Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola does not think Sunday's derby against Manchester United will define his team's campaign, but is still keen to avoid a repeat of last season's defeat by the same opponents.

City were in control against United in the corresponding fixture at the Etihad Stadium last term, leading by two first-half goals, only for United to stage a second-half rally and win 3-2.

"We have to play good," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. "If we play good, we have a chance to win. You cannot imagine we are going to play amazingly for 90 minutes against top teams.

"I would like to play the same game as last season when we were on top for 75 minutes but United showed us that they just need 10 or 15 minutes to create chances.

"When they have the ball, they can create something because they have incredible talent."

Both teams are in good form, with seventh-placed United on a three-game winning streak and league leaders City having gone 11 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Guardiola is looking forward to the battle but believes the fixture has come too soon to have significant bearing on the title race.

"We are in November so maybe the game at Old Trafford (in March) will be more decisive," the Spaniard said. "Of course we are on a good run, United as well. It's a good derby. All of them are special."

The manager also reiterated his faith in the club in the wake of allegations that they had circumvented financial fair play rules.

"If people want to undermine what we have done, no problem," he said. "We live our lives. Opinions are opinions. I have said I trust the club a lot.

"If there is something wrong, we will be punished. FIFA or UEFA have to say if we were wrong. If we were wrong, we will accept it but I hear what my club said to me and I trust them."

The allegations against City stem from the release of the "Football Leaks" documents, which include emails, contracts and presentations.

The documents were obtained by German publication Der Spiegel and reviewed by Reuters in partnership with international media consortium European Investigative Collaborations.

The City manager's news conference ended in uproarious laughter after he responded to his former player, Brazilian Dani Alves's comment that being coached by Guardiola at Barcelona was "better than sex".

Alves made the comment in a documentary about Guardiola's all-conquering spell at Barcelona, where they won three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice.

"I prefer the sex," a grinning Guardiola said in response to a question on Alves's comment. "By far!"

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola does not think Sunday's derby against Manchester United will define his team's campaign, but is still keen to avoid a repeat of last season's defeat by the same opponents.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola does not think Sunday's derby against Manchester United will define his team's campaign, but is still keen to avoid a repeat of last season's defeat by the same opponents. City were in control against United in the corresponding fixture at the Etihad Stadium last term, leading by two first-half goals, only for United to stage a second-half rally and win 3-2. "We have to play good," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. "If we play good, we have a chance to win. You cannot imagine we are going to play amazingly for 90 minutes against top teams. "I would like to play the same game as last season when we were on top for 75 minutes but United showed us that they just need 10 or 15 minutes to create chances. "When they have the ball, they can create something because they have incredible talent." Both teams are in good form, with seventh-placed United on a three-game winning streak and league leaders City having gone 11 games unbeaten in all competitions. Guardiola is looking forward to the battle but believes the fixture has come too soon to have significant bearing on the title race. "We are in November so maybe the game at Old Trafford (in March) will be more decisive," the Spaniard said. "Of course we are on a good run, United as well. It's a good derby. All of them are special." The manager also reiterated his faith in the club in the wake of allegations that they had circumvented financial fair play rules. "If people want to undermine what we have done, no problem," he said. "We live our lives. Opinions are opinions. I have said I trust the club a lot. "If there is something wrong, we will be punished. FIFA or UEFA have to say if we were wrong. If we were wrong, we will accept it but I hear what my club said to me and I trust them." The allegations against City stem from the release of the "Football Leaks" documents, which include emails, contracts and presentations. The documents were obtained by German publication Der Spiegel and reviewed by Reuters in partnership with international media consortium European Investigative Collaborations. The City manager's news conference ended in uproarious laughter after he responded to his former player, Brazilian Dani Alves's comment that being coached by Guardiola at Barcelona was "better than sex". Alves made the comment in a documentary about Guardiola's all-conquering spell at Barcelona, where they won three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice. "I prefer the sex," a grinning Guardiola said in response to a question on Alves's comment. "By far!"

Manchester derby will not define City's season, says Pep Guardiola

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United can still secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, saying an unkind fixture list is partly to blame for their early season struggles.

United are languishing in eighth place in the table, five points from a Champions League qualification position, as they prepare to visit Bournemouth on Saturday.

But the manager believes his team have been hindered by a series of difficult back-to-back away fixtures, citing the fact they must travel to Manchester City in the Premier League on November 11, four days after a Champions League trip to Juventus, and that they visit Liverpool in December after a European away game against Valencia.

He did not mention that United have also had back-to-back home games three times across all competitions already this season and have only played two of the current top six in their opening 10 league games.

Mourinho, in his pre-match press conference, said he believed the picture at Old Trafford would be rosier at the beginning of the New Year.

"I always say that in the end of the season you play 19 matches at home and away and it doesn't matter when but the reality is that the way the fixtures are coming, sometimes they have an influence in the moment.

"We had a double fixture away in September (at Burnley and Watford). Now we have a double away league fixture at Bournemouth and Manchester City.

"We will have Juventus away before we go to Manchester City, and we will have Valencia away before Liverpool.

"In this part of the season, we play away against possibly the three biggest candidates for the title, in Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, so the calendar was not nice to us.

"But I think by the end of December, which is the end of the first half of the Premier League season, we are not going to be in the position we are now. We will be in a better position."

Title challenge?

Mourinho has refused to rule out a challenge for the title but says the first priority must be to climb into the top four.

"When you are outside the top four I don't think you should speak about the title," he said. "When you are in the top four, which I believe we are going to be, you can look up, see the distance, look to the fixtures, to the calendar."

He declined to reveal whether striker Romelu Lukaku would be recalled at Bournemouth, having been dropped after going eight games without scoring.

The manager also said he was "100 percent not guilty" of using foul language after being cleared by an independent panel of a Football Association charge.

Mourinho was accused of improper conduct for remarks he allegedly made in Portuguese after their 3-2 Premier League win over Newcastle on October 6.

He has avoided a touchline ban after the charge was found "not proven", although it is understood that the FA is considering an appeal.

However, Mourinho said that the reason United went to such lengths to contest the charge, putting forward detailed linguistic analysis and citing precedents of other football figures swearing during matches, was because he was convinced of his innocence.

"You know the reason why I ask the club and lawyers to appeal was because I was 100 percent sure that I was not guilty of these charges but you never know how it ends," he said.

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United can still secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, saying an unkind fixture list is partly to blame for their early season struggles.

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United can still secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, saying an unkind fixture list is partly to blame for their early season struggles. United are languishing in eighth place in the table, five points from a Champions League qualification position, as they prepare to visit Bournemouth on Saturday. But the manager believes his team have been hindered by a series of difficult back-to-back away fixtures, citing the fact they must travel to Manchester City in the Premier League on November 11, four days after a Champions League trip to Juventus, and that they visit Liverpool in December after a European away game against Valencia. He did not mention that United have also had back-to-back home games three times across all competitions already this season and have only played two of the current top six in their opening 10 league games. Mourinho, in his pre-match press conference, said he believed the picture at Old Trafford would be rosier at the beginning of the New Year. "I always say that in the end of the season you play 19 matches at home and away and it doesn't matter when but the reality is that the way the fixtures are coming, sometimes they have an influence in the moment. "We had a double fixture away in September (at Burnley and Watford). Now we have a double away league fixture at Bournemouth and Manchester City. "We will have Juventus away before we go to Manchester City, and we will have Valencia away before Liverpool. "In this part of the season, we play away against possibly the three biggest candidates for the title, in Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, so the calendar was not nice to us. "But I think by the end of December, which is the end of the first half of the Premier League season, we are not going to be in the position we are now. We will be in a better position." Title challenge? Mourinho has refused to rule out a challenge for the title but says the first priority must be to climb into the top four. "When you are outside the top four I don't think you should speak about the title," he said. "When you are in the top four, which I believe we are going to be, you can look up, see the distance, look to the fixtures, to the calendar." He declined to reveal whether striker Romelu Lukaku would be recalled at Bournemouth, having been dropped after going eight games without scoring. The manager also said he was "100 percent not guilty" of using foul language after being cleared by an independent panel of a Football Association charge. Mourinho was accused of improper conduct for remarks he allegedly made in Portuguese after their 3-2 Premier League win over Newcastle on October 6. He has avoided a touchline ban after the charge was found "not proven", although it is understood that the FA is considering an appeal. However, Mourinho said that the reason United went to such lengths to contest the charge, putting forward detailed linguistic analysis and citing precedents of other football figures swearing during matches, was because he was convinced of his innocence. "You know the reason why I ask the club and lawyers to appeal was because I was 100 percent sure that I was not guilty of these charges but you never know how it ends," he said.

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United can reach Premier League top four

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has mastered the art of the "double-edged compliment" and his praise for Juventus, after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by the Italians, will have made uncomfortable listening for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

United were outclassed by the Serie A giants and Mourinho made no effort to sugar-coat that reality, but his comments were a thinly-veiled critique of the club's direction.

"Juventus is champions for seven years, I think seven years in a row, two Champions League finals in the last four or five years and not happy with what they have, they want more, they want more," the former Inter Milan coach told reporters.

"They want more. They had (Gonzalo) Higuain and (Paulo) Dybala, they want more. They go for Ronaldo. They go for the best players in the world. Big club with a big past, with a big desire to have a big future," he said.

Mourinho conceded his team was "a bit" behind the level of Juventus and the elite.

"To go to the Juventus level? Barcelona level? Real Madrid level? How can you reach that level? Manchester City level? How can you reach this level?" he pondered.

Mourinho spent much of the pre-season criticising what he views as the club's lack of investment in the transfer market despite spending close to 400 million pounds ($519.32 million)since he arrived at Old Trafford in 2016.

Asked if United needed investment to reach the level of those clubs Mourinho replied bluntly "Yes".

The Portuguese's biggest frustration was the failure to bring in a major reinforcement in the centre of defence and it was perhaps no coincidence that he highlighted Juve's two centre-halves, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci for particular praise.

"Mr. Bonucci and Mr. Chiellini could go to Harvard University and give classes on how to be a central defender," he said.

Mourinho admitted when the draw was made he thought United would be battling with Valencia for runners-up spot behind Juve.

"We knew it would be a fight with Valencia for second position," the Portuguese, whose side are now five points behind Juventus but two ahead of Valencia in Group H, said.

Despite the defeat, Mourinho was satisfied with his side's performance.

"We played against one of the biggest candidates to win the Champions League and we did the possible to get a different result, especially because the way we played in the second half," he said.

"Juventus managed to hide the ball from us and frustrated our intention to be positive. The second half we were more aggressive and that's a big effort by the boys. We didn't really have attacking options on the bench to try."

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has mastered the art of the "double-edged compliment" and his praise for Juventus, after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by the Italians, will have made uncomfortable listening for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has mastered the art of the "double-edged compliment" and his praise for Juventus, after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by the Italians, will have made uncomfortable listening for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. United were outclassed by the Serie A giants and Mourinho made no effort to sugar-coat that reality, but his comments were a thinly-veiled critique of the club's direction. "Juventus is champions for seven years, I think seven years in a row, two Champions League finals in the last four or five years and not happy with what they have, they want more, they want more," the former Inter Milan coach told reporters. "They want more. They had (Gonzalo) Higuain and (Paulo) Dybala, they want more. They go for Ronaldo. They go for the best players in the world. Big club with a big past, with a big desire to have a big future," he said. Mourinho conceded his team was "a bit" behind the level of Juventus and the elite. "To go to the Juventus level? Barcelona level? Real Madrid level? How can you reach that level? Manchester City level? How can you reach this level?" he pondered. Mourinho spent much of the pre-season criticising what he views as the club's lack of investment in the transfer market despite spending close to 400 million pounds ($519.32 million)since he arrived at Old Trafford in 2016. Asked if United needed investment to reach the level of those clubs Mourinho replied bluntly "Yes". The Portuguese's biggest frustration was the failure to bring in a major reinforcement in the centre of defence and it was perhaps no coincidence that he highlighted Juve's two centre-halves, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci for particular praise. "Mr. Bonucci and Mr. Chiellini could go to Harvard University and give classes on how to be a central defender," he said. Mourinho admitted when the draw was made he thought United would be battling with Valencia for runners-up spot behind Juve. "We knew it would be a fight with Valencia for second position," the Portuguese, whose side are now five points behind Juventus but two ahead of Valencia in Group H, said. Despite the defeat, Mourinho was satisfied with his side's performance. "We played against one of the biggest candidates to win the Champions League and we did the possible to get a different result, especially because the way we played in the second half," he said. "Juventus managed to hide the ball from us and frustrated our intention to be positive. The second half we were more aggressive and that's a big effort by the boys. We didn't really have attacking options on the bench to try."

Jose Mourinho's praise of Juventus contains sting for Man United

Chelsea assistant coach Marco Ianni has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his behaviour in front of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho during ManU-Chelsea clash that led to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-jose-mourinho-involves-in-touchline-fight-after-chelsea-draw-172545">an ugly melee</a>.

Ross Barkley scored a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/jose-mourinho-infuriated-as-chelsea-salvage-unbeaten-record-172518">96th-minute </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/jose-mourinho-infuriated-as-chelsea-salvage-unbeaten-record-172518">equaliser</a> to draw the game and Chelsea assistant coach Marco Ianni celebrated in front of Mourinho that triggered him.

Mourinho said that Chelsea's technical assistant Ianni was "very impolite" after celebrating in front of him.

On Monday, the FA charged Ianni for his behaviour, saying in a statement that he had until 1700 GMT on Thursday to respond.

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The governing body also said it had "formally reminded Mourinho of his responsibilities", although the Portuguese escaped a charge for his part in the row.

