Mourinho demands Europa reaction after derby defeat

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Paris (AFP) – Fresh from giving his players a rollicking Jose Mourinho’s focus turns from Manchester United’s derby defeat to European action with a tricky Europa League opener at in-form Feyenoord on Thursday.

It will be the Portuguese manager’s first game in the second-tier European competition since winning its predecessor the UEFA Cup with Porto in 2003 and he says he is taking it seriously.

Mourinho’s unbeaten start as United manager came to a stuttering stop Saturday as long-time nemesis Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City left Old Trafford with a 2-1 victory.

United can expect a tough Group A opener at Feyenoord, who are top of the Dutch league having won all five of their matches this season and have pedigree in the competition.

United’s Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata warned that after the disappointment of derby day there was “no time for mourning”.

“On Thursday we’re going to play the first game in the Europa League, away against Feyenoord, a classic in European football,” Mata said on his weekly blog.

“It’s going to be a very demanding debut in this competition,” he added of the road to the final in Stockholm next May.

Mourinho says that young attacking sensation Marcus Rashford will play after his impressive second-half cameo along with midfielder Ander Herrera on Saturday.

“He (Rashford) is going to play is the only thing I can say. I trust him completely and I know his future will be absolutely brilliant,” said the Portuguese, who was scathing of some of his players after the City defeat, particularly defender Eric Bailly.

English-Dutch clashes are always feisty affairs but United have beaten Feyenoord in both their previous meetings.

This time it will be more subdued — at least in the stands — with the capacity of the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam halved to 26,000 following UEFA sanctions for crowd trouble against Roma earlier this year.

United fans, whose ticket allocation has been slashed to 1,400, have been advised by the club not to wear United colours and avoid areas of potential conflict.

Feyenoord manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst said: “I’m confident that -– in spite of the measures the club has to take –- an atmosphere will be created again at De Kuip to ensure we, as a team, are able to perform at our very best in our home matches.”

Former United and Feyenoord striker Robin van Persie is set to play both clubs as his Fenerbahce side are also in Group A with the Turkish side taking on Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine in their opener.

Van Persie won the competition with boyhood club Feyenoord in 2002.

– Spanish domination –

Spanish clubs have won six of the last 10 Europa League titles with Sevilla, the reigning three-time champions, now playing in the elite Champions League.

Of the finalists in the Europa League over the last decade eight are from Spain, who this season will be represented by Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo and Villarreal. 

Celta, struggling from five successive La Liga losses, travel to Standard Liege in Group G, which also includes Dutch giants Ajax and Greek club Panathinaikos.

Athletic Bilbao travel to Italian side Sassuolo in Group F, which includes Rapid Vienna of Austria and Belgium side KRC Genk. Villarreal host FC Zurich in Group L.

England’s second representative, Southampton, host Czech club Sparta Prague in Group K looking for their first win under new boss Claude Puel, with Inter Milan, three times winners, hosting Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

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Mourinho points finger after Man Utd derby loss

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Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho singled out some of his players for stinging criticism following their 2-1 loss to derby rivals Manchester City.

The United manager hauled off Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard at half-time and said it was only because he did not want to “destroy them” that he did not substitute them earlier.

But he saved his most trenchant remarks for centre-backs Daley Blind and, in particular, Eric Bailly, saying some players had shown signs they did not possess the requisite big-game temperament.

“We had problems with poor performances,” Mourinho told reporters at Old Trafford on Saturday.

“We lost the ball very, very easy. Even our central defenders, that were really top class until today, they lost easy balls.

“Back-passes, first-station passes, from Bailly to (Marouane) Fellaini, from Blind to (Paul) Pogba.

“We lost the ball in these kinds of positions. So it was not (just) Mickey (Mkhitaryan) and Jesse, it was much more than Mickey and Jesse.”

Pep Guardiola’s City took a deserved 15th-minute lead when Kevin De Bruyne beat Blind to Kelechi Iheanacho’s flick-on before steering a shot past David de Gea.

The same pair combined to double City’s lead, Iheanacho tapping in after De Bruyne’s low shot came back off the post.

An error from City’s debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who flapped at a deep free-kick from Wayne Rooney, allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to pull a goal back.

But although United improved following the half-time introductions of 18-year-old Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera, they could not find an equaliser.

– ‘I respect him’ –

“What I told them at half-time was that for some of you, it looks like you are trying to do what I told you not to do,” said Mourinho.

“I told Bailly 20 times, never play a first-station ball. Never. Because this is where they want to press. Never do that. He did it 20 times during the game.

“I think really some of the boys, they felt the dimension of the game. Everything around the game — the derby, the big game, Man United-Man City, the focus, the attention — some of the guys felt it.

“It has nothing to do with inexperience or age because you have the kid (Rashford) then in the second half and the kid looks like he was playing in the Under-18s against Salford City.

“So it’s about the individual and every individual reacts to the dimension of the occasion in different ways. It’s difficult to predict.

“It only gets easier when you know the players very, very well. So probably in the next big game in the Premier League, I know who can accept the dimension of the game, which is very important.”

Mourinho blamed referee Mark Clattenburg for not awarding a penalty after a rash challenge on Rooney by Bravo.

Guardiola said he had not seen the incident, but revealed that Aleksandar Kolarov had lost a tooth during the game.

The left-back appeared to be struck in the face by Fellaini at one point, but Guardiola said he did not know what had happened.

