By Tony Westbury

It is no shock that José Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United. The results on the pitch said it all. The most commercially successful club in the world is having its worst season in 28 years – with its playing assets inevitably depreciating in value as a result.

Mourinho has spent around £390m building this team since his appointment in 2016, yet he recently described it as nowhere near his ideal. In truth, he has roundly failed to create an environment where the players could perform. A new generation of coaches led by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool have developed a high-tempo attacking style which made Mourinho’s more pragmatic approach look dated.

They also have a more collaborative approach to coaching, alongside the likes of Mauricio Pocchetino’s Tottenham and Unai Emery’s Arsenal. These are environments in which trust, honesty and mutual respect are the key building blocks of their teams’ culture.

In contrast, both Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea (2013-15) and his reign at Manchester United have been marred by poor relationships with key players, the media and sometimes, it appears, with himself. From a career zenith in 2010, when he was acclaimed as the FIFA World Coach of the Year, the “Special One” increasingly looks like a man who has come to believe his own hype.

So is there a way back? I believe there is, but it won’t be easy. Self-belief is a prime asset for any consistent high performer in sport, whether athlete or coach. Unlike many struggling sports stars, however, Mourinho has no shortage of this. Though Mourinho’s record in numerous countries certainly entitles him to a sense of satisfaction, his self-aggrandisement appears to know no limits.

I should declare I am not a clinical psychologist, nor have I ever worked in any capacity with Manchester United or Mourinho. But as a sport psychologist who has worked with personalities at the top of numerous sports, Mourinho’s behaviour shows some worrying signs.

Understanding Mourinho

The accepted rubric for diagnosing narcissistic personality disorders is set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as follows:

<ul>
	<li>Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from other people;</li>
	<li>Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc;</li>
	<li>Self-perception of being unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions;</li>
	<li>Needing continual admiration from others;</li>
	<li>Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others;</li>
	<li>Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain;</li>
	<li>Unwilling to empathise with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people;</li>
	<li>Intensely envious of others, and the belief that others are equally envious of them;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Pompous and arrogant demeanour.</li>
</ul>

In the past five years, Mourinho’s public behaviour has displayed hints of some similar characteristics. Take the start of this season, after Manchester United lost two of their opening games, including a 3–0 home defeat to Spurs. Mourinho held a bizarre press conference where he demanded more respect from the media. He held three fingers aloft – indicating not how many goals Spurs had scored but how many English championships he had won – “I won more alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me and two for them”. It was directed specifically at his rival across Manchester, Pep Guardiola.

Mourinho has long had an antagonistic, self-justificatory relationship with journalists. He also shows little empathy with the demands of their job: later the same week, for instance, he held a press conference that many journalists missed because he started it half an hour early. Mourinho dismissed any questions about his relationship with Ed Woodward, the chief executive at Manchester United, and left the room after just four minutes and 19 seconds.

There are also many more examples of arrogant behaviour towards other managers. Famously, for instance, he described Arsene Wenger, one of the most successful managers in English football, as a “specialist in failure”. At the same time, there have also been numerous high-profile fallings out behind the scenes, such as with Chelsea doctor Eva Caneiro in 2015, or more recently the Manchester United star midfielder Paul Pogba.

What next?

Some of Mourinho’s public behaviour could be part of the “act” that high-performance sport arguably demands of managers nowadays. His lack of humility and unwillingness to accept responsibility for any setback, in public at least, are what made him such a successful manager in the first place. For any clinical assessment, the key question is how someone behaves in private.

Treatment for a personality disorder is slow and challenging. It requires specialist support to facilitate a fundamental reassessment of habitual behaviours. The approaches to the type of narcissistic behaviours set out above are based around talking therapies. A good option might be Cognitive Analytic Therapy, which involves a clinician working in collaboration with the patient to identify problems and come up with ways to change behaviour, with particular emphasis on the importance of relationships.

Priorities would include getting the patient to accept responsibility for his actions and learning to relate to people in new ways; showing empathy, tolerating failure and using criticism and reflection as a means of self-improvement; developing a way of regulating emotion so that it doesn’t go from zero to 100 in seconds; and recognising and celebrating the achievements of others.

Pogba could have been the lynchpin of a United team, for instance, but Mourinho appears to have undermined and antagonised him. In my view, Mourinho would greatly benefit from working with a sport psychologist. He appears stuck in 2010, or even before that, when players had less power and football was played in a different way. Most clubs have embraced the term “culture” now – the strongest ones develop from the “bottom up”, not the “top down”. Managers need to adapt to this nowadays.

I would begin by challenging him to work on every aspect of his thinking, feeling and behaving – to relearn how to interact with people without demanding admiration or respect, and in return not labelling others as unworthy or weak. I would anticipate a long involvement since these are well-established habits.

Whatever is going on behind the scenes, I believe it would be very wrong for José Mourinho to try and make another quick return to management. At the very least, he needs to reflect and develop. If there is a way back, he must change. He must want to change and he must work hard at changing. Should he succeed and claw his way back to the top, his place among the greatest managers of all time will be beyond any doubt.

(Tony Westbury is Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Edinburgh Napier University) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-there-a-way-back-for-jose-mourinho-as-a-sport-psychologist-i-see-a-hard-road-ahead-109096">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

By Tony Westbury It is no shock that José Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United. The results on the pitch said it all. The most commercially successful club in the world is having its worst season in 28 years – with its playing assets inevitably depreciating in value as a result.