"Both clubs have received similar official reminders in terms of the behaviour expected of their staff and players at all times whilst in the technical area," the FA added.

United dropped two places to 10th in the table. Chelsea are third, behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

Chelsea assistant coach Marco Ianni has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his behaviour in front of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho during ManU-Chelsea clash that led to an ugly melee.

Chelsea assistant coach Marco Ianni has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his behaviour in front of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho during ManU-Chelsea clash that led to an ugly melee. Ross Barkley scored a 96th-minute equaliser to draw the game and Chelsea assistant coach Marco Ianni celebrated in front of Mourinho that triggered him. Mourinho said that Chelsea's technical assistant Ianni was "very impolite" after celebrating in front of him. On Monday, the FA charged Ianni for his behaviour, saying in a statement that he had until 1700 GMT on Thursday to respond. × The governing body also said it had "formally reminded Mourinho of his responsibilities", although the Portuguese escaped a charge for his part in the row. "Both clubs have received similar official reminders in terms of the behaviour expected of their staff and players at all times whilst in the technical area," the FA added. United dropped two places to 10th in the table. Chelsea are third, behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

Chelsea coach charged with improper conduct after melee

Mourinho's fight and Salah's strike summarise Premier League weekend action

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho gave short shrift when quizzed on the possibility of a sensational return to Real Madrid as he prepares for a reunion with one of his old pupils, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.

A run of five games without a win has left Real boss Julen Lopetegui on the brink of the sack just four months after accepting the thankless task of replacing Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu after three straight Champions League titles.

Mourinho's future at United is also in doubt with the Red Devils languishing in 10th in the Premier League, nine points off rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, just nine games into the new season.

However, the Portuguese batted away a series of questions from Spanish and Italian journalists on whether a Real return would interest him at Old Trafford on Monday, highlighting that he signed an extended contract just this year till 2020.

"No, I'm happy here. I'm happy to see my contract out to the very last day of that contract and I would like to stay after my contract ends," said Mourinho. "All I'm thinking about is Manchester United."

Ronaldo is returning to Old Trafford for just the second time since he left United to join Madrid for a world record fee in 2009.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner made his name in Manchester but showed no mercy on his last visit when he and Mourinho teamed up to dump United out of the Champions League in 2013.

And Mourinho is well aware of the challenge he faces in setting up a defence that has conceded 16 times in the Premier League already this season to stop the top scorer in the Champions League for the past six seasons.

"He is one of the best players of all time," added Mourinho. "It's as simple as that."

- Juve 'more than a contender' -

After winning seven straight Italian titles, Juventus splashed 112 million euros ($129 million) on a 33-year-old Ronaldo to take them one step further in Europe and deliver a first Champions League title for 23 years.

And Mourinho believes Italian champions are the favourites to win this year's competition.

"For the last five years or so they've been real contenders to win the title. They've been to a couple of finals, they've won Scudetti on the trot and they have a really special player, who makes a real difference as well.

"As far as I'm concerned, Juventus are more than just a contender this season to win the Champions League."

Mourinho was encouraged by his side's second-half reaction in coming from behind in a 2-2 against Chelsea on Saturday, despite the disappointment of conceding a 96th-minute equaliser.

And Romelu Lukaku called on United to start games with the same intensity they have finished in recent weeks having also turned around a 2-0 deficit to beat Newcastle 3-2 before the international break.

"The first half we just started slow. No initiative on the ball and no movement," said the Belgian striker.&nbsp;

"Then in the second half we did everything we said we wanted to do in the first half. We do it always in the second half and that's why we come back to get great results.

"But now the key is to start games how we start them in the second half, and maintain it as much as we can."

Both sides have been dealt injury blows with Alexis Sanchez missing for United, while Juventus travelled without Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho gave short shrift when quizzed on the possibility of a sensational return to Real Madrid as he prepares for a reunion with one of his old pupils, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho gave short shrift when quizzed on the possibility of a sensational return to Real Madrid as he prepares for a reunion with one of his old pupils, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday. A run of five games without a win has left Real boss Julen Lopetegui on the brink of the sack just four months after accepting the thankless task of replacing Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu after three straight Champions League titles. Mourinho's future at United is also in doubt with the Red Devils languishing in 10th in the Premier League, nine points off rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, just nine games into the new season. However, the Portuguese batted away a series of questions from Spanish and Italian journalists on whether a Real return would interest him at Old Trafford on Monday, highlighting that he signed an extended contract just this year till 2020. "No, I'm happy here. I'm happy to see my contract out to the very last day of that contract and I would like to stay after my contract ends," said Mourinho. "All I'm thinking about is Manchester United." Ronaldo is returning to Old Trafford for just the second time since he left United to join Madrid for a world record fee in 2009. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner made his name in Manchester but showed no mercy on his last visit when he and Mourinho teamed up to dump United out of the Champions League in 2013. And Mourinho is well aware of the challenge he faces in setting up a defence that has conceded 16 times in the Premier League already this season to stop the top scorer in the Champions League for the past six seasons. "He is one of the best players of all time," added Mourinho. "It's as simple as that." - Juve 'more than a contender' - After winning seven straight Italian titles, Juventus splashed 112 million euros ($129 million) on a 33-year-old Ronaldo to take them one step further in Europe and deliver a first Champions League title for 23 years. And Mourinho believes Italian champions are the favourites to win this year's competition. "For the last five years or so they've been real contenders to win the title. They've been to a couple of finals, they've won Scudetti on the trot and they have a really special player, who makes a real difference as well. "As far as I'm concerned, Juventus are more than just a contender this season to win the Champions League." Mourinho was encouraged by his side's second-half reaction in coming from behind in a 2-2 against Chelsea on Saturday, despite the disappointment of conceding a 96th-minute equaliser. And Romelu Lukaku called on United to start games with the same intensity they have finished in recent weeks having also turned around a 2-0 deficit to beat Newcastle 3-2 before the international break. "The first half we just started slow. No initiative on the ball and no movement," said the Belgian striker. "Then in the second half we did everything we said we wanted to do in the first half. We do it always in the second half and that's why we come back to get great results. "But now the key is to start games how we start them in the second half, and maintain it as much as we can." Both sides have been dealt injury blows with Alexis Sanchez missing for United, while Juventus travelled without Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic.

Jose Mourinho bats off Real return to focus on stopping Ronaldo

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was involved in a fracas&nbsp;at the touchline after Chelsea's star&nbsp;Ross Barkley&nbsp;scored an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/jose-mourinho-infuriated-as-chelsea-salvage-unbeaten-record-172518">96th-minute equaliser</a>&nbsp;to draw the game&nbsp;on Saturday.

Manchester United was on the verge winning but an injury time-goal by Barkley helped Chelsea to maintain unbeaten Premier League start at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho took exception to the celebrations of one of Chelsea's backroom staff, Marco Ianni, who ran in front of the Portuguese on the touchline, as he seemed set for a sweet victory over his old club.

ManU boss said that Chelsea's technical assistant Ianni was "very impolite" after celebrating in front of him.

Here is the video:

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Jose Mourinho triggered <a href="https://t.co/ok2fSiaDhq">pic.twitter.com/ok2fSiaDhq</a>
— St Woolwich Day (@StWoolwichDay) <a href="https://twitter.com/StWoolwichDay/status/1053638645847154688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"I am not annoyed with anything. What happened with (Maurizio) Sarri's assistant, Sarri was the first one to come to me and say he will resolve it.

"The assistant has already come to me and apologised, I told him to forget it. I have made a lot of mistakes in my career."

Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles in two spells at Chelsea, said United were the better side.

Sarri said his side lost out to United in the physical battle as the game wore on.

"I am disappointed with the last 30 minutes," he told the BBC. "We could win but at the end one point is enough.

"We were not organised for the long ball, we usually play with short passes so we were not organised for this in the last half hour. This is not our football. I prefer to play our football for 90 minutes.

"I didn't see what happened but I have spoken to Jose Mourinho. I understood that we were in the wrong side of the situation. I have spoken to a member of my staff and have dealt with this immediately."

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was involved in a fracas at the touchline after Chelsea's star Ross Barkley scored an 96th-minute equaliser to draw the game on Saturday.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was involved in a fracas at the touchline after Chelsea's star Ross Barkley scored an 96th-minute equaliser to draw the game on Saturday. Manchester United was on the verge winning but an injury time-goal by Barkley helped Chelsea to maintain unbeaten Premier League start at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho took exception to the celebrations of one of Chelsea's backroom staff, Marco Ianni, who ran in front of the Portuguese on the touchline, as he seemed set for a sweet victory over his old club. ManU boss said that Chelsea's technical assistant Ianni was "very impolite" after celebrating in front of him. Here is the video: Jose Mourinho triggered pic.twitter.com/ok2fSiaDhq — St Woolwich Day (@StWoolwichDay) October 20, 2018 × "I am not annoyed with anything. What happened with (Maurizio) Sarri's assistant, Sarri was the first one to come to me and say he will resolve it. "The assistant has already come to me and apologised, I told him to forget it. I have made a lot of mistakes in my career." Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles in two spells at Chelsea, said United were the better side. Sarri said his side lost out to United in the physical battle as the game wore on. "I am disappointed with the last 30 minutes," he told the BBC. "We could win but at the end one point is enough. "We were not organised for the long ball, we usually play with short passes so we were not organised for this in the last half hour. This is not our football. I prefer to play our football for 90 minutes. "I didn't see what happened but I have spoken to Jose Mourinho. I understood that we were in the wrong side of the situation. I have spoken to a member of my staff and have dealt with this immediately."

Watch: Jose Mourinho involves in touchline fight after Chelsea draw

Jose&nbsp;Mourinho believes former club Chelsea can win this season’s Premier League title if Eden Hazard maintains his form as the English game's best player.

Ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Manchester United manager pointed to the precedents for Chelsea being crowned champions in seasons when Hazard is at his best.

The Belgian led Chelsea to the title under Mourinho in 2014-15 and with Antonio Conte in charge in 2016-17.

Hazard has started this season in similar form with eight goals in 10 appearances in an unbeaten start for new boss Maurizio Sarri to sit joint top of the Premier League alongside Manchester City and Liverpool - seven points clear of Mourinho's United.

"Very good results, top of the league and, of course, lots of good players but history says that when Eden Hazard is the best player of the Premier League, Chelsea is the champion," said Mourinho on Friday.

"It happened with me and Antonio, and this season, it is still the beginning of course, but he is the best player of the Premier League until now.

"Chelsea is top of the league because he is the kind of player who can make a huge difference."

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Hazard and Mourinho didn't end on the best of terms when the Portuguese was sacked from his second spell at Stamford Bridge in December 2015 with Chelsea languishing in 16th and Hazard having failed to score a Premier League goal all season to that point.

However, in a recent interview Hazard spoke of his respect for Mourinho and his desire to play for his former manager again.

Mourinho doesn't believe that will happen, but insists the two had a good relationship.

"I would love to have him in Manchester United but I don’t think Chelsea will sell him to Man United," added Mourinho.

"Chelsea is led by intelligent and experienced people in football and they would never sell Eden to Man United so there’s no point to comment.

"I think he is a nice kid. We had a good relation, we were champions together. He was for the first time the best player in the league with me so I think the feelings are good and when the feelings are good you say nice things, when feelings are not good you don’t say so much nice things."

Few nice things have been said about Mourinho this season, at least by former United players in the media who have led calls for him to be replaced.&nbsp;

Legendary former midfielder Paul Scholes has been most vocal in his criticism of Mourinho and his style of football imposed on the Reds.

A thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle 3-2 two weeks ago provided an example of how exciting the current United team can be when unshackled. But Mourinho again staunchly defended his approach.

"That story of the attacking football I still don’t understand that story because for me you can only play attacking football when you have the ball," he added,

"I want the ball and you can only recover the ball if your opponent loses it or if you provoke a mistake in your opponent. For all that you need to defend.&nbsp;

"When you have the ball, you can play a different way and normally adapted to the qualities of your players. That (style) is what I want."

Jose Mourinho believes former club Chelsea can win this season’s Premier League title if Eden Hazard maintains his form as the English game's best player. Ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Manchester United manager pointed to the precedents for Chelsea being crowned champions in seasons when Hazard is at his best.

Jose Mourinho believes former club Chelsea can win this season’s Premier League title if Eden Hazard maintains his form as the English game's best player. Ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Manchester United manager pointed to the precedents for Chelsea being crowned champions in seasons when Hazard is at his best. The Belgian led Chelsea to the title under Mourinho in 2014-15 and with Antonio Conte in charge in 2016-17. Hazard has started this season in similar form with eight goals in 10 appearances in an unbeaten start for new boss Maurizio Sarri to sit joint top of the Premier League alongside Manchester City and Liverpool - seven points clear of Mourinho's United. "Very good results, top of the league and, of course, lots of good players but history says that when Eden Hazard is the best player of the Premier League, Chelsea is the champion," said Mourinho on Friday. "It happened with me and Antonio, and this season, it is still the beginning of course, but he is the best player of the Premier League until now. "Chelsea is top of the league because he is the kind of player who can make a huge difference." × Hazard and Mourinho didn't end on the best of terms when the Portuguese was sacked from his second spell at Stamford Bridge in December 2015 with Chelsea languishing in 16th and Hazard having failed to score a Premier League goal all season to that point. However, in a recent interview Hazard spoke of his respect for Mourinho and his desire to play for his former manager again. Mourinho doesn't believe that will happen, but insists the two had a good relationship. "I would love to have him in Manchester United but I don’t think Chelsea will sell him to Man United," added Mourinho. "Chelsea is led by intelligent and experienced people in football and they would never sell Eden to Man United so there’s no point to comment. "I think he is a nice kid. We had a good relation, we were champions together. He was for the first time the best player in the league with me so I think the feelings are good and when the feelings are good you say nice things, when feelings are not good you don’t say so much nice things." Few nice things have been said about Mourinho this season, at least by former United players in the media who have led calls for him to be replaced. Legendary former midfielder Paul Scholes has been most vocal in his criticism of Mourinho and his style of football imposed on the Reds. A thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle 3-2 two weeks ago provided an example of how exciting the current United team can be when unshackled. But Mourinho again staunchly defended his approach. "That story of the attacking football I still don’t understand that story because for me you can only play attacking football when you have the ball," he added, "I want the ball and you can only recover the ball if your opponent loses it or if you provoke a mistake in your opponent. For all that you need to defend. "When you have the ball, you can play a different way and normally adapted to the qualities of your players. That (style) is what I want."

