I only needed 10 days to get Man U playing my way
JOSE MOURINHO took charge of a Manchester United side for the first time yesterday.
He immediately proclaimed his methods are already paying off at Old Trafford.
After a shadow United side won 2- 0 at Wigan, Mourinho said: “I’m happy because after 10 days of work, I could see them trying to play my football.”
THE first goal of the Jose Mourinho era was scored by Will Keane. Remember that. It’ll be a pub quiz question one day.
As 49 of Keane’s 50 League appearances have come on loan at other clubs, that goal won’t push the 23-year-old striker much closer to a first-team call when the serious stuff begins.
It was a tap-in gifted by Wigan keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen but it avoided the embarrassment of the Special One starting his tenure the way Louis van Gaal era was so often characterised – frustratingly shot shy.
Keane’s 48th minute goal was United’s first effort on target. Andreas Pereira doubled the lead 10 minutes later with their second and last.
“The result is not the most important thing but it’s better to win than lose,” Mourinho said.
“I’m happy because, after 10 days of work without many of our players I could see them trying to play my football.
“I will play with these guys when we go to China next week because they’ve been training,” he said.
“Players like Wayne Rooney, Marcus Rashford and Chris Smalling are coming without training so I won’t play them.
“I will have two training processes. One for those nearly in condition and one for those starting.”
There was a positive 45 minuteshis first since from his Luke double Shaw, leg break last September.
Mourinho said: “I was surprised to find Luke was ready but he did so much work in the summer.
“He sacrificed his holiday and trained every day.” strongestfirst changes Mourinhohalf, at making line-up half-timefielded sevenin thehis and four more later. Armenian new boy Henrikh Mkhitaryan looked the part during his 45 minutes, as did defender Eric Bailly in his 80. With more than a dozen first-teamers coming back after international duty next week, Mourinho has some squad trimming ahead. It’s 212 days since he last managed a team and he looked like he’d missed it, positioning himself on the edge of his technical area from minute one, a relaxed figure with his hands stuffed into his tracksuit. United fans constantly implored their new boss to give them a wave. Jose, though, had his business head on and ignored them until they struck up a teasing “Sit down Mourinho!” That got them a wave and a grin. “For the first time in my career I found support like a crucial Premier League match at a friendly,” he said. “But I prefer the fans to go with the team on the pitch, not me.”