GIVE US A BIT MOUR CREDIT

Jose: We’re beating everyone ...but the critics STILL hate us

JOSE MOURINHO has told Manchester United’s critics to show some respect.

The United manager has proved powerless to prevent Manchester City from turning the title race into a procession this season – and has warned that Pep Guardiola will splash the cash again to improve his squad in the summer.

But Mourinho insists that the Reds ARE on an upwards curve.

Last week’s dramatic derby comeback to deny City a recordbreaking early title success means United have beaten every team in the Premier League at least once this season.

They remain on course to finish second – and Mourinho said: “If you ask me about respect, I say it is about honesty.

“When we play bad then, yes, tell the truth. But when we do something positive also tell the truth.

“We are a team that has beaten every other team in the Premier League, beaten every one of the top six. We are a team that in the last DRAWS three matches – Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City – has won all of them.

“We are a team that has already more points than last season, a team that’s had brilliant matches and a team that showed character many times.

“Last week we were 2-0 down against City and we changed the game to win 3-2.

“After we lost to Sevilla in the Champions League, only a good group with good people could do what we did by winning every single match.

“The easy thing would have been to go out against Sevilla and then collapse in the Premier League, in the sense that motivation goes down and the quality goes down.

“I think that we have given proof of what this group is – it is a group of good guys.”

Mourinho added: “When we don’t play well, people have a go at us and I understand that.

“But when we do good things there is always a ‘but’. It is really, really hard for people to praise the team and to praise the boys.

“I think it is very, very clear. That is why I keep saying we have to try everything to finish second. If we finish second, it is impossible to deny what is real because we finished sixth last season.

“We know it is still difficult – Liverpool are not far from us, but let’s see what happens.”

Mourinho has spent £300million since arriving in Manchester at the same time as Guardiola.

And City’s charge towards the title has been felt more at Old Trafford than anywhere else, with the rivalry between the two clubs.

But Mourinho insists that he won’t

lose his cool in the transfer market next summer as he attempts to close the gap.

He expects Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal to improve next season – and warned that City will do the same.

Mourinho said: “Man City have been the best team during the season and the distance of points at the end will be the consequence of that superiority.

“But it is not just about us and them.

“It is about us and them and Liverpool and Arsenal and Chelsea and Spurs. I think it is about the six teams.

“Everybody will try to improve – like we did from last season.

“We are not going to spend more than we can. We are just trying to improve a bit more.

“But maybe also Manchester City will invest heavily and they don’t let the others close the gap.”