Blues are Eden for Pul move
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happiness to play a decisive game. So let’s play this game like a game we have to win.”
United’s comeback wins against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Juventus, coupled with victory over Everton and an impressive draw at Chelsea, suggested Mourinho’s players had rediscovered their desire, form and fighting spirit.
But Saturday’s lame effort against Palace, preceded by the abject 3-1 derby defeat away to City, has piled the pressure back on. And Mourinho added: “When you see amazing things from the players, that spirit, P 4
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that ambition, that pride, obviously you believe they have it.
“But then sometimes you have matches where the profile is a little bit different and then they become frustrating.
“So I want the team to start strong, not to be waiting, then probably you or the fans think, ‘Jose told them to start slow and play nice and easy’ or to be waiting for them to react. It’s exactly the opposite – I want the team to go immediately.”
United defender Luke Shaw, who has been on the receiving end of some brutal criticism from Mourinho over the past two-and-a-half years, said it was up to the players to prove their manager wrong.
Mourinho recently suggested some young players were like “spoilt kids” and Shaw said: “It was a very big challenge for me with some of the things he’s said in the past. What he said the other day, that was more a generational thing, I don’t think it was really aimed as much at us as individuals.
“You need a thick skin playing for the manager. But this is the biggest club in the world and we as players need to take on board what’s said.” CHELSEA are ready to do a £70million deal in January for Christian Pulisic – but the midfielder will not arrive until next summer.
Borussia Dortmund are already bracing themselves to sell Pulisic and have held talks with the Blues who are leading the chase.
The USA star, 20, will only have one year left on his deal next summer and Dortmund are ready to cut their losses with Chelsea determined to jump to the head of the queue.
That is why the Blues are ready to get the transfer done early even though Dortmund have already made it clear publicly that they will not let him go midway through the season.
Pulisic is being seen as a potential replacement for Eden Hazard with the Belgium superstar’s contract also due to expire in 2020. That means Chelsea will have to sell him next summer unless he re-signs, with Real Madrid monitoring developments.
Hazard dropped another hint last weekend that he could leave Chelsea this summer, but insists he has yet to make a final decision.
The Blues fear they may be fighting a losing battle with Hazard, with Pulisic earmarked to fill his boots.