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Tag: Manchester United

  • Jose Mourinho unsure about de Gea's future at Old Trafford

    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is “not confident” goalkeeper David de Gea will sign a new contract – but says he is “not worried” by the situation.

    In August, United were positive over the chance of De Gea renewing his deal.
    He is committed to Old Trafford until the summer, with the club having an option to extend to 2020.
    “If the club want to be better than it is and not worse, obviously it would be very important to keep David,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
    De Gea, 27, was named in May as the club’s player of the year for an unprecedented fourth time.
    Juventus have reportedly targeted the Spain international as another low-cost high-quality addition after picking up Liverpool midfielder Emre Can, Barcelona full-back Dani Alves, Bayern Munich midfielder Sami Khedira and Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente on free transfers in recent years.
    De Gea, who joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 in an £18.9m deal, is one of several players nearing the end of their deals with the Premier League club.
    France forward Anthony Martial, Spanish midfielder Juan Mata and Ecuador wing-back Antonio Valencia are also out of contract at the end of the season.
    Mourinho was keen to sign at least one central defender and a winger in the summer, but could not convince the board that his targets would strengthen the squad.

  • EPL: I can’t manage another English club – Guardiola

    Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola says it will be impossible for him to ever coach another club in England and says he is now a Mancunian for life.
    Guardiola, who led Manchester City to the English Premier League title last season with a record points tally of 100, signed a contract extension with the champions earlier this year.
    It will take him to the end of the 2020-2021 campaign.
    One of the most successful managers in world football, Guardiola has been known to keep his coaching stints brief, spending four years at FC Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich.
    However, even if he ended his stay at Manchester City after five years in 2021, he said he could not envisage one day managing an English Premier League rival.
    “I will be Mancunian for (the) rest of my life. I will (always) be a Manchester City fan. It will not be possible to train another club in England like Manchester City,” Guardiola said in an interview.
    “I feel beloved by the people here… I want to make a better club, to make them believe we are strong enough to do better things.”
    The 47-year-old won 14 trophies as FC Barcelona coach and seven while at Bayern, but said a less intrusive media landscape made it easier to settle as a manager in England.
    “I understand why in England you can stay at a club for 20 years in one place,” Guardiola, who also claimed the English League Cup for Manchester City last season, added.
    “Here, during the week, I don’t see the journalists and, for example, we had maybe some problems in the locker room, sometimes we have to be tough with players — but nothing goes out. Just a few times.
    “In FC Barcelona or in Bayern Munich everything that happened, the next time (day) it is in… the media. So, here you are more comfortable.”
    The former FC Barcelona player has won almost every major honour available to him as a manager.
    However, one of the prizes he still wishes to claim, is hearing Elton John sing live.
    “I’ve never been to a concert of his, it is a huge dream. I met him at Watford when we played there last season and it was a huge pleasure,” Guardiola said.
    Reuters/NAN

  • Jose Mourinho wants to see out Man Utd contract

    Jose Mourinho says he is “happy” at Manchester United and wants to “see out” his contract at the club after being linked with a return to Real Madrid.

    Reports claim the La Liga giants want the Portuguese manager back to replace under-pressure boss Julen Lopetegui.
    But the 55-year-old, whose Old Trafford contract runs until 2020, said: “I am happy here.
    “All I am thinking about at the moment is Manchester United.”
    Mourinho’s own job was under question earlier this month when a newspaper said he was to be sacked regardless of the result against Newcastle.
    But United came from 2-0 down to beat the Magpies 3-2, courtesy of Alexis Sanchez’s last-minute header at Old Trafford.
    Despite only being appointed in the summer, Lopetegui’s job at the Bernabeu is already becoming increasingly precarious with the club on a run of four defeats in five games.
    Before United’s Champions League game against Juventus on Tuesday, Mourinho was asked if he could make a return to Real, where he won the Spanish title and Copa del Rey between 2010 and 2013.
    Mourinho added: “I am happy to see out my contract to the very last day of that contract and I would like to stay after my contract runs out as well.”