Chelsea win the league when Eden Hazard is the best player, says Jose Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's "it's not about me" comment after his team's thrilling comeback win over Newcastle United is unlikely to be heeded on Saturday when he returns to his former club Chelsea.

Mourinho's words, spoken after United fans chanted his name in appreciation of the 3-2 victory, may have reflected a weariness at the constant focus on his position at Old Trafford but the spotlight will unavoidably be on the Portuguese again.

The manner of United's win, with three goals in the final 20 minutes of all-out attacking&nbsp;football, has raised the question of whether he will embrace a more positive style of play.

Nothing in Mourinho's history suggests that is likely and the prospect of facing Maurizio Sarri's in-form team at Stamford Bridge is a strong deterrent against a cavalier approach.

Second-placed Chelsea are unbeaten, level on points with champions Manchester City and challengers Liverpool and with their Belgian forward Eden Hazard in scintillating form they will start as clear favourites.

United are already seven points behind the leading trio having lost to Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United on the road and Tottenham Hotspur at home and Mourinho will be keen to ensure they avoid defeat in west London.

Chelsea have not lost at home to United since October 2012, losing just two of the 16 meetings between the two since then and Mourinho has suffered four defeats in six games against his former club since taking over at United.

But as he reminded the media in his recent demand for more "respect" Mourinho won three Premier League titles in his two spells as Chelsea manager.

The former Porto and Real Madrid boss has never been afraid to play defensively when visiting top rivals and so for all the hope that he might try to replicate the 'gung-ho' second-half display against Newcastle it would be no surprise if he were to revert to type on Saturday.

Manchester City will expect to pick up three points at home to a Burnley side that will feature former City keeper Joe Hart.

City have not lost at home to the Clarets since 1963 and have lost once in their last 19 meetings in all competitions.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp will also be expecting maximum points when he faces off with close friend David Wagner as the Reds travel to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Huddersfield are 18th in the table, have yet to win this campaign and have managed to score only four goals.

Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur visit London rivals West Ham on Saturday while in-form Arsenal host Leicester on Monday looking for a 10th successive victory in all competitions.

Sunday's game features Everton at home to Crystal Palace.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's "it's not about me" comment after his team's thrilling comeback win over Newcastle United is unlikely to be heeded on Saturday when he returns to his former club Chelsea.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's "it's not about me" comment after his team's thrilling comeback win over Newcastle United is unlikely to be heeded on Saturday when he returns to his former club Chelsea. Mourinho's words, spoken after United fans chanted his name in appreciation of the 3-2 victory, may have reflected a weariness at the constant focus on his position at Old Trafford but the spotlight will unavoidably be on the Portuguese again. The manner of United's win, with three goals in the final 20 minutes of all-out attacking football, has raised the question of whether he will embrace a more positive style of play. Nothing in Mourinho's history suggests that is likely and the prospect of facing Maurizio Sarri's in-form team at Stamford Bridge is a strong deterrent against a cavalier approach. Second-placed Chelsea are unbeaten, level on points with champions Manchester City and challengers Liverpool and with their Belgian forward Eden Hazard in scintillating form they will start as clear favourites. United are already seven points behind the leading trio having lost to Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United on the road and Tottenham Hotspur at home and Mourinho will be keen to ensure they avoid defeat in west London. Chelsea have not lost at home to United since October 2012, losing just two of the 16 meetings between the two since then and Mourinho has suffered four defeats in six games against his former club since taking over at United. But as he reminded the media in his recent demand for more "respect" Mourinho won three Premier League titles in his two spells as Chelsea manager. The former Porto and Real Madrid boss has never been afraid to play defensively when visiting top rivals and so for all the hope that he might try to replicate the 'gung-ho' second-half display against Newcastle it would be no surprise if he were to revert to type on Saturday. Manchester City will expect to pick up three points at home to a Burnley side that will feature former City keeper Joe Hart. City have not lost at home to the Clarets since 1963 and have lost once in their last 19 meetings in all competitions. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp will also be expecting maximum points when he faces off with close friend David Wagner as the Reds travel to Huddersfield Town on Saturday. Huddersfield are 18th in the table, have yet to win this campaign and have managed to score only four goals. Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur visit London rivals West Ham on Saturday while in-form Arsenal host Leicester on Monday looking for a 10th successive victory in all competitions. Sunday's game features Everton at home to Crystal Palace.

Mourinho takes centre stage again as Premier League returns

Jose Mourinho was charged by the Football Association on Tuesday over comments he made after Manchester United's victory against Newcastle and faces a potential touchline ban if found guilty.

The United manager spoke into a camera after his side came from behind to triumph 3-2 at Old Trafford, easing the immediate pressure on him after a string of poor results.

"Jose Mourinho has been charged following Manchester United's game against Newcastle United on October 6, 2018," said an FA spokesman.

"It is alleged that his language at the end of the fixture, as captured by the broadcast footage, was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper. He has until 6:00 pm on October 19, 2018 to respond to the charge."

The match was played in a tense atmosphere, United having denied a report earlier in the day that Mourinho would be sacked that weekend regardless of the result.

United recovered from 2-0 down to complete a dramatic comeback with a last-gasp goal from Alexis Sanchez. The victory ended a run of four games without a win.

Footage shows Mourinho saying something, apparently in Portuguese, while at one point looking into a camera, as he headed towards the tunnel after the final whistle.

He also made a gesture with his right hand while speaking, pointing with his little finger.

The 55-year-old, who said after the match that he was the subject of a media "manhunt", said when asked about the gesture: "It is a finger. Smaller than the others, but it is a finger."

Jose Mourinho was charged by the Football Association on Tuesday over comments he made after Manchester United's victory against Newcastle and faces a potential touchline ban if found guilty.

Jose Mourinho was charged by the Football Association on Tuesday over comments he made after Manchester United's victory against Newcastle and faces a potential touchline ban if found guilty. The United manager spoke into a camera after his side came from behind to triumph 3-2 at Old Trafford, easing the immediate pressure on him after a string of poor results. "Jose Mourinho has been charged following Manchester United's game against Newcastle United on October 6, 2018," said an FA spokesman. "It is alleged that his language at the end of the fixture, as captured by the broadcast footage, was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper. He has until 6:00 pm on October 19, 2018 to respond to the charge." The match was played in a tense atmosphere, United having denied a report earlier in the day that Mourinho would be sacked that weekend regardless of the result. United recovered from 2-0 down to complete a dramatic comeback with a last-gasp goal from Alexis Sanchez. The victory ended a run of four games without a win. Footage shows Mourinho saying something, apparently in Portuguese, while at one point looking into a camera, as he headed towards the tunnel after the final whistle. He also made a gesture with his right hand while speaking, pointing with his little finger. The 55-year-old, who said after the match that he was the subject of a media "manhunt", said when asked about the gesture: "It is a finger. Smaller than the others, but it is a finger."

Jose Mourinho charged by FA over comments following Man United win

Manchester United coach Michael Carrick says Jose Mourinho is in an elite group alongside Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest managers of the past 30 years despite his current problems at Old Trafford.

The former midfielder, 37, took up a coaching role at the end of last season after a distinguished playing career at West Ham, Tottenham and United.

Mourinho will be hoping last weekend's thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Newcastle sparks a revival after a dismal run of results saw United slip well off the pace in the Premier League and exit the League Cup.

Carrick told Britain's Press Association that the most striking thing about the Portuguese boss was his track record in winning trophies over many years.

"He's managed to win trophies at United," said Carrick. "We're striving now to get back to it, but as a manager you can't hide from the fact about what he's done. It's up there with the very best.

"Fortunately for me, you look at the best managers over the last 25-30 years. You're picking the top three, top five -- two of them you'd say Jose or Sir Alex are right up there.

"I've been lucky enough to experience that and take what I can from both of them."

Carrick is hoping to become a manager in his own right and said he was trying to "learn from the great Jose Mourinho at close quarters".

Carrick's contemporaries Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have already embarked on managerial careers.

"You look at Frank (Lampard at Derby) and I know Stevie (Gerrard) has done a year with the younger lads at Liverpool, but he's gone straight in at Rangers and it looks like it comes natural to them.

"I'm in my position as I am at the moment and it feels good for me, so we'll see what the future brings."

Manchester United coach Michael Carrick says Jose Mourinho is in an elite group alongside Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest managers of the past 30 years despite his current problems at Old Trafford.

Manchester United coach Michael Carrick says Jose Mourinho is in an elite group alongside Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest managers of the past 30 years despite his current problems at Old Trafford. The former midfielder, 37, took up a coaching role at the end of last season after a distinguished playing career at West Ham, Tottenham and United. Mourinho will be hoping last weekend's thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Newcastle sparks a revival after a dismal run of results saw United slip well off the pace in the Premier League and exit the League Cup. Carrick told Britain's Press Association that the most striking thing about the Portuguese boss was his track record in winning trophies over many years. "He's managed to win trophies at United," said Carrick. "We're striving now to get back to it, but as a manager you can't hide from the fact about what he's done. It's up there with the very best. "Fortunately for me, you look at the best managers over the last 25-30 years. You're picking the top three, top five -- two of them you'd say Jose or Sir Alex are right up there. "I've been lucky enough to experience that and take what I can from both of them." Carrick is hoping to become a manager in his own right and said he was trying to "learn from the great Jose Mourinho at close quarters". Carrick's contemporaries Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have already embarked on managerial careers. "You look at Frank (Lampard at Derby) and I know Stevie (Gerrard) has done a year with the younger lads at Liverpool, but he's gone straight in at Rangers and it looks like it comes natural to them. "I'm in my position as I am at the moment and it feels good for me, so we'll see what the future brings."

Michael Carrick hails Mourinho as managerial 'great' alongside Ferguson

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha on Tuesday criticised French midfielder Paul Pogba for undermining manager Jose Mourinho with his 'attack, attack, attack' comment.

Following United's 1-1 draw with Wolves at home last month, Pogba asked United to be more attacking at home.

However, compatriot Saha, who played for the club between 2004-08, said the 25-year-old should keep his thoughts private.

"I think he (Pogba) has done it on purpose, and I don't think that is right," Saha said.

"It's the wrong communication, it puts pressure on the manager... with those talks you should do it in the dressing room with your manager.

"You know that people will question about it, so don't do it. This is my opinion and I would have said that to him, I would say 'no, that's not something to say because you are not the manager.'"

Earlier in the day, Wayne Rooney called on United players to stand up and be counted, saying manager Jose is an easy target for the club's troubles.

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha on Tuesday criticised French midfielder Paul Pogba for undermining manager Jose Mourinho with his 'attack, attack, attack' comment.

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha on Tuesday criticised French midfielder Paul Pogba for undermining manager Jose Mourinho with his 'attack, attack, attack' comment. Following United's 1-1 draw with Wolves at home last month, Pogba asked United to be more attacking at home. However, compatriot Saha, who played for the club between 2004-08, said the 25-year-old should keep his thoughts private. "I think he (Pogba) has done it on purpose, and I don't think that is right," Saha said. "It's the wrong communication, it puts pressure on the manager... with those talks you should do it in the dressing room with your manager. "You know that people will question about it, so don't do it. This is my opinion and I would have said that to him, I would say 'no, that's not something to say because you are not the manager.'" Earlier in the day, Wayne Rooney called on United players to stand up and be counted, saying manager Jose is an easy target for the club's troubles.

Louis Saha backs Mourinho, asks Pogba to 'keep his thoughts private'

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho survived a wild weekend at Old Trafford to escape what he described as a "manhunt" after a terrible start to the season.

But a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to beat lowly Newcastle 3-2 could prove to be little more than a stay of execution for Mourinho, with a run of tougher fixtures looming.

He said he had received a text message from a senior board member, believed to be the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, before kick-off on Saturday telling him to ignore reports that the axe was set to fall regardless of the result against Newcastle.

"There is a lot of wickedness and a clear manhunt," said the 55-year-old Portuguese boss in a post-match rage despite the late turnaround.

"I think life is made of experiences and some are new and some are deja vu. This is new but I think it makes me a better manager and a better person."

The concern for United is that this is not new for Mourinho.

His third seasons in his second spell at Chelsea and Real Madrid also ended in acrimonious departures after poor results and falling out with key players.

In saving Mourinho's job, at least for now, a rousing second-half display at Old Trafford was in some ways an indictment of his time in charge.

So often criticised for preaching a cautious approach, it was only when Mourinho's men threw caution to the wind when 2-0 down that they began to look like the United of old.

It was almost a replica of arguably the standout result of the Mourinho era, when United roared back from 2-0 down at half-time to Manchester City to win 3-2 at the Etihad in April to delay Pep Guardiola's title party.

Just like that day, when Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez showed why United have invested heavily in bringing them to the club, it was some of those most harshly criticised or shunned by Mourinho who pulled United out of the mire against Newcastle.

Substitute Juan Mata, who has had to content himself with a bit-part role under Mourinho recently, got United's comeback under way with a sumptuous free-kick.&nbsp;

Anthony Martial, at odds with the Portuguese this season, scored the equaliser and Sanchez, left out of the squad against West Ham last week, headed a 90th-minute winner.

