Jose issues a Red alert over bid to topple City
JOSE MOURINHO has warned it will be tough to prevent Manchester City dominating the Premier League next season.
The Manchester United boss and his team face Spurs in an FA Cup semi-final today while City stage their title party at home to Swansea tomorrow.
A win will take Pep Guardiola’s side to 90 points with four games to go, and extend their lead over United to 16.
And Mourinho confessed he cannot see City’s rivals living with them if they maintain the same sort of form next season.
“If they do get the same number of points it will be almost impossible (to match them),” he said. “If they get into the 90-something points, it is almost impossible.
“This season, in this Premier League, many clubs had positive seasons, like us, like Tottenham, like Liverpool.
“But it was impossible because City were really good and consistent and will reach a number of points that makes it impossible for you.
“If you don’t win a title, whether it is a failure or not depends on your opponents. I was champion (with Real Madrid) in Spain with 100 points and Barcelona had 91. Ninetyone points was a failure for Barcelona? I don’t think it was.”
For United, Spurs and fellow semi-finalists Chelsea and Southampton, who play tomorrow, the FA Cup is their last chance of a trophy.
But Mourinho insisted the trio of teams who miss out on glory do not deserve flak.
“Can you say the three teams who do not win the FA Cup are going to fail?” he asked.
“It is too harsh. Praise the winner – and we are going to try to be the ones.”
Mourinho refused to reveal if big money signings Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez will start today.
Regarding Pogba, he said: “He was phenomenal against Manchester City.
“He was not good against West Brom.
“I am not expecting him to be phenomenal in every match, but to keep a certain level is the challenge.”
Turning to Sanchez, he said: “I was not expecting Alexis to arrive and immediately become the player we know he can be.
“I know that next season he will be more Alexis than he is now.”