By Tony Westbury It is no shock that José Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United. The results on the pitch said it all. The most commercially successful club in the world is having its worst season in 28 years – with its playing assets inevitably depreciating in value as a result. Mourinho has spent around £390m building this team since his appointment in 2016, yet he recently described it as nowhere near his ideal. In truth, he has roundly failed to create an environment where the players could perform. A new generation of coaches led by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool have developed a high-tempo attacking style which made Mourinho’s more pragmatic approach look dated. They also have a more collaborative approach to coaching, alongside the likes of Mauricio Pocchetino’s Tottenham and Unai Emery’s Arsenal. These are environments in which trust, honesty and mutual respect are the key building blocks of their teams’ culture. In contrast, both Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea (2013-15) and his reign at Manchester United have been marred by poor relationships with key players, the media and sometimes, it appears, with himself. From a career zenith in 2010, when he was acclaimed as the FIFA World Coach of the Year, the “Special One” increasingly looks like a man who has come to believe his own hype. So is there a way back? I believe there is, but it won’t be easy. Self-belief is a prime asset for any consistent high performer in sport, whether athlete or coach. Unlike many struggling sports stars, however, Mourinho has no shortage of this. Though Mourinho’s record in numerous countries certainly entitles him to a sense of satisfaction, his self-aggrandisement appears to know no limits. I should declare I am not a clinical psychologist, nor have I ever worked in any capacity with Manchester United or Mourinho. But as a sport psychologist who has worked with personalities at the top of numerous sports, Mourinho’s behaviour shows some worrying signs. Understanding Mourinho The accepted rubric for diagnosing narcissistic personality disorders is set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as follows: Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from other people; Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc; Self-perception of being unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions; Needing continual admiration from others; Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others; Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain; Unwilling to empathise with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people; Intensely envious of others, and the belief that others are equally envious of them; Pompous and arrogant demeanour. In the past five years, Mourinho’s public behaviour has displayed hints of some similar characteristics. Take the start of this season, after Manchester United lost two of their opening games, including a 3–0 home defeat to Spurs. Mourinho held a bizarre press conference where he demanded more respect from the media. He held three fingers aloft – indicating not how many goals Spurs had scored but how many English championships he had won – “I won more alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me and two for them”. It was directed specifically at his rival across Manchester, Pep Guardiola. Mourinho has long had an antagonistic, self-justificatory relationship with journalists. He also shows little empathy with the demands of their job: later the same week, for instance, he held a press conference that many journalists missed because he started it half an hour early. Mourinho dismissed any questions about his relationship with Ed Woodward, the chief executive at Manchester United, and left the room after just four minutes and 19 seconds. There are also many more examples of arrogant behaviour towards other managers. Famously, for instance, he described Arsene Wenger, one of the most successful managers in English football, as a “specialist in failure”. At the same time, there have also been numerous high-profile fallings out behind the scenes, such as with Chelsea doctor Eva Caneiro in 2015, or more recently the Manchester United star midfielder Paul Pogba. What next? Some of Mourinho’s public behaviour could be part of the “act” that high-performance sport arguably demands of managers nowadays. His lack of humility and unwillingness to accept responsibility for any setback, in public at least, are what made him such a successful manager in the first place. For any clinical assessment, the key question is how someone behaves in private. Treatment for a personality disorder is slow and challenging. It requires specialist support to facilitate a fundamental reassessment of habitual behaviours. The approaches to the type of narcissistic behaviours set out above are based around talking therapies. A good option might be Cognitive Analytic Therapy, which involves a clinician working in collaboration with the patient to identify problems and come up with ways to change behaviour, with particular emphasis on the importance of relationships. Priorities would include getting the patient to accept responsibility for his actions and learning to relate to people in new ways; showing empathy, tolerating failure and using criticism and reflection as a means of self-improvement; developing a way of regulating emotion so that it doesn’t go from zero to 100 in seconds; and recognising and celebrating the achievements of others. Pogba could have been the lynchpin of a United team, for instance, but Mourinho appears to have undermined and antagonised him. In my view, Mourinho would greatly benefit from working with a sport psychologist. He appears stuck in 2010, or even before that, when players had less power and football was played in a different way. Most clubs have embraced the term “culture” now – the strongest ones develop from the “bottom up”, not the “top down”. Managers need to adapt to this nowadays. I would begin by challenging him to work on every aspect of his thinking, feeling and behaving – to relearn how to interact with people without demanding admiration or respect, and in return not labelling others as unworthy or weak. I would anticipate a long involvement since these are well-established habits. Whatever is going on behind the scenes, I believe it would be very wrong for José Mourinho to try and make another quick return to management. At the very least, he needs to reflect and develop. If there is a way back, he must change. He must want to change and he must work hard at changing. Should he succeed and claw his way back to the top, his place among the greatest managers of all time will be beyond any doubt. (Tony Westbury is Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Edinburgh Napier University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Is there a way back for Jose Mourinho?

Former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday (December 21) spoke of the 'honour and a privilege' of returning to Manchester United as caretaker manager.

The Norwegian - famous for his match-winning performances as former manager Alex Ferguson's 'super-sub' - said his first task was to get the players to enjoy their football.

Speaking at his first news conference after returning to Old Trafford following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, the former international striker is on a deal until the end of the season to inject some life into what has been a fraught campaign.

The club parted company with Mourinho on Tuesday having made their worst start to a season for 28 years, culminating in a limp 3-1 loss to bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Mourinho's final few months in charge were dominated by media reports of his falling out with the club's 90 million pounds ($114 million) France midfielder Paul Pogba while his side laboured on the pitch playing dull defensive football.

Solskjaer, who as a player was part of United's era of dominance under Ferguson and scored the goal that secured an unprecedented treble almost 20 years ago, wants to return a feel-good factor to their under-performing squad.

Solskjaer, who has left his role as manager of Norwegian club Molde, said the busy upcoming schedule of matches would give all of his squad a chance to impress.

Their game on Saturday at Cardiff City, where Solskjaer was briefly manager in 2014, begins a run of five in 15 days.

He was the hero on one of the club's most famous nights when he scored the winner in stoppage time as United completed a 2-1 comeback triumph over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final.

Former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday (December 21) spoke of the 'honour and a privilege' of returning to Manchester United as caretaker manager. The Norwegian - famous for his match-winning performances as former manager Alex Ferguson's 'super-sub' - said his first task was to get the players to enjoy their football.