Turning point?

Whatever their differences, these were not players happy to lie down and watch their manager take the bullet.

"We couldn't afford another defeat, we couldn't afford another disappointment, especially for the fans," Mata told MUTV.

"I think they saw today we tried everything, and we came back and from the mental point of view it's a very important three points."

But is the victory short-term balm or a turning point in United's season?

Former United midfielder Paul Ince says it is too early for United to believe they have turned the corner.

"We all know one swallow doesn't make a summer," he told the BBC. "So are we papering over the cracks because they came back? To some extent, yeah, we are but it was an important result because they had to win after all the reports of Mourinho leaving."

Presuming he is still in charge, Mourinho returns to Chelsea after the international break, where he has lost in all three visits as United manager, with no goals scored.

Two Champions League clashes with Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus and meetings with high-flying Bournemouth and Everton follow before United travel to City for the Manchester derby on November 11.

This time City could deliver the final nail in the coffin. Not for the title, but Mourinho's tenure at Old Trafford.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho survived a wild weekend at Old Trafford to escape what he described as a "manhunt" after a terrible start to the season. But a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to beat lowly Newcastle 3-2 could prove to be little more than a stay of execution for Mourinho, with a run of tougher fixtures looming.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho survived a wild weekend at Old Trafford to escape what he described as a "manhunt" after a terrible start to the season. But a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to beat lowly Newcastle 3-2 could prove to be little more than a stay of execution for Mourinho, with a run of tougher fixtures looming. He said he had received a text message from a senior board member, believed to be the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, before kick-off on Saturday telling him to ignore reports that the axe was set to fall regardless of the result against Newcastle. "There is a lot of wickedness and a clear manhunt," said the 55-year-old Portuguese boss in a post-match rage despite the late turnaround. "I think life is made of experiences and some are new and some are deja vu. This is new but I think it makes me a better manager and a better person." The concern for United is that this is not new for Mourinho. His third seasons in his second spell at Chelsea and Real Madrid also ended in acrimonious departures after poor results and falling out with key players. In saving Mourinho's job, at least for now, a rousing second-half display at Old Trafford was in some ways an indictment of his time in charge. So often criticised for preaching a cautious approach, it was only when Mourinho's men threw caution to the wind when 2-0 down that they began to look like the United of old. It was almost a replica of arguably the standout result of the Mourinho era, when United roared back from 2-0 down at half-time to Manchester City to win 3-2 at the Etihad in April to delay Pep Guardiola's title party. Just like that day, when Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez showed why United have invested heavily in bringing them to the club, it was some of those most harshly criticised or shunned by Mourinho who pulled United out of the mire against Newcastle. Substitute Juan Mata, who has had to content himself with a bit-part role under Mourinho recently, got United's comeback under way with a sumptuous free-kick. Anthony Martial, at odds with the Portuguese this season, scored the equaliser and Sanchez, left out of the squad against West Ham last week, headed a 90th-minute winner. Turning point? Whatever their differences, these were not players happy to lie down and watch their manager take the bullet. "We couldn't afford another defeat, we couldn't afford another disappointment, especially for the fans," Mata told MUTV. "I think they saw today we tried everything, and we came back and from the mental point of view it's a very important three points." But is the victory short-term balm or a turning point in United's season? Former United midfielder Paul Ince says it is too early for United to believe they have turned the corner. "We all know one swallow doesn't make a summer," he told the BBC. "So are we papering over the cracks because they came back? To some extent, yeah, we are but it was an important result because they had to win after all the reports of Mourinho leaving." Presuming he is still in charge, Mourinho returns to Chelsea after the international break, where he has lost in all three visits as United manager, with no goals scored. Two Champions League clashes with Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus and meetings with high-flying Bournemouth and Everton follow before United travel to City for the Manchester derby on November 11. This time City could deliver the final nail in the coffin. Not for the title, but Mourinho's tenure at Old Trafford.

Can Jose Mourinho survive 'manhunt' after stay of execution?

Jose Mourinho was given a stay of execution as Manchester United staged a stirring fightback to beat Newcastle 3-2 thanks to Alexis Sanchez's last-gasp winner, while Tottenham recovered from their European misery with a narrow victory over Cardiff on Saturday.

Mourinho had presided over United's worst seven-game start to a season for 29 years amid the breakdown of his relationship with star midfielder Paul Pogba and several other key players.

A report on Friday evening claimed United's hierarchy had lost patience with the toxic atmosphere and would sack Mourinho regardless of the Newcastle result.

But senior United sources strongly denied the suggestion Mourinho would be dismissed this weekend, insisting he retains the board's support following a series of abysmal results.

Despite that vote of confidence, it was looking increasingly bleak for Mourinho when winless Newcastle raced into a two-goal in the first 10 minutes at Old Trafford.

But United clicked into gear and Chile forward Sanchez, who had been dropped by Mourinho, came off the bench to bag the winner after goals from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial dragged the hosts level.

United's first win in five games in all competitions could buy Mourinho some much-needed breathing space heading into the international break.

"I am 55 years old. It is the first time I see man-hunting. There is too much wickedness in something that should be beautiful," Mourinho said of his critics.

"I can cope with it. Some of the boys, in spite of them not being the man that is hunted, they are not coping well with it.

"Every ball around our box was almost a goal or some mistake, a bad decision, panic.&nbsp;

"At half-time we spoke and the team faced the second half with a different spirit, a different belief, giving everything for the victory."

Asked if the speculation would stop, Mourinho added: "No. I go to London now and if it rains tomorrow in London then it is my fault."

United fell behind in the seventh minute when Kenedy parted Mourinho's defence with alarming ease, running onto Ayoze Perez's pass and turning away from Ashley Young before firing home as the Portuguese gestured furiously on the touchline.

There was worse to come for Mourinho three minutes later as Newcastle punished more shambolic defending, Young and his team-mates failing to get in a challenge as Japanese forward Yoshinori Muto scored on his first Premier League start.

Jeers rang around Old Trafford at half-time and Mourinho, looking increasingly desperate, made his second change at the interval with Marouane Fellaini sent on for Scott McTominay.

United finally responded to Mourinho in the second half, playing with far more passion as Mata reduced the deficit with a fine 70th-minute free-kick before Martial fired the equaliser six minutes later.

That set the stage for Sanchez to apply the finishing touch in the 90th minute as Mourinho celebrated while his name was sung by relieved United fans at full-time.

Spurs move third

At Wembley, Tottenham recovered from Wednesday's damaging 4-2 Champions League loss to Barcelona.

Lionel Messi had tormented Tottenham with a mesmerising display, capped by two goals, that left the north Londoners in danger of missing the knockout stage.

But Mauricio Pochettino's side made amends with a 1-0 win against Cardiff to move into third place in the table.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock joked he would play 10 defenders in a bid to stifle Tottenham and he might have regretted not doing exactly that as the hosts went in front after eight minutes.

Davinson Sanchez saw his header blocked by Joe Bennett and the ball span into the path of Eric Dier, who swept home from close-range for his first club goal since April 2017.

Cardiff were reduced to 10 men when Joe Ralls was sent off for chopping down Lucas Moura in the 58th minute, with Warnock incensed after Tottenham's players, including England captain Harry Kane, surrounded the referee to demand a red card.

"I don't think it helped being surrounded by 15 white shirts. I don't think he (Kane) needs to do that," Warnock moaned.

"After Barcelona on Wednesday, the most important thing was to win," Pochettino said.

"It was a clear red card from my point of view. Neil Warnock can complain but it is not my business."

Elsewhere, Wolves won 1-0 at Crystal Palace, Everton beat Leicester 2-1, Bournemouth routed Watford 4-0 and Burnley drew 1-1 with Huddersfield.

Jose Mourinho was given a stay of execution as Manchester United staged a stirring fightback to beat Newcastle 3-2 thanks to Alexis Sanchez's last-gasp winner, while Tottenham recovered from their European misery with a narrow victory over Cardiff on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho was given a stay of execution as Manchester United staged a stirring fightback to beat Newcastle 3-2 thanks to Alexis Sanchez's last-gasp winner, while Tottenham recovered from their European misery with a narrow victory over Cardiff on Saturday. Mourinho had presided over United's worst seven-game start to a season for 29 years amid the breakdown of his relationship with star midfielder Paul Pogba and several other key players. A report on Friday evening claimed United's hierarchy had lost patience with the toxic atmosphere and would sack Mourinho regardless of the Newcastle result. But senior United sources strongly denied the suggestion Mourinho would be dismissed this weekend, insisting he retains the board's support following a series of abysmal results. Despite that vote of confidence, it was looking increasingly bleak for Mourinho when winless Newcastle raced into a two-goal in the first 10 minutes at Old Trafford. But United clicked into gear and Chile forward Sanchez, who had been dropped by Mourinho, came off the bench to bag the winner after goals from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial dragged the hosts level. United's first win in five games in all competitions could buy Mourinho some much-needed breathing space heading into the international break. "I am 55 years old. It is the first time I see man-hunting. There is too much wickedness in something that should be beautiful," Mourinho said of his critics. "I can cope with it. Some of the boys, in spite of them not being the man that is hunted, they are not coping well with it. "Every ball around our box was almost a goal or some mistake, a bad decision, panic. "At half-time we spoke and the team faced the second half with a different spirit, a different belief, giving everything for the victory." Asked if the speculation would stop, Mourinho added: "No. I go to London now and if it rains tomorrow in London then it is my fault." United fell behind in the seventh minute when Kenedy parted Mourinho's defence with alarming ease, running onto Ayoze Perez's pass and turning away from Ashley Young before firing home as the Portuguese gestured furiously on the touchline. There was worse to come for Mourinho three minutes later as Newcastle punished more shambolic defending, Young and his team-mates failing to get in a challenge as Japanese forward Yoshinori Muto scored on his first Premier League start. Jeers rang around Old Trafford at half-time and Mourinho, looking increasingly desperate, made his second change at the interval with Marouane Fellaini sent on for Scott McTominay. United finally responded to Mourinho in the second half, playing with far more passion as Mata reduced the deficit with a fine 70th-minute free-kick before Martial fired the equaliser six minutes later. That set the stage for Sanchez to apply the finishing touch in the 90th minute as Mourinho celebrated while his name was sung by relieved United fans at full-time. Spurs move third At Wembley, Tottenham recovered from Wednesday's damaging 4-2 Champions League loss to Barcelona. Lionel Messi had tormented Tottenham with a mesmerising display, capped by two goals, that left the north Londoners in danger of missing the knockout stage. But Mauricio Pochettino's side made amends with a 1-0 win against Cardiff to move into third place in the table. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock joked he would play 10 defenders in a bid to stifle Tottenham and he might have regretted not doing exactly that as the hosts went in front after eight minutes. Davinson Sanchez saw his header blocked by Joe Bennett and the ball span into the path of Eric Dier, who swept home from close-range for his first club goal since April 2017. Cardiff were reduced to 10 men when Joe Ralls was sent off for chopping down Lucas Moura in the 58th minute, with Warnock incensed after Tottenham's players, including England captain Harry Kane, surrounded the referee to demand a red card. "I don't think it helped being surrounded by 15 white shirts. I don't think he (Kane) needs to do that," Warnock moaned. "After Barcelona on Wednesday, the most important thing was to win," Pochettino said. "It was a clear red card from my point of view. Neil Warnock can complain but it is not my business." Elsewhere, Wolves won 1-0 at Crystal Palace, Everton beat Leicester 2-1, Bournemouth routed Watford 4-0 and Burnley drew 1-1 with Huddersfield.

EPL: United fightback spares 'manhunted' Mourinho, Dier fires Spurs to victory

Jose Mourinho insisted he was still the man to turn Manchester United's ailing season around as Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper reported he would be sacked regardless of Saturday's result against Newcastle at Old Trafford.

United are struggling in 10th place in the Premier League, without a home win in any competition since the opening weekend of the season.

According to the Mirror, Mourinho has lost the confidence of the board with "senior United sources" telling the paper that the Portuguese coach's nearly two-and-a-half-years in charge will end whatever the outcome of the league game against the Magpies.&nbsp;

Tuesday's goalless draw against Valencia in the Champions League -- a match where United struggled to live up to their fans' expectation of attacking football -- also meant former Chelsea boss Mourinho had gone four home matches without a win for the first time in his managerial career.

He has repeatedly and publicly berated United's players this season, suggesting in Tuesday's programme notes they had lost their "dignity" in a 3-1 league loss at West Ham last Saturday.

Mourinho has in turn come for stinging criticism from ex-players, with former United midfielder Paul Scholes accusing him of "embarrassing" the club.

- 'Rotten to the core' - 
But Gary Neville, once an Old Trafford team-mate of Scholes, said the Mirror's report, if true, meant United's hierarchy, were playing "Football Manager (a computer game) with the biggest club in the world".

An irate Neville, speaking on Sky Sports having commentated on Brighton's 1-0 win over West Ham on Friday, appeared to have United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward in his sights, when he said: "I have to say at this moment in time there is something rotten to the core of the decisions that have been made over the last four or five years.

"It has to be coming from the top. If I'm the person who employs the person underneath me and he fails, eventually I've got to take the responsibility for it."

The former England full-back added: "Eventually I've got to stand up and say, 'look, I'm not good enough to do this'.&nbsp;

"The people in the boardroom at this moment in time who are, if you like, overseeing the football operation, are nowhere near good enough. They're not qualified.

"They're playing Football Manager with the biggest club in the world. Stop it."

Earlier, Mourinho responded to the criticism coming his way by claiming United overachieved in finishing second last season, 19 points behind champions Manchester City, adding he always expected this campaign to be more difficult.

Asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday if he felt he had taken United as far as he could last season, Mourinho said: "No. This team can do much better than what it is doing. The team will do much better than what it is doing.

"If you want me to repeat (what I said earlier this week), I repeat. I said last season was a fantastic season for us.

"And if you want something more, in pre-season I also said that this season was going to be very difficult."

The 55-year-old Mourinho defended himself in his Friday press conference, called for the earlier-than-usual time of 8:00 am (0700 GMT), which lasted for eight minutes and 29 seconds.

That was time enough for him to reject suggestions his squad were struggling for confidence.&nbsp;

"No, I think we have enough potential to do better than what we are doing in the Premier League," Mourinho said.

"We are better than this and because we are better than this, our situation is going to improve. I have no doubts about that."

Asked who was to blame for United's predicament, Mourinho responded: "The same people that were to blame for the fantastic season of last season.

"I think opponents with much more potential than us finished behind us. That is the reason why it was a phenomenal season."

Jose Mourinho insisted he was still the man to turn Manchester United's ailing season around as Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper reported he would be sacked regardless of Saturday's result against Newcastle at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho insisted he was still the man to turn Manchester United's ailing season around as Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper reported he would be sacked regardless of Saturday's result against Newcastle at Old Trafford. United are struggling in 10th place in the Premier League, without a home win in any competition since the opening weekend of the season. According to the Mirror, Mourinho has lost the confidence of the board with "senior United sources" telling the paper that the Portuguese coach's nearly two-and-a-half-years in charge will end whatever the outcome of the league game against the Magpies. Tuesday's goalless draw against Valencia in the Champions League -- a match where United struggled to live up to their fans' expectation of attacking football -- also meant former Chelsea boss Mourinho had gone four home matches without a win for the first time in his managerial career. He has repeatedly and publicly berated United's players this season, suggesting in Tuesday's programme notes they had lost their "dignity" in a 3-1 league loss at West Ham last Saturday. Mourinho has in turn come for stinging criticism from ex-players, with former United midfielder Paul Scholes accusing him of "embarrassing" the club. - 'Rotten to the core' - But Gary Neville, once an Old Trafford team-mate of Scholes, said the Mirror's report, if true, meant United's hierarchy, were playing "Football Manager (a computer game) with the biggest club in the world". An irate Neville, speaking on Sky Sports having commentated on Brighton's 1-0 win over West Ham on Friday, appeared to have United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward in his sights, when he said: "I have to say at this moment in time there is something rotten to the core of the decisions that have been made over the last four or five years. "It has to be coming from the top. If I'm the person who employs the person underneath me and he fails, eventually I've got to take the responsibility for it." The former England full-back added: "Eventually I've got to stand up and say, 'look, I'm not good enough to do this'. "The people in the boardroom at this moment in time who are, if you like, overseeing the football operation, are nowhere near good enough. They're not qualified. "They're playing Football Manager with the biggest club in the world. Stop it." Earlier, Mourinho responded to the criticism coming his way by claiming United overachieved in finishing second last season, 19 points behind champions Manchester City, adding he always expected this campaign to be more difficult. Asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday if he felt he had taken United as far as he could last season, Mourinho said: "No. This team can do much better than what it is doing. The team will do much better than what it is doing. "If you want me to repeat (what I said earlier this week), I repeat. I said last season was a fantastic season for us. "And if you want something more, in pre-season I also said that this season was going to be very difficult." The 55-year-old Mourinho defended himself in his Friday press conference, called for the earlier-than-usual time of 8:00 am (0700 GMT), which lasted for eight minutes and 29 seconds. That was time enough for him to reject suggestions his squad were struggling for confidence. "No, I think we have enough potential to do better than what we are doing in the Premier League," Mourinho said. "We are better than this and because we are better than this, our situation is going to improve. I have no doubts about that." Asked who was to blame for United's predicament, Mourinho responded: "The same people that were to blame for the fantastic season of last season. "I think opponents with much more potential than us finished behind us. That is the reason why it was a phenomenal season."

Despite report of imminent sacking, Mourinho says he is man to turn ManU around

Jose Mourinho's position as Manchester United manager is not under immediate threat, senior figures at the club have said, denying a report he was set to be sacked next week.

United are struggling in 10th place and last week's 3-1 loss to West Ham made it the club's worst start to a league campaign in 29 years.

The Daily Mirror reported late Friday that Mourinho would be dismissed regardless of the result of United's match at home to Newcastle on Saturday.

But senior figures at United told Press Association Sport that Mourinho would retain his job for the immediate future.

The agency reported that United look set to give Mourinho the upcoming international break to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Tuesday's goalless Champions League draw against Valencia in the Champions League also meant the former Chelsea boss had gone four home matches without a win for the first time in his managerial career.

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mourinho accepted that the performance was not good enough.

"We are better than this and because we are better than this, our situation is going to improve. I have no doubts about that," he said.

Eyebrows were raised when the press conference, called for the unusually early time of 8:00 am (0700 GMT), lasted a mere eight minutes and 29 seconds.

Mourinho claimed United had overachieved in finishing second last season, 19 points behind champions Manchester City, and said he always expected this campaign to be more difficult.

"I think opponents with much more potential than us finished behind us," he said.

"That is the reason why it was a phenomenal season."

United became a byword for managerial stability during Alex Ferguson's trophy-laden 26-and-a-half years in charge.

But were Mourinho to be dismissed, it would mean United had got through three full-time managers, plus club great Ryan Giggs's spell as caretaker, in the five years since the legendary Scottish boss retired in 2013 -- a period that has coincided with the club failing to win either the Premier League or Europe's Champions League.

'Absolute disgrace'

Former United and England full-back Gary Neville, one of Ferguson's most dependable players, said such an attrition rate went against the "principles and values" of the club.

Asked if United would be right to sack Mourinho, Sky Sports pundit Neville replied: "No. To be honest I'm furious.

"I'm furious going back three, four years ago when David Moyes was sacked, when it broke a day before to journalists.

"I think of Louis van Gaal being sacked the evening of a cup final and finding out from other people."

In what appeared to be an attack on Ed Woodward, United's executive vice-chairman, Neville added: "At the end of the day this is now going on five or six years and I have to say that any manager -- Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world -- and I think in this moment in time any manager would struggle in that football club, the way in which recruitment is handled, the way in which it operates.

"Enough is enough for me... I have to say something has to change and it isn't the manager, it's above that."

Jose Mourinho's position as Manchester United manager is not under immediate threat, senior figures at the club have said, denying a report he was set to be sacked next week.

Jose Mourinho's position as Manchester United manager is not under immediate threat, senior figures at the club have said, denying a report he was set to be sacked next week. United are struggling in 10th place and last week's 3-1 loss to West Ham made it the club's worst start to a league campaign in 29 years. The Daily Mirror reported late Friday that Mourinho would be dismissed regardless of the result of United's match at home to Newcastle on Saturday. But senior figures at United told Press Association Sport that Mourinho would retain his job for the immediate future. The agency reported that United look set to give Mourinho the upcoming international break to turn things around at Old Trafford. Tuesday's goalless Champions League draw against Valencia in the Champions League also meant the former Chelsea boss had gone four home matches without a win for the first time in his managerial career. In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mourinho accepted that the performance was not good enough. "We are better than this and because we are better than this, our situation is going to improve. I have no doubts about that," he said. Eyebrows were raised when the press conference, called for the unusually early time of 8:00 am (0700 GMT), lasted a mere eight minutes and 29 seconds. Mourinho claimed United had overachieved in finishing second last season, 19 points behind champions Manchester City, and said he always expected this campaign to be more difficult. "I think opponents with much more potential than us finished behind us," he said. "That is the reason why it was a phenomenal season." United became a byword for managerial stability during Alex Ferguson's trophy-laden 26-and-a-half years in charge. But were Mourinho to be dismissed, it would mean United had got through three full-time managers, plus club great Ryan Giggs's spell as caretaker, in the five years since the legendary Scottish boss retired in 2013 -- a period that has coincided with the club failing to win either the Premier League or Europe's Champions League. 'Absolute disgrace' Former United and England full-back Gary Neville, one of Ferguson's most dependable players, said such an attrition rate went against the "principles and values" of the club. Asked if United would be right to sack Mourinho, Sky Sports pundit Neville replied: "No. To be honest I'm furious. "I'm furious going back three, four years ago when David Moyes was sacked, when it broke a day before to journalists. "I think of Louis van Gaal being sacked the evening of a cup final and finding out from other people." In what appeared to be an attack on Ed Woodward, United's executive vice-chairman, Neville added: "At the end of the day this is now going on five or six years and I have to say that any manager -- Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world -- and I think in this moment in time any manager would struggle in that football club, the way in which recruitment is handled, the way in which it operates. "Enough is enough for me... I have to say something has to change and it isn't the manager, it's above that."

Mourinho's job not under immediate threat: United sources

Jose Mourinho's defence is causing him headaches as he tries to turn around a woeful start to Manchester United's season against a struggling Newcastle United.&nbsp;

United have not been this badly off seven games into a league campaign since 1989 but Saturday's visit of a Newcastle side in the bottom three offers a chance to lift the mood at Old Trafford.

Mourinho's team are languishing in 10th spot in the Premier League having conceded 12 goals, a figure they did not hit until December 17 last season.

A large part of the problem is the manager's seeming inability to settle on a first-choice defence. He has started with nine different defensive combinations in 10 competitive fixtures across three competitions this season.

"We don't have the technical quality to build from the back," Mourinho complained this week, although the inability to keep out opponents is also vexing him.

Mourinho does not appear to have complete confidence in any of his four senior centre-backs -- Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof -- despite the fact that the latter two were his signings.&nbsp;

The Portuguese manager has come up with some interesting attempts to solve the problem, including leaving Bailly on the bench and drafting in midfielder Scott McTominay as one of three centre-backs against West Ham last week.

It is not the first time this season that Mourinho has thrown a selection curveball. Ander Herrera, another midfielder, was used in a three-man back line as Tottenham won 3-0 at Old Trafford in August.

There was speculation after the Tottenham defeat that Mourinho's selection might have been a protest against executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's refusal to sanction the signing of defender Harry Maguire from Leicester.&nbsp;

Woodward was apparently reluctant to pay a reported asking price of more than £70 million ($91 million) for the England man.

The club were also linked with Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld and Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng but ended up with no central defensive signings this summer.

Their one defensive addition was teenage right-back Diogo Dalot, who was brought in from Porto for £19 million as a long-term acquisition.

Dalot impressed on his debut, a 3-0 Champions League win over Swiss club Young Boys but had a tougher time of it a week later as United were knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by Championship side Derby and he is likely to be used sparingly for now.

At least United kept a clean sheet on Tuesday as they drew 0-0 at home to Valencia in a turgid Champions League group-stage match, but there was little for the manager to smile about.&nbsp;

Rafael Benitez's Newcastle, who have managed only four goals in seven Premier League games, might offer a brief respite, but then come fixtures against Chelsea and Juventus.&nbsp;

Solving the defensive problems, whatever the personnel, is now a matter of urgency.

Jose Mourinho's defence is causing him headaches as he tries to turn around a woeful start to Manchester United's season against a struggling Newcastle United. United have not been this badly off seven games into a league campaign since 1989 but Saturday's visit of a Newcastle side in the bottom three offers a chance to lift the mood at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho's defence is causing him headaches as he tries to turn around a woeful start to Manchester United's season against a struggling Newcastle United. United have not been this badly off seven games into a league campaign since 1989 but Saturday's visit of a Newcastle side in the bottom three offers a chance to lift the mood at Old Trafford. Mourinho's team are languishing in 10th spot in the Premier League having conceded 12 goals, a figure they did not hit until December 17 last season. A large part of the problem is the manager's seeming inability to settle on a first-choice defence. He has started with nine different defensive combinations in 10 competitive fixtures across three competitions this season. "We don't have the technical quality to build from the back," Mourinho complained this week, although the inability to keep out opponents is also vexing him. Mourinho does not appear to have complete confidence in any of his four senior centre-backs -- Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof -- despite the fact that the latter two were his signings. The Portuguese manager has come up with some interesting attempts to solve the problem, including leaving Bailly on the bench and drafting in midfielder Scott McTominay as one of three centre-backs against West Ham last week. It is not the first time this season that Mourinho has thrown a selection curveball. Ander Herrera, another midfielder, was used in a three-man back line as Tottenham won 3-0 at Old Trafford in August. There was speculation after the Tottenham defeat that Mourinho's selection might have been a protest against executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's refusal to sanction the signing of defender Harry Maguire from Leicester. Woodward was apparently reluctant to pay a reported asking price of more than £70 million ($91 million) for the England man. The club were also linked with Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld and Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng but ended up with no central defensive signings this summer. Their one defensive addition was teenage right-back Diogo Dalot, who was brought in from Porto for £19 million as a long-term acquisition. Dalot impressed on his debut, a 3-0 Champions League win over Swiss club Young Boys but had a tougher time of it a week later as United were knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by Championship side Derby and he is likely to be used sparingly for now. At least United kept a clean sheet on Tuesday as they drew 0-0 at home to Valencia in a turgid Champions League group-stage match, but there was little for the manager to smile about. Rafael Benitez's Newcastle, who have managed only four goals in seven Premier League games, might offer a brief respite, but then come fixtures against Chelsea and Juventus. Solving the defensive problems, whatever the personnel, is now a matter of urgency.

Mourinho searching for defensive answers at Man United

The relationship between Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Paul Pogba has worsened even more as the midfielder completely ignored the Special One during the training session on Monday.

The team were preparing for Tuesday's (October 2) Champions League match against Valencia.

This is the most recent angle to the Pogba-Mourinho saga which showed no signs that the spat will be subsided.

