Jose dancing to a new beat
United boss says he needs time
JOSE MOURINHO has defended his indifferent start as Manchester United manager by listing the changes he has made in succeeding Louis van Gaal, from zonal marking and high defensive pressing, to playing between the lines and not involving goalkeeper David de Gea.
Mourinho travels to Goodison Park today having overseen United’s poorest-ever start to a Premier League campaign, garnering less points at this stage of the season than even David Moyes, who was sacked after 10 months.
But the defiant Portuguese manager responded by going through the different aspects of United’s play as they seek to return to their DNA after the deliberate approach of his predecessor.
Mourinho argued: ‘I know that it is difficult for a manager to change things completely. My goalkeeper last season was making 10 saves a match. In this moment, the ball goes there once in 90 minutes.
‘The circulation of the ball was an external circulation, left-back, central defender, central defender, right-back. Everything was made behind. We play now in between the opponents’ lines. We look forward, our defensive line is very high.
‘Our goalkeeper doesn’t touch the ball for 90 minutes. Our central defenders don’t follow the man, they defend zonal. I am not better than the others (managers), we just think in a different way.’
Mourinho has bemoaned his side dominating four home Premier League games in-a-row and drawing the lot. Known as a coach who built from the back, he acknowledges this is probably the most creative team he has presided over as a mark of respect to United’s traditions.
‘I have never had a team with so much ball possession or that creates so many chances,’ he said. ‘If we manage to have all of that with more pragmatism in front of goal, we will be very good.’
However, Mourinho knows the margin for error is now slim, with United in sixth position, well behind pacesetters Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
And if Everton shut up shop to get a result this afternoon, he will not have any complaints.
‘Football is about points,’ he said. ‘A team that has two shots on target and scores two goals deserves credit. A team that parks the bus and defends phenomenally well and doesn’t concede deserves credit.
‘We lost eight points at home we didn’t deserve to. But the reality of football is the result after 90 minutes and it doesn’t matter if you were unlucky. What matters is the number of points and where we are in the table.
‘To change things is difficult but it’s fun also. I am ready for the challenge.’
Record signing Paul Pogba returns after serving a one-match ban but Wayne Rooney is suspended, which could mean a start in the No 10 berth for Juan Mata, a player Mourinho cut from his former club Chelsea.
Instead of bearing a grudge against his manager, Mata has embraced his arrival at Old Trafford with only Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring more than the Spaniard’s five goals.
‘Passion is needed in life, let alone as a footballer or a manager,’ said the 28-year-old. ‘And he has always been like this. That is what I believe.
‘It is very important for me to have passion in what you do. For me as a player, if one day I lose that passion I wouldn’t be happy because I couldn’t play at my best level. Passion is something you need to perform at your highest level and to push your limits even more.
‘I think we have a great squad that is at the level of other teams. We have great players in every position, we have players who sometimes don’t get a game but would if they were playing in different teams.
‘I don’t see that the squad of United has less quality or is worse than any of the other top clubs.
‘I believe we will be in the top four by the end of the season. Luckily, we are in a league that changes a lot.’