Former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday (December 21) spoke of the 'honour and a privilege' of returning to Manchester United as caretaker manager. The Norwegian - famous for his match-winning performances as former manager Alex Ferguson's 'super-sub' - said his first task was to get the players to enjoy their football. Speaking at his first news conference after returning to Old Trafford following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, the former international striker is on a deal until the end of the season to inject some life into what has been a fraught campaign. The club parted company with Mourinho on Tuesday having made their worst start to a season for 28 years, culminating in a limp 3-1 loss to bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Mourinho's final few months in charge were dominated by media reports of his falling out with the club's 90 million pounds ($114 million) France midfielder Paul Pogba while his side laboured on the pitch playing dull defensive football. Solskjaer, who as a player was part of United's era of dominance under Ferguson and scored the goal that secured an unprecedented treble almost 20 years ago, wants to return a feel-good factor to their under-performing squad. Solskjaer, who has left his role as manager of Norwegian club Molde, said the busy upcoming schedule of matches would give all of his squad a chance to impress. Their game on Saturday at Cardiff City, where Solskjaer was briefly manager in 2014, begins a run of five in 15 days. He was the hero on one of the club's most famous nights when he scored the winner in stoppage time as United completed a 2-1 comeback triumph over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants Manchester United job on permanent basis

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on Wednesday named as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/interim-manager-would-hold-manchester-united-back-says-fletcher-185298">Manchester United's caretaker manager</a> until the end of the 2018/19 season following the sacking of <a href="Klopp calls Mourinho &quot;outstanding&quot; after the Portuguese departs rivals United">Jose Mourinho</a>.

The former United striker will take charge of the first team with immediate effect and will remain in place while the club looks for a new full-time manager.&nbsp;

He will be joined by Mike Phelan as first-team coach, working alongside Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna.

"Manchester United is in my heart and it's brilliant to be coming back in this role. I'm really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club," said the Norwegian.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: "Ole is a club legend with huge experience, both on the pitch and in coaching roles.

"His history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture here and everyone at the club is delighted to have him and Mike Phelan back. We are confident they will unite the players and the fans as we head into the second half of the season."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on Wednesday named as Manchester United's caretaker manager until the end of the 2018/19 season following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. The former United striker will take charge of the first team with immediate effect and will remain in place while the club looks for a new full-time manager.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on Wednesday named as Manchester United's caretaker manager until the end of the 2018/19 season following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. The former United striker will take charge of the first team with immediate effect and will remain in place while the club looks for a new full-time manager. He will be joined by Mike Phelan as first-team coach, working alongside Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna. "Manchester United is in my heart and it's brilliant to be coming back in this role. I'm really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club," said the Norwegian. Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: "Ole is a club legend with huge experience, both on the pitch and in coaching roles. "His history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture here and everyone at the club is delighted to have him and Mike Phelan back. We are confident they will unite the players and the fans as we head into the second half of the season."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named Manchester United caretaker manager

Manchester United run the risk of "writing off" next season as well as the remainder of the current one if they appoint an interim manager to replace Jose Mourinho, former United midfielder Darren Fletcher has said.

United dismissed manager Mourinho on Tuesday after their worst start to a season for 28 years.

A source close to the club has told Reuters that Fletcher's former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the club's ex-assistant coach Mike Phelan were set to return to Old Trafford as caretaker managers until the end of the season.

"Manchester United should never be in this position," Fletcher, who won who won five Premier League titles in 12 years at United, told the BBC.

"They're almost writing off this season and next season because if they appoint a new manager in the summer he's not going to have much time to look for new players."

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the bookmakers' favourite as United look for their fourth full-time manager since 2013 when Alex Ferguson retired after nearly 27 years in charge.

"There is a real concern that you could have two seasons of rebuilding again," Fletcher added.

United are sixth in the league, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool and 11 points off the Champions League places.

Manchester United run the risk of "writing off" next season as well as the remainder of the current one if they appoint an interim manager to replace Jose Mourinho, former United midfielder Darren Fletcher has said.

Manchester United run the risk of "writing off" next season as well as the remainder of the current one if they appoint an interim manager to replace Jose Mourinho, former United midfielder Darren Fletcher has said. United dismissed manager Mourinho on Tuesday after their worst start to a season for 28 years. A source close to the club has told Reuters that Fletcher's former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the club's ex-assistant coach Mike Phelan were set to return to Old Trafford as caretaker managers until the end of the season. "Manchester United should never be in this position," Fletcher, who won who won five Premier League titles in 12 years at United, told the BBC. "They're almost writing off this season and next season because if they appoint a new manager in the summer he's not going to have much time to look for new players." Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the bookmakers' favourite as United look for their fourth full-time manager since 2013 when Alex Ferguson retired after nearly 27 years in charge. "There is a real concern that you could have two seasons of rebuilding again," Fletcher added. United are sixth in the league, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool and 11 points off the Champions League places.

Interim manager would hold Manchester United back, says Fletcher

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says Jose Mourinho is an "outstanding manager" despite the Portuguese being sacked by Manchester United earlier on Tuesday.

Mourinho was shown the door at Old Trafford two-and-a-half years after joining the 20-time English champions, with United in sixth in the Premier League - 19 points adrift of Klopp's Liverpool at the top.

United's 3-1 defeat at Anfield on Sunday (December 16) was the final straw for the United board with the Red Devils having won only once in their last six league matches.

Klopp though heaped praise on the former Inter Milan, Chelsea, Porto and Real Madrid boss who has won 20 major trophies throughout his managerial career.

Klopp also reacted positively to Liverpool drawing Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 draw on Monday (December 17).

Mourinho famously won the 2004 Champions League with Porto and repeated the feat with Inter six years later with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich.