The match had been billed as a showdown between Mourinho and Guardiola, who fought a ferocious running battle during their time as coaches of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

The pair embraced before the match and Guardiola said he hoped future contests between the teams would not be discussed in terms of their personal relationship.

“I don’t know if he respects me, but I respect him a lot,” said the former Bayern Munich coach.

“We are fathers. I am a father, he’s a father, so I didn’t come here to see about the rivalry. He wants to win, I want to win.

“I beat him, he beats me. In the future I beat him, he beats me. It’s simple like that. We are adult people. When we see each other, sometimes we don’t agree about our opinions.

“Hopefully next time we play against United, people start to forget.”

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Mourinho Claims Defensive Outcast Is Needed And Won’t Be Sold

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Jose Mourinho has been busy this transfer window, and it seems to be paying off as the Premier League hits its first international break.

The Portugese boss has added the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to his ranks, and with nine points from nine so far, it couldn’t have gone much better.

And while the incomings have hit the ground running, there has been interest in Marcos Rojo, as he sits on the fringes of the Manchester United first team.

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But, according to Yahoo Sport, the Argentine defender is not for sale, and has a role to play in United’s season.

Since signing for the Red Devils from Sporting CP in 2014, the 26-year-old has made 53 appearances, and was one of Louis van Gaal’s trusted defenders.

But now, Mourinho is in charge and has Luke Shaw available again, so the left back slot is occupied – leaving Rojo warming the bench.

Jose has said that he has a clear plan for every member of his first team squad, and can’t wait for the Europa League to start so he can give certain players more game time.

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Rojo will be one of those who benefits from Thursday night football, as United face off against Fenerbahce, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk.

Mourinho seems to be done in the transfer market, with his new signings doing the job they were brought in to do, and United sitting top of the table.

Speaking about transfers, Mourinho said:

I think we’ll have a very quiet week in terms of transfers.

I am more than happy with the squad.

Rojo’s wages are also a stumbling block for any suitor, as he earns £70,000 per week, putting off many of those that were interested.

Looks like he’ll have to get used to playing on a Thursday night for the foreseeable future.

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Foes reunited as Mourinho, Ranieri meet in Community Shield clash

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London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho locks horns with old adversary Claudio Ranieri as FA Cup winners Manchester United tackle fairytale Premier League champions Leicester City in Sunday’s Community Shield at Wembley.

Mourinho, who has succeeded Louis van Gaal at United, twice pipped Ranieri to the Serie A title during their time in Italy, where he goaded the Italian about his age, lack of success and poor command of English.

But Ranieri took revenge last season, overseeing a 2-1 win over Mourinho’s Chelsea in December that proved to be the Portuguese’s last game in the job and finishing the campaign with the league trophy in his hands.

Asked about his rival on Friday, Ranieri said: “We are used to living with the pressure and without pressure we are not the same. Jose always tries to win and his career speaks for itself.”

Mourinho, 53, succeeded Ranieri, 64, as Chelsea manager in 2004 and quickly built on the foundations laid by his predecessor, steering the west London club to back-to-back Premier League titles.

Their paths did not cross directly until 2008, when Mourinho joined Inter Milan and beat Ranieri’s Juventus to the league title.

Reacting to a claim from Ranieri that Mourinho needs to win things to feel sure of himself, the Inter coach said his rival had “the mentality of someone who doesn’t need to win” and was “too old to change”.

Ranieri joined Roma, who pushed Inter all the way in a taut 2009-10 title race, only for Mourinho’s men to prevail by two points and beat them in the Coppa Italia final en route to a glorious Treble.

Publicly, Mourinho’s attitude towards Ranieri has since softened.

He described Leicester’s 5,000-1 title win as “magic” and the pair were photographed embracing prior to a Soccer Aid charity match in June.

But privately Mourinho will be itching to get under Ranieri’s skin, particularly having beaten him only twice in their six head-to-head encounters to date.

While Leicester continue to bask in the afterglow of an achievement that electrified world football, things are no longer quite as they were when captain Wes Morgan lifted the Premier League trophy on May 7.

– Enter Ibrahimovic –

N’Golo Kante, the redoubtable midfield driving force behind their title success, has joined Chelsea in a £30 million ($ 39.5 million, 35.4 million euros) move.

Talisman Jamie Vardy, last season’s 24-goal top scorer, has committed himself to the club with a new contract, but Riyad Mahrez has been linked with a move away amid reported interest from Arsenal.

Six new signings are bedding in, led by Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa, a club-record £16 million capture from CSKA Moscow, who struck an impressive brace in a 4-2 defeat by Barcelona on Wednesday.

That loss in Stockholm followed a heavy 4-0 reverse at Paris Saint-Germain’s hands and having previously drawn 1-1 with Celtic, Ranieri’s side have gone three games without a win.

United, though, have been scarcely more impressive in pre-season.

They beat Galatasaray and Wigan Athletic, but crashed to a 4-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund and saw a scheduled meeting with Manchester City fall victim to the Beijing rain.

“We need minutes for the players. Now we have Leicester and it is not a training session. It is a game,” Mourinho said.

“We have six changes, not three, so that gives me the chance to give minutes to some people, players who I know cannot have the condition to play 90 (minutes). We will try to do a little bit of everything.”

With Van Gaal having departed after two years of turgid football and underwhelming results, United’s fans will hope the Wembley showpiece provides signs of a revival under Mourinho.

New signings Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the swaggering Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all in line to feature.

Left-back Luke Shaw, meanwhile, is making up for lost time after nine months out due to a double leg break.

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