Mourinho: We are weaker physically than the great sides

Liverpool intensity hard to handle, says manager Pundits put the boot in over lack of quality

Jose Mourinho accused his Manchester United team of being physically and technically weaker than Liverpool as he succumbed to his first defeat to his great rivals since moving to Old Trafford.

Mourinho’s assessment of the 3-1 loss was a defence of his deteriorating reign as much as the Anfield outcome. He praised Liverpool, while lamenting his own players’ lack of similar traits. United were made to sound like plucky underdogs performing admirably to hang on to Jurgen Klopp’s coat-tails before Xherdan Shaqiri’s late double.

“The players gave everything, and when the players give everything I am never frustrated towards them. I have a good feeling towards them,” said Mourinho. “They play in relation to their qualities, the same way Liverpool play in relation to their qualities.

“We have lots of players that I could consider injury-prone because some of our players are always injured. It was before me. It was – if you look to the stats with Mr Van Gaal and before Mr Van Gaal with David [Moyes] – if you look to that period we have lots of players permanently injured.

“When you are permanently injured, physicality is very difficult to get. Then there are qualities that a player has or doesn’t have. I will give you an example. Robertson, Mane, Salah, Wijnaldum, Keita, Fabinho. They are physical players and, on top of that, they are good players technically. I also have a lot of good players technically but we don’t have lots of players with that intensity, that physicality, so when the game has high levels of intensity, it is difficult for us.”

Mourinho, who lost Chris Smalling to an injury in the warm-up, suggested his United squad lacked players with the characteristics not only of Liverpool, but his most successful teams at previous clubs.

“You can compare my Porto team with Liverpool,” he said. “They are fast, they are intense, they are aggressive, they are physical, they have an objective. They play 200 miles per hour with and without the ball. I am still tired just looking at Robertson. He makes 100-metre sprints every minute, absolutely incredible.

“You can compare [with Porto]. The qualities of the players are there. It was my best team in defensive transition. We lose the ball and we bite like mad dogs and recover the ball after a few seconds.

“In Real Madrid, I had my best team in direct counter-attack because I had a young Di Maria, young Ronaldo, young Higuain and young Benzema and, in Inter, I had my best team in a defensive low block.”

Asked why he had not corrected his squad’s flaws over four transfer windows, Mourinho said: “I am really, really happy with the players I had on the pitch with their effort, with their attitude. They gave everything. I feel really sorry for them because their effort didn’t deserve to lose the game in the way we did.”

Manchester United’s legends, working as pundits, were damning of their former club’s showing.

“Liverpool were streets ahead,” said Gary Neville. “Not one of the United players on the field today can pass a football.”

Roy Keane claimed the lack of quality was obvious. “I certainly believe a lot of the players playing for United today aren’t good enough, not for United,” he said. “The biggest problem is defensively. I know people say they have already spent on defenders, but they haven’t been good enough. Go buy some more. You are Man United. The scary bit is when you listen to the manager and he is talking about finishing fourth. Manchester United. That’s where they are at.”

The two veterans also took issue with Jesse Lingard’s decision to launch his clothing range – Jlingz – in the days building up to the Anfield clash. “If there was a strong dressing room, that would not be tolerated,” Keane insisted. “Football should be your No 1 priority.”

Neville also took issue with the midfielder’s actions. “Before Liverpool away in the biggest match of the season? Do it before Fulham!”

Paul Pogba, who was left on the bench yesterday after his relationship with Mourinho became strained, did not escape Keane’s wrath either.

“Whatever is going on in his head, he is letting the manager down,” Keane said. “If the guy’s not pulling his weight, he has to be left out.”