The 55-year-old won two trophies in his first season with United - the Europa League and League Cup in the 2016/17 campaign.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says Jose Mourinho is an "outstanding manager" despite the Portuguese being sacked by Manchester United earlier on Tuesday. Mourinho was shown the door at Old Trafford two-and-a-half years after joining the 20-time English champions, with United in sixth in the Premier League - 19 points adrift of Klopp's Liverpool at the top.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says Jose Mourinho is an "outstanding manager" despite the Portuguese being sacked by Manchester United earlier on Tuesday. Mourinho was shown the door at Old Trafford two-and-a-half years after joining the 20-time English champions, with United in sixth in the Premier League - 19 points adrift of Klopp's Liverpool at the top. United's 3-1 defeat at Anfield on Sunday (December 16) was the final straw for the United board with the Red Devils having won only once in their last six league matches. Klopp though heaped praise on the former Inter Milan, Chelsea, Porto and Real Madrid boss who has won 20 major trophies throughout his managerial career. Klopp also reacted positively to Liverpool drawing Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 draw on Monday (December 17). Mourinho famously won the 2004 Champions League with Porto and repeated the feat with Inter six years later with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich. The 55-year-old won two trophies in his first season with United - the Europa League and League Cup in the 2016/17 campaign.

Klopp calls Mourinho "outstanding" after the Portuguese departs rivals United

Jose Mourinho's increasingly tempestuous reign at Manchester United came to an end on Tuesday when the club sacked him after just two-and-a-half years in charge.

The Portuguese 55-year-old's unhappiness at the club manifested itself even before the season started.

Here AFP Sport picks out five quotes that chart the decline in relations between Mourinho, the club and the players:

July 24

Mourinho's relationship with record signing Paul Pogba had already become fraught in the 2017/18 season -- he dropped the Frenchman for the Champions League loss to Sevilla -- but the path to the complete breakdown in relations took root in the wake of comments he made after the 25-year-old's shining moment in scoring in the World Cup final win over Croatia. Pogba was said to be furious when he read the remarks.

"During a season, you can have a big match then a smaller match, then one even smaller, then you can lose your focus, you can lose your concentration, then comes a big match again.

"In the World Cup, the direction of the emotion, of the responsibility, of the big decisions is always growing up.

"So I think it was the perfect environment for him."

July 29

Mourinho voices his concerns, following a 4-1 pre-season hammering by Liverpool, regarding the transfer policy of the club even though early in the close season he had been quick off the mark and secured Brazilian midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk and full-back Diogo Dalot from FC Porto.

"I gave a list to my club of five names a few months ago and I wait to see if it's possible to have one of these players. If it's possible, it's possible. If it's not, it's not. If it's possible, it's good. If not then we keep fighting and working and believing in the players that we have."

August 31

Just a few weeks into the season Mourinho felt obliged to remind the world of how great a manager he was in terms of his overall record and resorted to citing German philosopher Georg Hegel to support his argument.&nbsp;

"Did you read any philosopher? You spent time reading Hegel. Just as an example Hegel says: 'The truth is in the whole,' is always in the whole."&nbsp;&nbsp;

November 30

By this stage United were 14 points off neighbours Manchester City and seven adrift of the Champions League places but Mourinho returned to his favoured defence strategy of how hard it is now to buy the top players even though over his tenure he spent around £360million.&nbsp;

"You have no chance in the market unless you go to crazy numbers. Instead, you go to the second level players where you still have crazy numbers, and where people say, and I agree, that's not what Manchester United is."

December 4

Less than a week later Mourinho had revised his target for finishing in the top four at the end of the year with an eight-point gap between them in seventh spot and fourth-placed Arsenal and his low ambitions not only upset United fans further but probably set alarm bells ringing in the boardroom and a further go at the players failed to spark them into positive action as evidenced by the disfunctional display against Liverpool.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The target changed but let's try to close the distance as best as we can and be very close to these positions.

"We need some players to perform better than they are. We need to perform better as a team, but it would be far from a miracle."

Jose Mourinho's increasingly tempestuous reign at Manchester United came to an end on Tuesday when the club sacked him after just two-and-a-half years in charge.

Jose Mourinho's increasingly tempestuous reign at Manchester United came to an end on Tuesday when the club sacked him after just two-and-a-half years in charge. The Portuguese 55-year-old's unhappiness at the club manifested itself even before the season started. Here AFP Sport picks out five quotes that chart the decline in relations between Mourinho, the club and the players: July 24 Mourinho's relationship with record signing Paul Pogba had already become fraught in the 2017/18 season -- he dropped the Frenchman for the Champions League loss to Sevilla -- but the path to the complete breakdown in relations took root in the wake of comments he made after the 25-year-old's shining moment in scoring in the World Cup final win over Croatia. Pogba was said to be furious when he read the remarks. "During a season, you can have a big match then a smaller match, then one even smaller, then you can lose your focus, you can lose your concentration, then comes a big match again. "In the World Cup, the direction of the emotion, of the responsibility, of the big decisions is always growing up. "So I think it was the perfect environment for him." July 29 Mourinho voices his concerns, following a 4-1 pre-season hammering by Liverpool, regarding the transfer policy of the club even though early in the close season he had been quick off the mark and secured Brazilian midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk and full-back Diogo Dalot from FC Porto. "I gave a list to my club of five names a few months ago and I wait to see if it's possible to have one of these players. If it's possible, it's possible. If it's not, it's not. If it's possible, it's good. If not then we keep fighting and working and believing in the players that we have." August 31 Just a few weeks into the season Mourinho felt obliged to remind the world of how great a manager he was in terms of his overall record and resorted to citing German philosopher Georg Hegel to support his argument. "Did you read any philosopher? You spent time reading Hegel. Just as an example Hegel says: 'The truth is in the whole,' is always in the whole." November 30 By this stage United were 14 points off neighbours Manchester City and seven adrift of the Champions League places but Mourinho returned to his favoured defence strategy of how hard it is now to buy the top players even though over his tenure he spent around £360million. "You have no chance in the market unless you go to crazy numbers. Instead, you go to the second level players where you still have crazy numbers, and where people say, and I agree, that's not what Manchester United is." December 4 Less than a week later Mourinho had revised his target for finishing in the top four at the end of the year with an eight-point gap between them in seventh spot and fourth-placed Arsenal and his low ambitions not only upset United fans further but probably set alarm bells ringing in the boardroom and a further go at the players failed to spark them into positive action as evidenced by the disfunctional display against Liverpool. "The target changed but let's try to close the distance as best as we can and be very close to these positions. "We need some players to perform better than they are. We need to perform better as a team, but it would be far from a miracle."

