Jose: Wayne is a key man... even on bench
JOSE MOURINHO has backed Gareth Southgate’s decision to retain Wayne Rooney as England captain and stressed the striker’s importance to Manchester United this season despite losing his regular starting place.
Rooney, 30, is expected to be on the bench for the third match running against Stoke today but the blow hasn’t affected his influence or status as United’s skipper among the players.
‘He is my captain, captain of the club and captain of the players no matter what. It doesn’t matter whether he is on or off the pitch,’ said Mourinho.
‘I am very happy with the (England captaincy) decision but Gareth always has my support as Sam (Allardyce) had, as Eriksson had, and all the ones in my time as a Chelsea manager or Manchester United manager.’
Rooney came off the bench to set up Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s winner in the Europa League against Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine on Thursday night.
It continued United’s streakish form this season: four wins followed by three defeats in a row and now three successive victories.
Though Rooney has been heavily criticised for his form and hasn’t scored since the opening weekend of the season, Mourinho sees him as vital in bedding in new talent like Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly.
‘He is our man. He will score goals for us and work hard for us,’ said Mourinho. ‘He speaks to the players and motivates people. He does in the dressing room exactly the same as he did a couple of weeks ago when he was starting matches.
‘Wayne didn’t start two matches but he played in both and he won in both, so there is no problem.’
Despite making four big signings in the summer, including paying a world-record £89million fee for Pogba, Mourinho believes he still needs more players before United can become champions, with Portuguese central defenders Jardel of Benfica and Jose Fonte of Southampton on his radar.
Bailly, who cost £30m from Villarreal, has been a revelation, though Mourinho has fluctuated between Chris Smalling and Daley Blind as his partner.
The Ivory Coast defender acknowledges that last weekend’s 4-1 win against Leicester City was a turning point for United and that they need a similar quick start against Stoke today. The Leicester game was very difficult but luckily we were really switched on, especially in defence, and then we did well to score four goals so quickly,’ he said.
‘It’s important we carry on playing like that.’
While Bailly looks a great acquisition, there is more concern about Anthony Martial, who arrived in England in a blaze of glory 12 months ago, but who has looked a shadow of his former self following revelations about his private life and his attempts to hide his face as he walked around the mixed zone after Thursday night’s game.