JOSE POINTS TO THE TITLE
United can aim high, says boss
JOSE MOURINHO has delivered a tubthumping training ground address to his Manchester United players, telling them they are ready to win the Premier League.
The United manager takes his squad to Hull today having spent big on new players this summer and seen his side hit the ground running with wins against Bournemouth and Southampton.
And in a meeting at the club’s Carrington training ground this week, Mourinho told Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and company that they don’t need any more big signings to take them back to the top of the English game.
‘Jose sat the players down and told them he was totally satisfied with his squad,’ said a United source last night.
‘He said he wasn’t looking to get any of them out of the door and that he wasn’t desperate to sign anybody else either.
‘His message was pretty clear. Jose doesn’t think this is about getting United back into the top four, it’s about winning the league. He wants the players to believe that.’
United executive vice- chairman Ed Woodward has not yet given up on presenting Mourinho with one more player, most likely a central defender, before Wednesday’s transfer deadline. United have done big deals late on in the last two summer windows.
But it is understood that Mourinho has told his players he is 100 per cent happy with what he has at his disposal and that they have no need to look over their shoulders.
Mourinho made sure that all the players he felt he may need over the coming nine months were present when he made his address, understood to have been one of the most passionate he has made since he arrived at Old Trafford.
One player not in the room was Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Mourinho warned the German World Cup winner publicly yesterday that he is unlikely to play again for United, even if he insists on seeing out his contract at Old Trafford. Despite being frozen out and training with the reserves, Schweinsteiger, 32, has said he has no intention of leaving with two years left on his £160,000-aweek deal. Mourinho conceded that the former Germany captain is within his rights to stick to the terms of his contract. But he warned that there is no room for him in United’s 23-man squad of outfield players, and said he would rather promote youngsters from the academy than play him. ‘He (Schweinsteiger) has spoken to me,’ said Mourinho. ‘I cannot answer for him. It’s his life, his career. He has a contract with Man United and a right to make that decision and stay. So that’s not a problem for us.
‘Football is made of decisions. Some players react in different ways and have different kinds of decisions.
‘To be honest, Bastian is not speaking a lot. He gave his last statement which he is completely free to do in an objective and polite way like he did.
‘But I think it is very difficult for him (to play). I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’m saying it’s very difficult.
‘We have a decision completely made about ( Paul) Pogba, (Ander) Herrera, (Morgan) Schneiderlin, ( Marouane) Fellaini, Michael Carrick. We have five players for two positions. It’s very, very difficult that an opportunity will arise.
‘I have 23 players in the squad and in principle nobody is leaving because I don’t want anybody to leave and nobody is coming — 23 players is more than enough.
‘ If you have any kind of problem or opportunity I have a few young players in the academy that I will be more than happy to give them an acceleration in their process.’
Mourinho has been accused of showing Schweinsteiger a lack of respect by the player’s brother and former Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Bayern chief executive KarlHeinz Rummenigge also warned that Schweinsteiger’s treatment might stop other players from joining United.
But Mourinho responded to his critics by saying: ‘I thought after I read some quotes from people at Bayern Munich they would run to Manchester to bring him back. But, no, that didn’t happen.
‘ I’m surprised that Mr Rummenigge is not here now.’