Jose Mourinho's fall from grace at Manchester United in quotes

Manchester United on Tuesday sacked Jose Mourinho as the club's manager with immediate effect, following Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool.&nbsp;

The club took to their Twitter to confirm his departure, ending a tenure that began in May 2016. The club further thanked Jose for his work during his tenure and wished him success in the future.

Meanwhile, a sense of disunity at United had increased when Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy before a Carabao Cup defeat by Derby County and confronted him at training the following morning.&nbsp;

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Manchester United has announced that Jose Mourinho has left the Club. 
 
We would like to thank him for his work during his time at Manchester United and wish him success in the future. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a>
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1074964051741032448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A new caretaker manager would be appointed until the end of the current season. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Manchester United on Tuesday sacked Jose Mourinho as the club's manager with immediate effect, following Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool. The club took to their Twitter to confirm his departure, ending a tenure that began in May 2016.

Manchester United on Tuesday sacked Jose Mourinho as the club's manager with immediate effect, following Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool. The club took to their Twitter to confirm his departure, ending a tenure that began in May 2016. The club further thanked Jose for his work during his tenure and wished him success in the future. Meanwhile, a sense of disunity at United had increased when Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy before a Carabao Cup defeat by Derby County and confronted him at training the following morning. Manchester United has announced that Jose Mourinho has left the Club. We would like to thank him for his work during his time at Manchester United and wish him success in the future. #MUFC — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 18, 2018 × A new caretaker manager would be appointed until the end of the current season.

Manchester United sack Jose Mourinho with immediate effect

Former Manchester United captains Gary Neville and Roy Keane turned their fire on their old club after Jose Mourinho's side fell to a dispiriting 3-1 defeat to old rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

United are now 19 points behind Juergen Klopp's Premier League leaders and sit 11 points off fourth place and Champions League qualification.

But while the numbers speak for themselves, Neville and Keane, both working as analysts on Sky Sports television, suggested the club's problems ran much deeper than just their current league position.

Mourinho's decision to leave Paul Pogba as an unused substitute raised eyebrows with Neville saying the midfield was not up to scratch.

"I can't get over United's central midfield. If you're Paul Pogba watching (Nemanja) Matic, (Ander) Herrera, (Marouane) Fellaini, Fred, who played the other night ... not one of them can pass a football," he said.

"None of them can actually receive the ball and pass the ball. I just find it absolutely staggering. I thought United were awful today....It's not good enough," added the former full-back who won eight titles in Alex Ferguson's team.

Neville said it would not make sense to sack Mourinho mid-season and pointed the finger at the club's directors for extending the manager's contract last season.

"The board are so naive, giving him a new contract. Manchester United need to reset. It's not just the manager, it's deeper than that. They lost control of the football club when they gave him a contract extension 18 months in.

"The minute he came back from pre-season he was at it and the club lost control. There is not that experience or knowledge in the football club above him to be able to manage or control him and handle him."

Keane said he was not surprised by the performance he witnessed at Anfield.

"I looked at United and thought they're going to be found out today. And they were.

"It's a huge concern going forward. I certainly believe a lot of their players are not good enough to be playing for Manchester United. They're good players but not good enough for Manchester United.

"They're so far behind the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea. The biggest problem is defensively; you have to have some foundation to go forward. They look like they're all over the place."

The Irishman suggested that Pogba might not have a long-term future at the club.

"If he's sitting on the bench and not getting on, you're thinking his days must be numbered. I don't think they'll do anything in January but, come the summer, you move him on."

Keane speculated that the mood at the club may not be conducive to success.

"Looking at Mourinho on a match day, I'd love to know what the atmosphere is like at the training ground," he said.

"Is it a happy camp? Because seeing the players' body language, I don't get the impression they enjoy playing for Man United. Some of them look disinterested. Is that coming from the manager?"

Former Manchester United captains Gary Neville and Roy Keane turned their fire on their old club after Jose Mourinho's side fell to a dispiriting 3-1 defeat to old rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Former Manchester United captains Gary Neville and Roy Keane turned their fire on their old club after Jose Mourinho's side fell to a dispiriting 3-1 defeat to old rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. United are now 19 points behind Juergen Klopp's Premier League leaders and sit 11 points off fourth place and Champions League qualification. But while the numbers speak for themselves, Neville and Keane, both working as analysts on Sky Sports television, suggested the club's problems ran much deeper than just their current league position. Mourinho's decision to leave Paul Pogba as an unused substitute raised eyebrows with Neville saying the midfield was not up to scratch. "I can't get over United's central midfield. If you're Paul Pogba watching (Nemanja) Matic, (Ander) Herrera, (Marouane) Fellaini, Fred, who played the other night ... not one of them can pass a football," he said. "None of them can actually receive the ball and pass the ball. I just find it absolutely staggering. I thought United were awful today....It's not good enough," added the former full-back who won eight titles in Alex Ferguson's team. Neville said it would not make sense to sack Mourinho mid-season and pointed the finger at the club's directors for extending the manager's contract last season. "The board are so naive, giving him a new contract. Manchester United need to reset. It's not just the manager, it's deeper than that. They lost control of the football club when they gave him a contract extension 18 months in. "The minute he came back from pre-season he was at it and the club lost control. There is not that experience or knowledge in the football club above him to be able to manage or control him and handle him." Keane said he was not surprised by the performance he witnessed at Anfield. "I looked at United and thought they're going to be found out today. And they were. "It's a huge concern going forward. I certainly believe a lot of their players are not good enough to be playing for Manchester United. They're good players but not good enough for Manchester United. "They're so far behind the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea. The biggest problem is defensively; you have to have some foundation to go forward. They look like they're all over the place." The Irishman suggested that Pogba might not have a long-term future at the club. "If he's sitting on the bench and not getting on, you're thinking his days must be numbered. I don't think they'll do anything in January but, come the summer, you move him on." Keane speculated that the mood at the club may not be conducive to success. "Looking at Mourinho on a match day, I'd love to know what the atmosphere is like at the training ground," he said. "Is it a happy camp? Because seeing the players' body language, I don't get the impression they enjoy playing for Man United. Some of them look disinterested. Is that coming from the manager?"