Previously, there had appeared to be a frosty atmosphere between the two at a training session last week, when Mourinho asked Pogba to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/pogba-filmed-tense-exchange-mourinho-after-being-sacked-vice-captain-167836">"get out" from the session</a>.

Watch the video:

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JUST IN! 😳 
 
Frosty footage just in from <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ManUtd</a>'s training session between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho… ❄️ 
 
What has been said between the pair this morning? 👀 <a href="https://t.co/nRiTEgDJlH">pic.twitter.com/nRiTEgDJlH</a>
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After a weekend in which United lost 3-1 to West Ham with Pogba being substituted in the 70th minute, there was a similar atmosphere between the two at Monday's training session when the French World Cup winner completely ignored Jose.

Recently, there were rumours that the Man Utd&nbsp;have <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/gossip-or-truth-zinedine-zidane-replace-jose-mourinho-man-united-168807">contacted former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane</a>.

Mourinho is convinced that the United hierarchy have sounded out Zidane's agents and are making contingency plans for his departure.

The relationship between Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Paul Pogba has worsened even more as the midfielder completely ignored the Special One during the training session on Monday.

The relationship between Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Paul Pogba has worsened even more as the midfielder completely ignored the Special One during the training session on Monday. The team were preparing for Tuesday's (October 2) Champions League match against Valencia. This is the most recent angle to the Pogba-Mourinho saga which showed no signs that the spat will be subsided. Previously, there had appeared to be a frosty atmosphere between the two at a training session last week, when Mourinho asked Pogba to "get out" from the session. Watch the video: JUST IN! 😳 Frosty footage just in from @ManUtd's training session between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho… ❄️ What has been said between the pair this morning? 👀 pic.twitter.com/nRiTEgDJlH — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 26, 2018 × After a weekend in which United lost 3-1 to West Ham with Pogba being substituted in the 70th minute, there was a similar atmosphere between the two at Monday's training session when the French World Cup winner completely ignored Jose. Recently, there were rumours that the Man Utd have contacted former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. Mourinho is convinced that the United hierarchy have sounded out Zidane's agents and are making contingency plans for his departure.

Watch: Pogba, Mourinho ignore each other at training session

New miseries have been added to Manchester United&nbsp;boss&nbsp;Jose Mourinho's existing woes as the there are reports that Man Utd&nbsp;have contacted French World Cup winner and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

The reports also stated that Zizou&nbsp;contacted Mourinho to explain that he isn't plotting to take over behind his back, saying, his representatives had simply asked him if he would be interested in the job.

The ongoing rift between ManU's midfielder Paul Pogba and Mourinho is the talk of the town and the club is facing several crises.

After the recent shameful 1-3 defeat to West Ham, Mourinho now fears that he is fighting a losing battle and the recent rumours related to Zidane is not a good news for him.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said the club face some "big decisions" over the manager's future after the listless display in the capital.

"There are some big decisions to be made at United now," he said. "There will be conversations at the top level, about the future of the manager and the squad, because the basics are not being done. There has to be something said."

United are already onto their third manager since Ferguson retired as a Premier League champion in 2013.

The club used to pride itself on its stability during the Ferguson years as other clubs chopped and changed but they have to pull themselves out of their current spiral of decline.

New miseries have been added to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho's existing woes as the there are reports that Man Utd have contacted French World Cup winner and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

New miseries have been added to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho's existing woes as the there are reports that Man Utd have contacted French World Cup winner and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. The reports also stated that Zizou contacted Mourinho to explain that he isn't plotting to take over behind his back, saying, his representatives had simply asked him if he would be interested in the job. The ongoing rift between ManU's midfielder Paul Pogba and Mourinho is the talk of the town and the club is facing several crises. After the recent shameful 1-3 defeat to West Ham, Mourinho now fears that he is fighting a losing battle and the recent rumours related to Zidane is not a good news for him. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said the club face some "big decisions" over the manager's future after the listless display in the capital. "There are some big decisions to be made at United now," he said. "There will be conversations at the top level, about the future of the manager and the squad, because the basics are not being done. There has to be something said." United are already onto their third manager since Ferguson retired as a Premier League champion in 2013. The club used to pride itself on its stability during the Ferguson years as other clubs chopped and changed but they have to pull themselves out of their current spiral of decline.

Gossip or truth: Zinedine Zidane to replace Jose Mourinho at Man United?

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has denied the media reports that claimed that his job is on the line after the rumour started spreading that Man Utd&nbsp;have contacted former Real Madrid boss <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/gossip-or-truth-zinedine-zidane-replace-jose-mourinho-man-united-168807">Zinedine Zidane</a>.

The reports also stated that Zizou contacted Mourinho to explain that he isn't plotting to take over behind his back, saying, his representatives had simply asked him if he would be interested in the job.

On being asked about whether Zidane has talked with him he remained coyed with a smile on his face.

He also said that some of his players care more than others ahead of the Champions League Group H match against Valencia on Tuesday (October 2).

"I think that some care more than others," said Mourinho.

United have struggled this season, collecting 10 points from their opening seven Premier League matches and being dumped out of the League Cup by second-tier Derby County.

They did, however, secure an emphatic 3-0 victory over Young Boys in their first Champions League group match.

Also, the reports of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-pogba-and-mourinho-ignored-each-other-training-session-168843">unrest with leading player Paul Pogba</a>, which led to the Frenchman being demoted as vice-captain, have led to suggestions that Mourinho is losing his influence at Old Trafford.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has denied the media reports that claimed that his job is on the line after the rumour started spreading that Man Utd have contacted former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has denied the media reports that claimed that his job is on the line after the rumour started spreading that Man Utd have contacted former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. The reports also stated that Zizou contacted Mourinho to explain that he isn't plotting to take over behind his back, saying, his representatives had simply asked him if he would be interested in the job. On being asked about whether Zidane has talked with him he remained coyed with a smile on his face. He also said that some of his players care more than others ahead of the Champions League Group H match against Valencia on Tuesday (October 2). "I think that some care more than others," said Mourinho. United have struggled this season, collecting 10 points from their opening seven Premier League matches and being dumped out of the League Cup by second-tier Derby County. They did, however, secure an emphatic 3-0 victory over Young Boys in their first Champions League group match. Also, the reports of unrest with leading player Paul Pogba, which led to the Frenchman being demoted as vice-captain, have led to suggestions that Mourinho is losing his influence at Old Trafford.

Some players care more than others,' says Mourinho

From Mourinho's troubles to Harry Kane's comeback, here are 5 things we learned in Premier League

Manchester United are a club in crisis and Jose Mourinho is seemingly powerless to prevent a slide into mid-table mediocrity for the 20-time English champions.

The Old Trafford hierarchy preened this week after the latest financial results showed the club had earned revenue of more than half a billion pounds for the third year running.

But United, who finished a distant second behind Manchester City last season, are going backwards on the pitch -- licking their wounds after their worst start to a league campaign for 29 years. &nbsp;

Mourinho's men travelled to the London Stadium on Saturday boasting an enviable record against West Ham but came away chastened after a 3-1 defeat killed off any realistic hopes of a Premier League challenge before the end of September.

Languishing nine points behind leaders City, they now face a battle even to qualify for the lucrative Champions League, a prospect that will give the money men sleepless nights.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said the club face some "big decisions" over the manager's future after the listless display in the capital.

"There are some big decisions to be made at United now," he said. "There will be conversations at the top level, about the future of the manager and the squad, because the basics are not being done. There has to be something said."

Pogba-Mourinho rift

United's build-up to the match against West Ham was overshadowed by the growing rift between Mourinho and Paul Pogba, who was stripped of the vice-captaincy before their League Cup exit against Championship side Derby in midweek.

It came after the French World Cup winner implicitly criticised his manager's tactics, imploring United to attack more and as rumours continued to swirl linking him with a move to Barcelona.

It is difficult to see how both player and manager can work together in the long term after such public displays of disunity.&nbsp;

United are anxious to hang on to one of the world's most marketable players but all the signs are that they are sticking with Mourinho for now despite their desperately poor start to the season, which has seen them muster just 10 points from seven games.

Pogba gave another under-par performance against West Ham but he was not the only player to disappoint in the late September sunshine.

United are lacking in ideas, short of inspiration and shape, with many of the players looking like square pegs in round holes.

Manchester City and Liverpool have a definable ethos and way of playing but United -- for so long the standard bearers of swashbuckling forward play under Alex Ferguson -- are painfully lacking in identity in Mourinho's third season at the club.

They have a clutch of top players including Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez -- who was left out of the squad against West Ham.

United have backed Mourinho heavily in the transfer market but their policy has been scattergun, with January signing Sanchez failing to recreate his Arsenal form at Old Trafford.

Mourinho did not look too despondent after Saturday's result but his attempts to shift the blame for two of United's goals onto the officials failed to take the spotlight off his under-performing players.

United appeared to have turned the corner after a poor start to the season, winning three away games on the bounce.

But a disappointing draw against promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers last week came before the Derby setback.

United's hierarchy may appear relatively sanguine despite the poor run but how long can they afford to wait before they reach crunch point?

Defeat on penalties in the League Cup leaves only two competitions left that they can win barring a miracle in the Premier League -- the FA Cup and the Champions League -- and victory in Europe looks an unlikely prospect.

United are already onto their third manager since Ferguson retired as a Premier League champion in 2013.

The club used to pride itself on its stability during the Ferguson years as other clubs chopped and changed but they have to pull themselves out of their current spiral of decline.

Will they stick or twist?

Manchester United are a club in crisis and Jose Mourinho is seemingly powerless to prevent a slide into mid-table mediocrity for the 20-time English champions. The Old Trafford hierarchy preened this week after the latest financial results showed the club had earned revenue of more than half a billion pounds for the third year running.

Manchester United are a club in crisis and Jose Mourinho is seemingly powerless to prevent a slide into mid-table mediocrity for the 20-time English champions. The Old Trafford hierarchy preened this week after the latest financial results showed the club had earned revenue of more than half a billion pounds for the third year running. But United, who finished a distant second behind Manchester City last season, are going backwards on the pitch -- licking their wounds after their worst start to a league campaign for 29 years. Mourinho's men travelled to the London Stadium on Saturday boasting an enviable record against West Ham but came away chastened after a 3-1 defeat killed off any realistic hopes of a Premier League challenge before the end of September. Languishing nine points behind leaders City, they now face a battle even to qualify for the lucrative Champions League, a prospect that will give the money men sleepless nights. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said the club face some "big decisions" over the manager's future after the listless display in the capital. "There are some big decisions to be made at United now," he said. "There will be conversations at the top level, about the future of the manager and the squad, because the basics are not being done. There has to be something said." Pogba-Mourinho rift United's build-up to the match against West Ham was overshadowed by the growing rift between Mourinho and Paul Pogba, who was stripped of the vice-captaincy before their League Cup exit against Championship side Derby in midweek. It came after the French World Cup winner implicitly criticised his manager's tactics, imploring United to attack more and as rumours continued to swirl linking him with a move to Barcelona. It is difficult to see how both player and manager can work together in the long term after such public displays of disunity. United are anxious to hang on to one of the world's most marketable players but all the signs are that they are sticking with Mourinho for now despite their desperately poor start to the season, which has seen them muster just 10 points from seven games. Pogba gave another under-par performance against West Ham but he was not the only player to disappoint in the late September sunshine. United are lacking in ideas, short of inspiration and shape, with many of the players looking like square pegs in round holes. Manchester City and Liverpool have a definable ethos and way of playing but United -- for so long the standard bearers of swashbuckling forward play under Alex Ferguson -- are painfully lacking in identity in Mourinho's third season at the club. They have a clutch of top players including Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez -- who was left out of the squad against West Ham. United have backed Mourinho heavily in the transfer market but their policy has been scattergun, with January signing Sanchez failing to recreate his Arsenal form at Old Trafford. Mourinho did not look too despondent after Saturday's result but his attempts to shift the blame for two of United's goals onto the officials failed to take the spotlight off his under-performing players. United appeared to have turned the corner after a poor start to the season, winning three away games on the bounce. But a disappointing draw against promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers last week came before the Derby setback. United's hierarchy may appear relatively sanguine despite the poor run but how long can they afford to wait before they reach crunch point? Defeat on penalties in the League Cup leaves only two competitions left that they can win barring a miracle in the Premier League -- the FA Cup and the Champions League -- and victory in Europe looks an unlikely prospect. United are already onto their third manager since Ferguson retired as a Premier League champion in 2013. The club used to pride itself on its stability during the Ferguson years as other clubs chopped and changed but they have to pull themselves out of their current spiral of decline. Will they stick or twist?

Are Man United and Mourinho nearing end of the road?

Manchester United's troubled season hit a new low on Saturday as Jose Mourinho saw his gamble on introducing a new tactical system backfire with an insipid 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League.

After a week in which he had dropped Paul Pogba as vice-captain and seen his men ousted from the League Cup, Mourinho watched United's faint title hopes dwindle further at the London Stadium with a new-look set-up but the same old prosaic fare.

Pogba was so ineffectual that he was substituted after 70 minutes but long before that Mourinho's unfamiliar 3-5-2 line-up had been found wanting as record signing Felipe Anderson scored his first Hammers' goal with an audacious back-foot flick after just five minutes.

Andriy Yarmolenko's shot deflected off Victor Lindelof for an unlucky own goal just before the break but though substitute Marcus Rashford gave the visitors hope with a clever volleyed 71st-minute flick, Marko Arnautovic waltzed between United's central defenders minutes later to seal victory.

Man United's 10 points equals the club's worst return after the first seven matches of any season in the Premier League era, heaping more pressure on Mourinho, whose brand of football seems to be delivering neither points nor pleasure to United's fans.