  • EPL: Barkley late strike saves Chelsea against Man Utd

    Ross Barkley’s stoppage-time equaliser denied Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United victory at Chelsea following a heated 2-2 draw.
    Substitute Barkley turned home in the 96th minute from close range, prompting Chelsea second assistant Marco Ianni to run across Mourinho’s path in celebration, which angered the United manager and in-turn sparked scuffles on the sidelines and in the tunnel.
    Chelsea had taken the lead through Antonio Rudiger’s header from Willian’s corner (21) thanks to some suspect marking, but United equalised after the break as Anthony Martial finished fiercely from close range following pinball in the box (55).
    Martial then struck again to stun Chelsea (73), curling into the bottom corner from inside the box following a swift counter-attack, before Barkley’s last-gasp leveller caused an eruption on the sideline.
    Juan Mata was a surprise inclusion in Mourinho’s side, and though they started solidly enough, one defensive lapse had Chelsea ahead midway through the half.
    From Willian’s corner, Rudiger found himself free of Paul Pogba, directing a fine header into the bottom corner from 10 yards. Pogba ranted and raved, seemingly claiming Victor Lindelof’s own marking of David Luiz had blocked his path to stick with Rudiger.
    Chelsea dominated the ball from there, claiming 60 per cent of it in the first half, and could have been two up just after the break had Alvaro Morata made better connection with his low effort from just inside the box.
    United went 55 minutes without a shot on target, before two in 20 seconds resulted in an equaliser. First, Mata’s deflected effort was well beaten away by Kepa Arrizabalaga, but after the ball was turned back goalwards by Ashley Young and deflected into Martial’s path, the Frenchman made no mistake from 10 yards.
    David Luiz’s unmarked header from a Willian cross was then glanced wide, N’Golo Kante forced a fine save from David de Gea 20 yards out, but United then broke to take the lead.
    Mata found himself free on the right, squaring to Marcus Rashford and then onto Martial, who curled a fine effort into the far bottom corner from 15 yards.
    Sky Sports

  • Man Utd Luke Shaw agrees new deal at Old Trafford

    Man Utd Luke Shaw agrees new deal at Old Trafford

    Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has agreed a new five-year deal with the Red Devils, worth a reported £150,000 per week.

    The 23-year-old England international’s current contract was set to expire next summer, BBC reports.
    Shaw’s progress has been disrupted by poor form and fitness issues, limiting him to only 75 appearances, but he has been a regular for United this season.
    Recent performances earned Shaw – who joined United from Southampton for £27m in 2014 – an international recall.

  • Man Utd manager Mourinho charged over abusive comments

    Man Utd manager Mourinho charged over abusive comments

    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged over comments he made in Portuguese to a television camera after his side’s win over Newcastle.

    It is claimed Mourinho used “abusive, insulting or improper language” after the 3-2 comeback victory at Old Trafford on 6 October.
    The Football Association used a lip reader and the 55-year-old’s remarks were interpreted as offensive.
    Mourinho had been under pressure amid reports he would be sacked.
    His side had been 2-0 down to winless Newcastle at half-time of the Premier League game, but they scored three goals in the final 20 minutes to turn the match around.
    After the game, Mourinho said he could “cope with the manhunt” against him.
    A 90th-minute winner from Alexis Sanchez ended a run of four games without a win, United have recorded their worst league start for 29 years and are eighth in the table.
    Mourinho has until Friday to respond to the charge.
    BBC

  • Jesus disappointed not to take City penalty against Liverpool

    Manchester City striker, Gabriel Jesus says he was disappointed not to take his side’s late penalty in the goalless Premier League draw at Liverpool on Sunday.

    The visitors were awarded a spot-kick in the 85th minute but Riyad Mahrez’s effort sailed high over the bar.
    City forward Jesus had wanted to take responsibility but manager Pep Guardiola instructed Mahrez to step up.
    “I would like to have taken it, I was confident, so I was not happy that they did not allow me,” Jesus said.
    Mahrez has now failed to score five of his last eight Premier League penalties, while Jesus has missed two of his last three for City. Regular penalty taker Sergio Aguero was off the pitch at the time.
    Jesus, who has scored two goals this season, revealed that Guardiola apologised to him after the game.
    “Pep spoke with me. This is part of football, sometimes these things happen. I will support Riyad if the manager chooses him again,” he said.
    Mahrez, who has three goals since joining from Leicester City in the summer, put a brave face on his miss.
    “It is part of football, you have to go forward and stay strong. Sometimes you score, sometimes you miss,” the Algerian said. “We are not just a team that wants to play and leaves big spaces, but we are a team who want to be strong defensively. It’s a good draw and we deserved to win.”
    The draw leaves City top of the Premier League on 20 points, level with Liverpool and Chelsea.