Former-captains Roy Keane, Gary Neville slam Manchester United after Anfield loss

Two second-half goals from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri gave Liverpool a 3-1 Premier League win over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday as Juergen Klopp's side regained top spot with a pulsating performance in the North West derby.

Unbeaten Liverpool have 45 points from 17 games with champions Manchester City, who beat Everton 3-1 on Saturday, a point behind.

United are 19 points adrift of Liverpool in sixth place -- the biggest gap between the clubs at this stage of this season for 46 years -- and a daunting 11 points behind the top four.

Jose Mourinho's side's 26 points is their lowest return after 17 games in the Premier League era and the defeat, which could have been even more emphatic, is sure to re-open questions about the manager's future.

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Mourinho left French World Cup-winning midfielder Paul Pogba on the bench as he opted for a defence-orientated line-up but his attempt to get a third straight draw at Anfield ended in failure.

Klopp's side were faster, smarter and more incisive than a United team again lacking any cutting edge and looking mediocre against opponents who look equipped to fight Manchester City all the way for the title.

Liverpool roared out of the traps and took the game to United, grabbing the lead in the 24th minute when Sadio Mane chested down a pass from Fabinho and slotted past David De Gea.

Against the run of play, United drew level in the 33rd minute when Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker spilled a harmless low cross from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard pounced on the loose ball to find the net.

The hosts continued to dominate but too often were restricted to long-range efforts and it was not until the introduction of Swiss international Shaqiri that the game turned decisively in their favour.

Mane's pull back from the byline took two deflections as it ricocheted to Shaqiri on the edge of the area and his shot flew off Ashley Young and into the top corner to make it 2-1 in the 73rd minute.

Seven minutes later fortune was on Shaqiri's side again as another deflected shot, this time off Eric Bailly, beat the helpless De Gea.

Two second-half goals from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri gave Liverpool a 3-1 Premier League win over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday as Juergen Klopp's side regained top spot with a pulsating performance in the North West derby.

Two second-half goals from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri gave Liverpool a 3-1 Premier League win over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday as Juergen Klopp's side regained top spot with a pulsating performance in the North West derby. Unbeaten Liverpool have 45 points from 17 games with champions Manchester City, who beat Everton 3-1 on Saturday, a point behind. United are 19 points adrift of Liverpool in sixth place -- the biggest gap between the clubs at this stage of this season for 46 years -- and a daunting 11 points behind the top four. Jose Mourinho's side's 26 points is their lowest return after 17 games in the Premier League era and the defeat, which could have been even more emphatic, is sure to re-open questions about the manager's future. Boss.😍 pic.twitter.com/efagUc5yW8 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 16, 2018 × Mourinho left French World Cup-winning midfielder Paul Pogba on the bench as he opted for a defence-orientated line-up but his attempt to get a third straight draw at Anfield ended in failure. Klopp's side were faster, smarter and more incisive than a United team again lacking any cutting edge and looking mediocre against opponents who look equipped to fight Manchester City all the way for the title. Liverpool roared out of the traps and took the game to United, grabbing the lead in the 24th minute when Sadio Mane chested down a pass from Fabinho and slotted past David De Gea. Against the run of play, United drew level in the 33rd minute when Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker spilled a harmless low cross from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard pounced on the loose ball to find the net. The hosts continued to dominate but too often were restricted to long-range efforts and it was not until the introduction of Swiss international Shaqiri that the game turned decisively in their favour. Mane's pull back from the byline took two deflections as it ricocheted to Shaqiri on the edge of the area and his shot flew off Ashley Young and into the top corner to make it 2-1 in the 73rd minute. Seven minutes later fortune was on Shaqiri's side again as another deflected shot, this time off Eric Bailly, beat the helpless De Gea.

Xherdan Shaqiri strikes twice as Liverpool defeat Manchester United

Manchester United had not lost to Liverpool in the Premier League for eight games and over four years prior to Sunday's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/xherdan-shaqiri-strikes-twice-as-liverpool-defeat-manchester-united-184613">3-1 defeat</a>, but the current chasm between the two sides was exposed as Jose Mourinho's men fell 19 points behind the league leaders at Anfield.

Match-going United fans have been reluctant to turn on Mourinho, instead often pointing fingers at executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's reluctance to back the manager in the transfer market this summer or the club's American owners, the Glazer family.

However, by the end of proceedings on Sunday, as two deflected Xherdan Shaqiri strikes in the final 17 minutes sealed a thoroughly deserved victory for the hosts, it was Liverpool fans who sarcastically sang "don't sack Mourinho".

The Portuguese coach said he accepted responsibility for a fifth defeat of the season that leaves the 20-time champions of England 11 points adrift of even a top-four finish.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/former-captains-roy-keane-gary-neville-slam-manchester-united-after-anfield-loss-184713">Former-captains Roy Keane, Gary Neville slam Manchester United after Anfield loss</a>

But he also pointed the finger at what he described as "permanently injured" players and claimed both sides played "in relation to their qualities".

That does not say much for Mourinho's management as despite Liverpool spending more than any other Premier League club this summer to mount a title challenge, United's transfer spend under Mourinho in recent years still dwarfs that of any side other than champions Manchester City.

"Not one of the United midfielders can pass a football," said former United captain Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

"Not one of them. I find it staggering. United were awful."

Wasted millions

The wasted millions that have led United to this position were laid bare at Anfield as Paul Pogba, who cost a then world-record £89 million ($112 million) in 2016, was left on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Another near £100 million of attacking talent in Juan Mata and Anthony Martial also started on the sidelines, while £50 million close-season signing Fred did not even make an injury-hit matchday squad.