United also had 10 points at this stage of the 2013-14 season but had a superior goal difference, so this year represents their poorest start in the top flight since 1989-1990.

Mourinho, whose uncomfortable-looking system featured a midfielder, Scott McTominay, playing on the right of a three-man defence, said he had no problems with the players' attitude but did question their quality and "mental fragility".

Suggesting that Pablo Zabaleta was offside when he delivered the cross for Anderson's opening goal, Mourinho told BT Sport: "I have no complaints with the players' attitude; I can have some complaints with some quality, with some mental approach in certain duels."

He praised McTominay as "brave" and "the best" of his players with his quality on the ball but the 21-year-old never looked completely at home in his new role.

Mourinho left Alexis Sanchez out of the squad and gave Anthony Martial a start.

He explained: "People have been asking for 'Martial, Martial, Martial', people are saying Alexis Sanchez is not playing well enough, so this week I was trying to agree and to say 'let's give a chance to Martial and let's leave Alexis out'."

The switch proved in vain with both Martial and Romelu Lukaku, who headed against the post in the first half, proving largely ineffective.

Manchester United's troubled season hit a new low on Saturday as Jose Mourinho saw his gamble on introducing a new tactical system backfire with an insipid 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League.

Manchester United's troubled season hit a new low on Saturday as Jose Mourinho saw his gamble on introducing a new tactical system backfire with an insipid 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League. After a week in which he had dropped Paul Pogba as vice-captain and seen his men ousted from the League Cup, Mourinho watched United's faint title hopes dwindle further at the London Stadium with a new-look set-up but the same old prosaic fare. Pogba was so ineffectual that he was substituted after 70 minutes but long before that Mourinho's unfamiliar 3-5-2 line-up had been found wanting as record signing Felipe Anderson scored his first Hammers' goal with an audacious back-foot flick after just five minutes. Andriy Yarmolenko's shot deflected off Victor Lindelof for an unlucky own goal just before the break but though substitute Marcus Rashford gave the visitors hope with a clever volleyed 71st-minute flick, Marko Arnautovic waltzed between United's central defenders minutes later to seal victory. Man United's 10 points equals the club's worst return after the first seven matches of any season in the Premier League era, heaping more pressure on Mourinho, whose brand of football seems to be delivering neither points nor pleasure to United's fans. United also had 10 points at this stage of the 2013-14 season but had a superior goal difference, so this year represents their poorest start in the top flight since 1989-1990. Mourinho, whose uncomfortable-looking system featured a midfielder, Scott McTominay, playing on the right of a three-man defence, said he had no problems with the players' attitude but did question their quality and "mental fragility". Suggesting that Pablo Zabaleta was offside when he delivered the cross for Anderson's opening goal, Mourinho told BT Sport: "I have no complaints with the players' attitude; I can have some complaints with some quality, with some mental approach in certain duels." He praised McTominay as "brave" and "the best" of his players with his quality on the ball but the 21-year-old never looked completely at home in his new role. Mourinho left Alexis Sanchez out of the squad and gave Anthony Martial a start. He explained: "People have been asking for 'Martial, Martial, Martial', people are saying Alexis Sanchez is not playing well enough, so this week I was trying to agree and to say 'let's give a chance to Martial and let's leave Alexis out'." The switch proved in vain with both Martial and Romelu Lukaku, who headed against the post in the first half, proving largely ineffective.

West Ham defeat Manchester United 3-1; Jose Mourinho's woes multiply

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United have been found wanting for motivation in a difficult start to the season, but is expecting a big response from his side in Saturday's visit to West Ham.

United begin the weekend sitting seventh, eight points off the top of the Premier League, after defeats to Brighton and Tottenham and being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Wolves last Saturday after three straight wins.

That was followed on Tuesday by elimination from the League Cup on penalties at home by Championship side Derby County after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.

"I sometimes feel frustrated because with the work we do, I’m always expecting more," said Mourinho on Friday.

“It looks that when we feel we are really improving and playing better and having a good run of results there is always a little going down in terms of the focus or the motivation. I feel that.”

Mourinho has also had the distraction of a clash with midfielder Paul Pogba having stripped the Frenchman of his role as vice-captain on Tuesday, and seen video footage of a standoff between the pair at training on Wednesday go viral.

The Portuguese insisted that Pogba will return to his starting line-up at the London Stadium having impressed with his attitude in training this week.

And unlike in recent times when Mourinho has been criticised for his negative outlook, he backed his side to beat a West Ham side on the up having won at Everton and held Chelsea in their last two league outings.

“I expect to win tomorrow. I expect to play very well tomorrow. We worked very, very well – especially on&nbsp;Wednesday and Thursday, so tomorrow I expect a very good performance and I expect to win a very difficult match," said Mourinho

“I don’t come here and say the training session was not very good, that the players are not committed and that I have a bad feeling.”

Mourinho's problems with Pogba are just the latest in a series of fall outs he has had with members of the United squad in just over two seasons in charge.

Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial have previously been in the firing line, but he refuted suggestions his players are struggling to deal with the demands of representing the 20-time English champions.

“I don't think any player is afraid to play for the club," added Mourinho.

“If I put myself in the position of a journalist, maybe people think that sometimes the boys are not committed, maybe people can think the manager doesn’t demand enough from them, maybe people think on the training ground we don’t train enough this area or that area. That’s quite frustrating.

“But I repeat that tomorrow I think we are going to play very well, I think we are going to win a very difficult match against a very good opponent, an opponent with great investment, an opponent with a champion manager (Manuel Pellegrini) with lots of experienced players and lots of very talented players.”

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United have been found wanting for motivation in a difficult start to the season, but is expecting a big response from his side in Saturday's visit to West Ham.

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United have been found wanting for motivation in a difficult start to the season, but is expecting a big response from his side in Saturday's visit to West Ham. United begin the weekend sitting seventh, eight points off the top of the Premier League, after defeats to Brighton and Tottenham and being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Wolves last Saturday after three straight wins. That was followed on Tuesday by elimination from the League Cup on penalties at home by Championship side Derby County after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. "I sometimes feel frustrated because with the work we do, I’m always expecting more," said Mourinho on Friday. “It looks that when we feel we are really improving and playing better and having a good run of results there is always a little going down in terms of the focus or the motivation. I feel that.” Mourinho has also had the distraction of a clash with midfielder Paul Pogba having stripped the Frenchman of his role as vice-captain on Tuesday, and seen video footage of a standoff between the pair at training on Wednesday go viral. The Portuguese insisted that Pogba will return to his starting line-up at the London Stadium having impressed with his attitude in training this week. And unlike in recent times when Mourinho has been criticised for his negative outlook, he backed his side to beat a West Ham side on the up having won at Everton and held Chelsea in their last two league outings. “I expect to win tomorrow. I expect to play very well tomorrow. We worked very, very well – especially on Wednesday and Thursday, so tomorrow I expect a very good performance and I expect to win a very difficult match," said Mourinho “I don’t come here and say the training session was not very good, that the players are not committed and that I have a bad feeling.” Mourinho's problems with Pogba are just the latest in a series of fall outs he has had with members of the United squad in just over two seasons in charge. Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial have previously been in the firing line, but he refuted suggestions his players are struggling to deal with the demands of representing the 20-time English champions. “I don't think any player is afraid to play for the club," added Mourinho. “If I put myself in the position of a journalist, maybe people think that sometimes the boys are not committed, maybe people can think the manager doesn’t demand enough from them, maybe people think on the training ground we don’t train enough this area or that area. That’s quite frustrating. “But I repeat that tomorrow I think we are going to play very well, I think we are going to win a very difficult match against a very good opponent, an opponent with great investment, an opponent with a champion manager (Manuel Pellegrini) with lots of experienced players and lots of very talented players.”

Motivate yourselves, Mourinho urges under-performing United

Jose Mourinho confirmed that midfielder Paul Pogba has been stripped of the vice-captaincy of the Manchester United.

The manager further refused to offer an explanation for his decision. But it is said that growing tensions between United's star midfielder and manager is the reason behind his sacking.&nbsp;

Mourinho, however, insisted that it wasn't because of a dispute with the World Cup-winning France midfielder who returned to United in 2016 for 105 million euros (then $116 million).

"The only truth is that I made the decision of Paul not to be the second captain any more but no fallout, no problems at all," Mourinho said.&nbsp;

Mourinho added that it was "just one decision that I don't have to explain."&nbsp;

Pogba criticised United's style of play under Mourinho this weekend when he called on the team to attack more.

Pogba watched from the stands on Tuesday as United was knocked out of the League Cup by second-tier side Derby.&nbsp;

Jose Mourinho confirmed that midfielder Paul Pogba has been stripped of the vice-captaincy of the Manchester United. The manager further refused to offer an explanation for his decision.

Jose Mourinho confirmed that midfielder Paul Pogba has been stripped of the vice-captaincy of the Manchester United. The manager further refused to offer an explanation for his decision. But it is said that growing tensions between United's star midfielder and manager is the reason behind his sacking. Mourinho, however, insisted that it wasn't because of a dispute with the World Cup-winning France midfielder who returned to United in 2016 for 105 million euros (then $116 million). "The only truth is that I made the decision of Paul not to be the second captain any more but no fallout, no problems at all," Mourinho said. Mourinho added that it was "just one decision that I don't have to explain." Pogba criticised United's style of play under Mourinho this weekend when he called on the team to attack more. Pogba watched from the stands on Tuesday as United was knocked out of the League Cup by second-tier side Derby.

Paul Pogba stripped of Man United vice-captaincy by manager Mourinho

Hours after Jose Mourinho confirmed that Paul Pogba will no&nbsp;more serve as the vice-captain of Manchester United, a video of the two involved in a tense-looking exchange at club's training ground surfaced.

Pogba, who was stripped of his role earlier in the day, was rested by Mourinho for the shock League Cup third-round exit against Championship side Derby on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Mourinho, however, denied falling out with the France midfielder.&nbsp;

In the video, the 25-year-old shook hands with coach Michael Carrick and another United employee before looking taken aback by something Mourinho said.&nbsp;

Pogba was then seen conversing with the manager which doesn't seem to a normal one.&nbsp;

Mourinho was asked after the match on Tuesday whether he had told Pogba he would not captain the club again.

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JUST IN! 😳 
 
Frosty footage just in from <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ManUtd</a>'s training session between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho… ❄️ 
 
What has been said between the pair this morning? 👀 <a href="https://t.co/nRiTEgDJlH">pic.twitter.com/nRiTEgDJlH</a>
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"The only truth is I made the decision of Paul not to be the second captain anymore," said Mourinho.

"I am the manager, I make these decisions, no fallout at all, no problem at all. The same person who takes the decision to make him the second captain makes this decision now."

Pogba scored two and set up the other in the 3-0 victory in Switzerland but he gave a mixed performance in Saturday's return to league action against Wolverhampton, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Hours after Jose Mourinho confirmed that Paul Pogba will no more serve as the vice-captain of Manchester United, a video of the two involved in a tense-looking exchange at club's training ground surfaced.

Hours after Jose Mourinho confirmed that Paul Pogba will no more serve as the vice-captain of Manchester United, a video of the two involved in a tense-looking exchange at club's training ground surfaced. Pogba, who was stripped of his role earlier in the day, was rested by Mourinho for the shock League Cup third-round exit against Championship side Derby on Tuesday. Mourinho, however, denied falling out with the France midfielder. In the video, the 25-year-old shook hands with coach Michael Carrick and another United employee before looking taken aback by something Mourinho said. Pogba was then seen conversing with the manager which doesn't seem to a normal one. Mourinho was asked after the match on Tuesday whether he had told Pogba he would not captain the club again. JUST IN! 😳 Frosty footage just in from @ManUtd's training session between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho… ❄️ What has been said between the pair this morning? 👀 pic.twitter.com/nRiTEgDJlH — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 26, 2018 × "The only truth is I made the decision of Paul not to be the second captain anymore," said Mourinho. "I am the manager, I make these decisions, no fallout at all, no problem at all. The same person who takes the decision to make him the second captain makes this decision now." Pogba scored two and set up the other in the 3-0 victory in Switzerland but he gave a mixed performance in Saturday's return to league action against Wolverhampton, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Pogba filmed in tense exchange with Mourinho after sacked as vice-captain

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that he is "disappointed" with his team's performance against promoted Wolverhampton as the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/epl-wrap-liverpool-man-city-stroll-united-held-fergie-return-167180">Reds were held 1-1 by Wolves</a> on Saturday at Old Trafford in the English Premier League.

"Not a good performance, not a good result. A fair result. I think, Wolves (Wolverhampton) by the way they faced the game, I think they deserve (this) because they played like I like to play, which is like the World Cup final.

"That's the attitude that I like my teams to have every match. And we didn't have that. They had we didn't. The attitude made a difference. They were in the game since the first minute.

"They played every ball, every second, in the maximum of their intensity and their desire. And we didn't."

The Special One preferred his team's performance in their 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

"I am more disappointed today than I was against Tottenham (Hotspur) because against Tottenham obviously we lost the game but I liked very, very, much my team performance.

"And today of course we have a better result. A point is better than Zero, but I didn't like my team."

