Mourinho wants United trophy charge after League Cup crown
london — Jose Mourinho has challenged his Manchester United stars to use their dramatic League Cup final win against Southampton as a springboard to bigger prizes.
Mourinho lifted the first major trophy of his United reign on Sunday after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s late header clinched a 3-2 victory at Wembley. The 54-year-old is the first United manager to win a major competition in his maiden season at Old Trafford and the 19th trophy of his glittering career made him only the third boss, after Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough, to enjoy four League Cup triumphs.
Now Mourinho wants his players to learn from the winning feeling as they chase FA Cup and Europa League titles this term, and ideally Premier League and Champions League glory next season. “The reality is that we want more: my contract is long, I have two more years with this one, so hopefully I can win more,” Mourinho said.
Despite the landmark occasion Mourinho wore a stern expression during the trophy presentation. But he insisted he was merely hiding his pride because he wanted his players to soak up the adulation. “I am very happy. I always try to put myself in the secondary position — it’s important for the fans, the club, the players — but it’s also important for me,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, you (the media) put a lot of pressure on myself. I wanted very much to win a major trophy at every club. By doing that with United it’s quite the sense of relief because it was a big target for me. “I feel very happy with the victory and the fact I did it four times, the same as the biggest one (Ferguson) and Mr Clough.”
After watching United blow a two-goal lead as Manolo Gabbiadini struck twice for the Saints before Ibrahimovic’s winner, Mourinho conceded his team had been fortunate. “You could feel in the game the difference in freshness. Southampton were in Spain, relaxing and preparing, and we were playing Europa League and FA Cup,” he said. “We coped because we are humble, we stuck together and fought together, then we had a bit of luck because the 3-2 came at a moment when they couldn’t react.”
Although more silverware this year would be nice, Mourinho knows the main target is to guarantee Champions League action next season by securing a top-four Premier League finish. The key to achieving that will be keeping Ibrahimovic fit and firing on all cylinders. The Swedish veteran, who also scored United’s opener with a fine free-kick, was written off by many when Mourinho signed him on a free transfer last year.
Meanwhile, Southampton’s wait for a first trophy since 1976 goes on
The reality is that we want more: my contract is long, I have two more years with this one, so hopefully I can win more Mourinho, United manager
after what manager Claude Puel described as a cruel defeat. The Frenchman looked on course to mark his first season in English football with a surprise triumph after Italian Manolo Gabbiadini’s double saw Saints roar back from 2-0 down, only to suffer heartbreak when Ibrahimovic headed a late winner. It was rough on Southampton who had another goal for Gabbiadini ruled out for offside when it was 0-0 although TV replays suggested it should have stood. Minutes later, Ibrahimovic scored the opener with a sublime free kick. “The scenario was cruel in the end. We started the game very well and we scored, but the decision of the referee was very hard to accept,” he added. —