"If you came down from the moon today and knew nothing about football you'd say United are an average Premier League side," said another former United captain Roy Keane in a withering assessment of the Red Devils' predicament.

"They are Manchester United of the 1980s, they can be a decent cup team."

Liverpool dominated United, England and most of Europe in the 80s, but have not won a league title since 1990.

An end to nearly three decades of hurt could be in sight, though, as victory took Jurgen Klopp's men back to the top of the table, a point clear of City.

As Klopp bounded onto the field to hug his players and rouse the home fans in one final celebration after the final whistle, the German epitomised the differing mood at the two clubs personified by their managers.

Mourinho had successfully parked the bus to come away from Anfield with 0-0 draws in each of the two previous seasons.

Yet, this United side are not even capable of mastering that gameplan anymore with a defence that has conceded 29 goals in 17 Premier League games.

United must now watch their two fiercest rivals battle it out for the title, while already a top-four finish looks like a tall order for Mourinho's men.

Ultimately, it was failure to qualify for the Champions League that cost Mourinho's predecessors Louis van Gaal and David Moyes their jobs.

The same fate is likely to meet Mourinho, despite extending his contract to 2020 earlier this year.

"Will Mourinho leave? I think it will happen," added Neville, who reserved much of the blame for Woodward and the board.

"Nobody above him can handle him. They don't know what to do with him, they don't know what to say to him. They don't know what he's going to say at every press conference.

"It will cost a fortune to lose him now."

Manchester United had not lost to Liverpool in the Premier League for eight games and over four years prior to Sunday's 3-1 defeat, but the current chasm between the two sides was exposed as Jose Mourinho's men fell 19 points behind the league leaders at Anfield.

Manchester United had not lost to Liverpool in the Premier League for eight games and over four years prior to Sunday's 3-1 defeat, but the current chasm between the two sides was exposed as Jose Mourinho's men fell 19 points behind the league leaders at Anfield. Match-going United fans have been reluctant to turn on Mourinho, instead often pointing fingers at executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's reluctance to back the manager in the transfer market this summer or the club's American owners, the Glazer family. However, by the end of proceedings on Sunday, as two deflected Xherdan Shaqiri strikes in the final 17 minutes sealed a thoroughly deserved victory for the hosts, it was Liverpool fans who sarcastically sang "don't sack Mourinho". The Portuguese coach said he accepted responsibility for a fifth defeat of the season that leaves the 20-time champions of England 11 points adrift of even a top-four finish. Also Read: Former-captains Roy Keane, Gary Neville slam Manchester United after Anfield loss But he also pointed the finger at what he described as "permanently injured" players and claimed both sides played "in relation to their qualities". That does not say much for Mourinho's management as despite Liverpool spending more than any other Premier League club this summer to mount a title challenge, United's transfer spend under Mourinho in recent years still dwarfs that of any side other than champions Manchester City. "Not one of the United midfielders can pass a football," said former United captain Gary Neville on Sky Sports. "Not one of them. I find it staggering. United were awful." Wasted millions The wasted millions that have led United to this position were laid bare at Anfield as Paul Pogba, who cost a then world-record £89 million ($112 million) in 2016, was left on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Another near £100 million of attacking talent in Juan Mata and Anthony Martial also started on the sidelines, while £50 million close-season signing Fred did not even make an injury-hit matchday squad. "If you came down from the moon today and knew nothing about football you'd say United are an average Premier League side," said another former United captain Roy Keane in a withering assessment of the Red Devils' predicament. "They are Manchester United of the 1980s, they can be a decent cup team." Liverpool dominated United, England and most of Europe in the 80s, but have not won a league title since 1990. An end to nearly three decades of hurt could be in sight, though, as victory took Jurgen Klopp's men back to the top of the table, a point clear of City. As Klopp bounded onto the field to hug his players and rouse the home fans in one final celebration after the final whistle, the German epitomised the differing mood at the two clubs personified by their managers. Mourinho had successfully parked the bus to come away from Anfield with 0-0 draws in each of the two previous seasons. Yet, this United side are not even capable of mastering that gameplan anymore with a defence that has conceded 29 goals in 17 Premier League games. United must now watch their two fiercest rivals battle it out for the title, while already a top-four finish looks like a tall order for Mourinho's men. Ultimately, it was failure to qualify for the Champions League that cost Mourinho's predecessors Louis van Gaal and David Moyes their jobs. The same fate is likely to meet Mourinho, despite extending his contract to 2020 earlier this year. "Will Mourinho leave? I think it will happen," added Neville, who reserved much of the blame for Woodward and the board. "Nobody above him can handle him. They don't know what to do with him, they don't know what to say to him. They don't know what he's going to say at every press conference. "It will cost a fortune to lose him now."

Jose Mourinho running out of time at Manchester United?

Manchester United tied down centre-back Chris Smalling to a new three-and-a-half-year contract on Saturday with an option to extend the deal for a further year.

"Manchester United is delighted to announce that Chris Smalling has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2022, with the option to extend for a further year," the club said in a statement.

"This is my ninth season with the club and I am delighted to be continuing my progression with this team," said Smalling.

"It is a real honour to play for Manchester United and we are all now concentrating on the busy schedule of games throughout the festive period."

The 29-year-old has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup and the Europa League in 307 appearances since joining from Fulham in 2010.

Smalling's previous deal ran out at the end of the season.

United manager Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to buy another centre-back, but welcomed the news of Smalling's stay.

"I am very happy Chris has signed a new contract," said Mourinho in a club statement.

"Chris has been with the club for a number of years and is now one of the senior players within our squad."

Manchester United tied down centre-back Chris Smalling to a new three-and-a-half-year contract on Saturday with an option to extend the deal for a further year. "Manchester United is delighted to announce that Chris Smalling has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2022, with the option to extend for a further year," the club said in a statement.