However, amid the spoiled party, there was a good news as Sir Alex Ferguson made an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-united-welcome-back-old-trafford-sir-alex-167153">emotional return at the Old Trafford</a> for the first time since he had emergency brain surgery.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that he is "disappointed" with his team's performance against promoted Wolverhampton as the Reds were held 1-1 by Wolves on Saturday at Old Trafford in the English Premier League.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that he is "disappointed" with his team's performance against promoted Wolverhampton as the Reds were held 1-1 by Wolves on Saturday at Old Trafford in the English Premier League. "Not a good performance, not a good result. A fair result. I think, Wolves (Wolverhampton) by the way they faced the game, I think they deserve (this) because they played like I like to play, which is like the World Cup final. "That's the attitude that I like my teams to have every match. And we didn't have that. They had we didn't. The attitude made a difference. They were in the game since the first minute. "They played every ball, every second, in the maximum of their intensity and their desire. And we didn't." The Special One preferred his team's performance in their 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur. "I am more disappointed today than I was against Tottenham (Hotspur) because against Tottenham obviously we lost the game but I liked very, very, much my team performance. "And today of course we have a better result. A point is better than Zero, but I didn't like my team." However, amid the spoiled party, there was a good news as Sir Alex Ferguson made an emotional return at the Old Trafford for the first time since he had emergency brain surgery.

'I didn't like my team,' says Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has backed England to shine at the World Cup due to the depth of experience in the squad.

"They have a good group of young but experienced players," Mourinho told British media.

"All of them play in the most competitive competition in the world, the Premier League, all of them playing for the best teams with experience of playing in the Champions League, which is a high level of football, obviously."

Mourinho said favourites Brazil and Germany had the most balanced squads and he did not expect the World Cup to see a shock winner in Russia.

"They have good squads but good squads don't always make good teams... (but) I don't think the underdogs will make a big surprise," he added. "In the end, the top teams in South America and Europe are the ones that will be fighting for the title."

Mourinho said favourites Brazil and Germany had the most balanced squads and he did not expect the World Cup to see a shock winner in Russia.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has backed England to shine at the World Cup due to the depth of experience in the squad. "They have a good group of young but experienced players," Mourinho told British media. "All of them play in the most competitive competition in the world, the Premier League, all of them playing for the best teams with experience of playing in the Champions League, which is a high level of football, obviously." Mourinho said favourites Brazil and Germany had the most balanced squads and he did not expect the World Cup to see a shock winner in Russia. "They have good squads but good squads don't always make good teams... (but) I don't think the underdogs will make a big surprise," he added. "In the end, the top teams in South America and Europe are the ones that will be fighting for the title."

FIFA World Cup: Jose Mourinho confident England will impress in Russia

Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;have&nbsp;signed 19-year-old&nbsp;Portuguese&nbsp;defender&nbsp;Diogo&nbsp;Dalot&nbsp;from FC&nbsp;Porto&nbsp;on a five-year deal with an option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.

"Diogo is an extremely talented young&nbsp;defender&nbsp;with all the qualities to quickly become a great player for this club,"&nbsp;United&nbsp;manager Jose Mourinho said on the club's website <a href="https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/manchester-united-announces-the-signing-of-diogo-dalot">https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/manchester-united-announces-the-signing-of-diogo-dalot</a>.

"He has all the attributes that a fullback needs: physicality, tactical intelligence and technical quality, combined with a&nbsp;Porto&nbsp;Academy mentality which prepares players for the maturity they need at the professional level."

Dalot, who made seven appearances for&nbsp;Porto&nbsp;in all competitions last season, played a part as the club won the Primeira Liga title.

The fullback joined&nbsp;Porto's youth squad, aged nine, in 2008 and came through the ranks to make his first-team debut in February.

"Joining&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;is an unbelievable opportunity for me. I have grown up in&nbsp;Porto's academy and I am so thankful for everything they have done for me," said&nbsp;Dalot, who has four international caps for Portugal's under-21 side.

"But the chance of coming to the biggest club in the world is something I just couldn't turn down ... I'm excited about working with Jose Mourinho and learning everything I can&nbsp;from&nbsp;such a successful coach."

United&nbsp;did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.

Dalot's arrival follows the news on Tuesday that&nbsp;United&nbsp;have reached an agreement to&nbsp;sign Brazilian midfielder Fred&nbsp;from&nbsp;Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported 52 million pounds ($69.8 million).

Dalot, who made seven appearances for Porto in all competitions last season, played a part as the club won the Primeira Liga title

Manchester United have signed 19-year-old Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot from FC Porto on a five-year deal with an option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday. "Diogo is an extremely talented young defender with all the qualities to quickly become a great player for this club," United manager Jose Mourinho said on the club's website https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/manchester-united-announces-the-signing-of-diogo-dalot. "He has all the attributes that a fullback needs: physicality, tactical intelligence and technical quality, combined with a Porto Academy mentality which prepares players for the maturity they need at the professional level." Dalot, who made seven appearances for Porto in all competitions last season, played a part as the club won the Primeira Liga title. The fullback joined Porto's youth squad, aged nine, in 2008 and came through the ranks to make his first-team debut in February. "Joining Manchester United is an unbelievable opportunity for me. I have grown up in Porto's academy and I am so thankful for everything they have done for me," said Dalot, who has four international caps for Portugal's under-21 side. "But the chance of coming to the biggest club in the world is something I just couldn't turn down ... I'm excited about working with Jose Mourinho and learning everything I can from such a successful coach." United did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. Dalot's arrival follows the news on Tuesday that United have reached an agreement to sign Brazilian midfielder Fred from Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported 52 million pounds ($69.8 million).

Manchester United sign Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot from FC Porto

Antonio Conte has warned Chelsea he will never change his demanding ways as the FA Cup winning boss waits to discover if he will be sacked.

Conte ended a troubled season on a high note thanks to Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Saturday's final at Wembley.

Eden Hazard's first half penalty was followed by a backs to the wall display as Conte won the second trophy of his two-year reign in what may prove his final game in charge.

Whether FA Cup glory will be enough to convince Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich not to sack Conte remains in doubt after the Blues finished fifth in the Premier League and missed out on Champions League qualification.

The Italian has been embroiled in a turbulent campaign marred by his feud with the club's hierarchy over their failure to back his transfer plans following last season's Premier League title triumph.

Conte is also said to have infuriated several Chelsea stars with his intense personality and regimented training sessions.

But the former Juventus and Italy coach is adamant his managerial style has made him a "serial winner" who should be respected.

In a clear warning that he will never stop pushing his players or demanding boardroom backing, Conte emerged from the jubilant Chelsea dressing room to send a defiant message to his club.

Still soaked in champagne from the post-match celebrations, Conte said: "After two years the club knows me very well. If they want to continue to work with me, they know me.&nbsp

"I can't change. My way is always the same hard work and to build a strong mentality with my players.

"I can't change. I'm this and I think my past speaks very clear as a player and as a manager.&nbsp

"You can say what you want, but I'm a serial winner.

"I showed this in England in a difficult moment for the club. I've showed this today, because we found the right way to win this trophy.

"There are moments that you have a lot of questions for yourself. To win in this way this season gives me more satisfaction than my wins in the past."

'We must be honest' 
Conte, who won three Serie A titles with Juventus, has one year left on his contract after signing an improved deal without an extension at the end of last season.

But the 48-year-old has given the impression for much of the season that he would have no problem leaving Stamford Bridge because he knows he would still be in demand from top clubs.

Asked if he expects to be in charge next season, Conte said he would respect whatever decision was taken.

"I always say I'm committed to this club, to respect my contract," he said.

"As you know very well our job is not simple. I understand that the club can make a decision, a positive decision, a negative decision. I'm the first to understand.

"I'm the coach of a great, important club. It's right that the club demands of me a lot. For sure we'll make the best decision."

In truth, Conte may have burned too many bridges to stay with Chelsea amid speculation that former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique and Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri are Abramovich's top targets to succeed him.

In another swipe at Chelsea's refusal to sign his top targets last year, he added: "As you know very well I predicted the difficulty at the start of the season.

"To miss a place in the Champions League is not good for a club like Chelsea.

"We must be honest to tell this. But at the same time you have to know the real situation.

"There is the possibility with this group of players we did the maximum."

If Conte does leave, it will be despite the support of Chelsea's fans, who serenaded him as he joined in the celebrations on the Wembley turf.

"After these two seasons I will always love this colour, these fans, this club. Even if my future must be in a different way," he said.

Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final Saturday. Despite the win, Conte could still be sacked

Antonio Conte has warned Chelsea he will never change his demanding ways as the FA Cup winning boss waits to discover if he will be sacked. Conte ended a troubled season on a high note thanks to Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Saturday's final at Wembley. Eden Hazard's first half penalty was followed by a backs to the wall display as Conte won the second trophy of his two-year reign in what may prove his final game in charge. Whether FA Cup glory will be enough to convince Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich not to sack Conte remains in doubt after the Blues finished fifth in the Premier League and missed out on Champions League qualification. The Italian has been embroiled in a turbulent campaign marred by his feud with the club's hierarchy over their failure to back his transfer plans following last season's Premier League title triumph. Conte is also said to have infuriated several Chelsea stars with his intense personality and regimented training sessions. But the former Juventus and Italy coach is adamant his managerial style has made him a "serial winner" who should be respected. In a clear warning that he will never stop pushing his players or demanding boardroom backing, Conte emerged from the jubilant Chelsea dressing room to send a defiant message to his club. Still soaked in champagne from the post-match celebrations, Conte said: "After two years the club knows me very well. If they want to continue to work with me, they know me. "I can't change. My way is always the same hard work and to build a strong mentality with my players. "I can't change. I'm this and I think my past speaks very clear as a player and as a manager. "You can say what you want, but I'm a serial winner. "I showed this in England in a difficult moment for the club. I've showed this today, because we found the right way to win this trophy. "There are moments that you have a lot of questions for yourself. To win in this way this season gives me more satisfaction than my wins in the past." 'We must be honest' Conte, who won three Serie A titles with Juventus, has one year left on his contract after signing an improved deal without an extension at the end of last season. But the 48-year-old has given the impression for much of the season that he would have no problem leaving Stamford Bridge because he knows he would still be in demand from top clubs. Asked if he expects to be in charge next season, Conte said he would respect whatever decision was taken. "I always say I'm committed to this club, to respect my contract," he said. "As you know very well our job is not simple. I understand that the club can make a decision, a positive decision, a negative decision. I'm the first to understand. "I'm the coach of a great, important club. It's right that the club demands of me a lot. For sure we'll make the best decision." In truth, Conte may have burned too many bridges to stay with Chelsea amid speculation that former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique and Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri are Abramovich's top targets to succeed him. In another swipe at Chelsea's refusal to sign his top targets last year, he added: "As you know very well I predicted the difficulty at the start of the season. "To miss a place in the Champions League is not good for a club like Chelsea. "We must be honest to tell this. But at the same time you have to know the real situation. "There is the possibility with this group of players we did the maximum." If Conte does leave, it will be despite the support of Chelsea's fans, who serenaded him as he joined in the celebrations on the Wembley turf. "After these two seasons I will always love this colour, these fans, this club. Even if my future must be in a different way," he said.

'I'll never change,' Chelsea's Conte says after winning FA cup

Jose Mourinho will wait until the last minute before deciding whether Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku is fit to feature in Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Lukaku has missed United's last three matches after suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal in April.

The Belgium striker is in a race against time to be fit for the Wembley showdown with his former club.

And United manager Mourinho, possibly hoping to keep Chelsea guessing, said on Friday that he remains uncertain if Lukaku will be available.

Mourinho will be able to call on French forward Anthony Martial, who has recovered from the knee injury he sustained in training.

"Martial is fit. Lukaku we have to wait until the last moment. I don't want to lie and say he doesn't play or vice versa," Mourinho told reporters at United's hotel.

It would be a significant blow to United's hopes of winning the FA Cup for a record-equalling 13th time if Lukaku is unable to pass his late fitness test.

Since Lukaku was sidelined, United have lacked a cutting edge and they scored only once in their last three games of the season.

The 25-year-old energised United with a goal spree at the start of the season after arriving from Everton in a £75 million ($101 million) deal.

Lukaku has scored 27 times for United in all competitions this season, making his first season at Old Trafford a success overall.

But he went through a sustained barren patch -- with one goal in 12 games -- after opposing defences began to sit deeper to stop the Belgian hurting them with his pace.

Mourinho was also forced to defend Lukaku from criticism by United fans frustrated at what they perceived as a lack of effort from their muscular forward.

Lukaku got back on track at the start of 2018, but had scored just once in his last five appearances before picking up the injury that leaves his Cup final hopes of a knife-edge.

&nbsp

Lukaku has missed United's last three matches after suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal in April

Jose Mourinho will wait until the last minute before deciding whether Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku is fit to feature in Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea. Lukaku has missed United's last three matches after suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal in April. The Belgium striker is in a race against time to be fit for the Wembley showdown with his former club. And United manager Mourinho, possibly hoping to keep Chelsea guessing, said on Friday that he remains uncertain if Lukaku will be available. Mourinho will be able to call on French forward Anthony Martial, who has recovered from the knee injury he sustained in training. "Martial is fit. Lukaku we have to wait until the last moment. I don't want to lie and say he doesn't play or vice versa," Mourinho told reporters at United's hotel. It would be a significant blow to United's hopes of winning the FA Cup for a record-equalling 13th time if Lukaku is unable to pass his late fitness test. Since Lukaku was sidelined, United have lacked a cutting edge and they scored only once in their last three games of the season. The 25-year-old energised United with a goal spree at the start of the season after arriving from Everton in a £75 million ($101 million) deal. Lukaku has scored 27 times for United in all competitions this season, making his first season at Old Trafford a success overall. But he went through a sustained barren patch -- with one goal in 12 games -- after opposing defences began to sit deeper to stop the Belgian hurting them with his pace. Mourinho was also forced to defend Lukaku from criticism by United fans frustrated at what they perceived as a lack of effort from their muscular forward. Lukaku got back on track at the start of 2018, but had scored just once in his last five appearances before picking up the injury that leaves his Cup final hopes of a knife-edge.

FA Cup final: Jose Mourinho will wait to decide on Lukaku's fitness

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