  • UCL: Mourinho admits Man Utd lacks technical defensive quality

    UCL: Mourinho admits Man Utd lacks technical defensive quality

    Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho has admitted that his players don’t have the technical abilities to play from defence after watching his team booed off at Old Trafford following their goalless draw with Valencia in the Champions League..
    The stalemate means Mourinho has gone four consecutive home games in all competitions without a win for the first time in his managerial career.
    The former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager also told BT Sports in his post-match interview that his forwards are not at their best moments of confidence.
    “We had probably a couple of the biggest chances to win it but I have accepted the result as a fair result. I said in pre-season last season was phenomenal to finish second. And I don’t say more than that,” Mourinho told BT Sport.
    “The players tried. They raised the level of their efforts. They raised the level of their intensity in spite of the fact we don’t have many with that intensity. We don’t have the technical quality to build from the back.
    “We tried to do something we did well which was to stop a fast team on the counter-attack. We knew we wouldn’t create 20 chances. Our attacking players aren’t in their best moments of confidence and individual level. We thought with three or four chances we would score and win the game.
    “It is a not a bad result. Not a good result, but not bad. We have two matches against Juventus to make points. It is a very difficult group, yes.”
    “We have Newcastle before the league stops then we have Chelsea and Juventus in three days. It will be good for the team if we can beat Newcastle,” Mourinho stated.

  • Some Man Utd players care more than others – Mourinho

    Some Man Utd players care more than others – Mourinho

    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says “some [players] care more than others” at the club after their failure to win any of their past three games.

    In their last two league matches United have drawn with Wolves and lost to West Ham, slipping to 10th in the Premier League table as a result.
    They were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Championship side Derby.
    Asked if he was worried about his position if the side’s poor form continued, Mourinho replied: “No.”
    Mourinho was speaking before United play Valencia in a Champions League group match on Tuesday.
    “Every player is different, no player is the same,” he said. “I see different actions but what you see is not really inside.
    “I see upset people, some people that don’t look like they lost a game.
    “I see so-so but in the little two sessions of training we had [since Saturday] everything was normal, desire to work and play.”
    Mourinho added: “What I can do to improve things I do, and I will improve the things that depend on me and my work.”
    BBC

  • EPL: Man Utd must get mad to defeat Tottenham – Pogba

    Paul Pogba says Manchester United must stay “mad” to beat Tottenham and atone for Sunday’s Premier League loss at Brighton.

    Captain Pogba admitted United’s travelling fans had every right to be furious about his side’s 3-2 loss at the Amex Stadium, where Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Pascal Gross struck for the Seagulls.

    United found the net through Romelu Lukaku and a late Pogba penalty but Chris Hughton’s Brighton were worthy winners.

    Jose Mourinho’s side struggled for urgency and fluency on the south coast, with France star Pogba conceding they face a stern challenge to hit form when hosting Spurs at Old Trafford on August 27.

    “We always play for the shirt and the fans, this is not the result we or they wanted,” Pogba told MUTV.

    “They should be very mad. We should be mad. Everybody is mad. We are mad.

    “The next game we want to change this. We want to be happy at the end of the game, with smiles on their faces and give the fans a nice weekend afterwards.

    “We definitely don’t want to lose two games in a row, so we’re going to have to get ready and play much, much better than [on Sunday].

    “We’re not here just to play games and be in the Premier League, we are here to win, we are Manchester United, and that’s what we do.

    “We want to win trophies, that’s the mentality and the culture of the club. We didn’t do it and we are very disappointed.

    “There’s lots of games still and we have to stay positive, and by staying positive is how we will fight for a good result against Tottenham.”

    Hughton’s Brighton dismantled a curiously lacklustre United, with target man Murray bullying the visiting defence all afternoon.

    The 34-year-old produced a first-time finish for Brighton’s opening goal, his 200th appearance for the club, before defender Duffy tucked home. By the time Gross dispatched his penalty, United were all-but dead and buried before half-time.

    Brighton toppled United 1-0 in May and Pogba insisted it is unacceptable for United to make the same mistakes, especially so soon after their previous Amex Stadium humbling.

    “That’s twice in a row we have lost against them here,” Pogba added.

    “I think that shouldn’t happen. Last year we had almost maybe the same attitude [as Sunday], and it’s not right.

    “Myself first, should have done much better, less mistakes, control more the game.

    “This was a bad performance for all of us. It’s wrong we dropped points.

    “You have to wake up for the next game and definitely not play like we did [against Brighton].”

    Sky Sports