didn’t. “We couldn’t be dominant in the second half and only after their equaliser we get a reaction, which I don’t like. I prefer to go for it, but we only go for it after the 1-1. After the red card we are in difficulty but even after that we have a group that tried until the last second, and then the penalties, somebody has to miss. “The truth is the opponent in the second half started better than us, we responded at 1-1.”