Manchester United tied down centre-back Chris Smalling to a new three-and-a-half-year contract on Saturday with an option to extend the deal for a further year. "Manchester United is delighted to announce that Chris Smalling has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2022, with the option to extend for a further year," the club said in a statement. "This is my ninth season with the club and I am delighted to be continuing my progression with this team," said Smalling. "It is a real honour to play for Manchester United and we are all now concentrating on the busy schedule of games throughout the festive period." The 29-year-old has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup and the Europa League in 307 appearances since joining from Fulham in 2010. Smalling's previous deal ran out at the end of the season. United manager Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to buy another centre-back, but welcomed the news of Smalling's stay. "I am very happy Chris has signed a new contract," said Mourinho in a club statement. "Chris has been with the club for a number of years and is now one of the senior players within our squad."

Chris Smalling extends Manchester United contract to 2022

Liverpool may be top of the Premier League but Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that it is trophies in the cabinet that count ahead of the sides' showdown at Anfield on Sunday.

Klopp's side remain the only unbeaten team in the league this season, but the German has yet to clinch an honour in his three years on Merseyside.

United languish 16 points behind their rivals in sixth place, but Mourinho led the Old Trafford outfit to Europa League and League Cup victories in his first season in Manchester in 2017.

"I think trophies matter, it matters, especially when you have the potential to fight for trophies and especially when you clearly say the objective is to win the trophy," the Portuguese told a news conference on Friday.

"I think Juergen told already they want to win the Premier League, is their objective," he added.

United travel to their rivals with a depleted squad after their injury list grew in their 2-1 defeat by Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Marcos Rojo was forced off at halftime, joining the likes of Victor Lindelof and Alexis Sanchez on the sidelines.

Defenders Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian and attacker Anthony Martial were all due to be assessed in training on Friday having missed the trip to Spain. Yet the manager has said that Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young are all set to start at Anfield.

United's last two trips to Anfield have resulted in goalless draws after Mourinho adopted an ultra cautious approach, yet the Portuguese said his side are capable of fighting for victory despite their injuries.

"We know that we are going to play against the leaders, against a team on a high, but we have our qualities, we have our potential," he said.

"Even with the problems we have and the doubts in terms of team choice, of tactics, approach, philosophy, we have doubts about everything.

"We are going to arrive with the players we have available and going to have a team capable of going there and fight for the victory."

Liverpool are looking to pick up a sixth successive victory in the league. However, Klopp has yet to get the better of Mourinho's United having not beaten them since the Portuguese took charge in 2016, drawing three and losing once.

The fixture is never short of drama and Mourinho usually enjoys the big occasion as an underdog, as he showed in last month's impressive 2-1 victory over Juventus in Turin.

Liverpool may be top of the Premier League but Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that it is trophies in the cabinet that count ahead of the sides' showdown at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool may be top of the Premier League but Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that it is trophies in the cabinet that count ahead of the sides' showdown at Anfield on Sunday. Klopp's side remain the only unbeaten team in the league this season, but the German has yet to clinch an honour in his three years on Merseyside. United languish 16 points behind their rivals in sixth place, but Mourinho led the Old Trafford outfit to Europa League and League Cup victories in his first season in Manchester in 2017. "I think trophies matter, it matters, especially when you have the potential to fight for trophies and especially when you clearly say the objective is to win the trophy," the Portuguese told a news conference on Friday. "I think Juergen told already they want to win the Premier League, is their objective," he added. United travel to their rivals with a depleted squad after their injury list grew in their 2-1 defeat by Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday. Marcos Rojo was forced off at halftime, joining the likes of Victor Lindelof and Alexis Sanchez on the sidelines. Defenders Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian and attacker Anthony Martial were all due to be assessed in training on Friday having missed the trip to Spain. Yet the manager has said that Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young are all set to start at Anfield. United's last two trips to Anfield have resulted in goalless draws after Mourinho adopted an ultra cautious approach, yet the Portuguese said his side are capable of fighting for victory despite their injuries. "We know that we are going to play against the leaders, against a team on a high, but we have our qualities, we have our potential," he said. "Even with the problems we have and the doubts in terms of team choice, of tactics, approach, philosophy, we have doubts about everything. "We are going to arrive with the players we have available and going to have a team capable of going there and fight for the victory." Liverpool are looking to pick up a sixth successive victory in the league. However, Klopp has yet to get the better of Mourinho's United having not beaten them since the Portuguese took charge in 2016, drawing three and losing once. The fixture is never short of drama and Mourinho usually enjoys the big occasion as an underdog, as he showed in last month's impressive 2-1 victory over Juventus in Turin.

Trophies matter, insists Jose Mourinho ahead of Liverpool clash

Manchester United manager <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Jose+Mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a> has demanded more from his players after his side missed the chance to finish top of its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=champions+league">Champions League</a> group.

United lost 2-1 at Valencia on Wednesday, with an embarrassing own-goal by Phil Jones.

Mourinho got a chance to rotate his squad as United went into the final Group H match having already qualified for the last 16 of the competition.

While he found a little comfort in the players' performance that lacked energy and drive.

With first-place Juventus losing 2-1 at Young Boys, United could have jumped above the Italian team in Group H with a win at the Mestalla but Mourinho's decision to play a virtual reserve lineup backfired.

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> boss has given his thoughts on tonight's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> game...
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The frustrated manager said that he expects more from the players.

"My team improved really when I made the changes that I didn't want to make which is a little bit of frustration because I didn't want to play the three players that I played in the second half,'' said Mourinho.

"I think that to qualify in this group is a success. Never a failure to finish second in this group is always a success," added the Portuguese.

Paul Pogba returned to the starting side after being benched for the last two Premier League games but the French international midfielder failed to seize his opportunity.

United then introduced striker Marcus Rashford, and midfielders Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young as they chased the game after falling 2-0 behind.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has demanded more from his players after his side missed the chance to finish top of its Champions League group. United lost 2-1 at Valencia on Wednesday, with an embarrassing own-goal by Phil Jones.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has demanded more from his players after his side missed the chance to finish top of its Champions League group. United lost 2-1 at Valencia on Wednesday, with an embarrassing own-goal by Phil Jones. Mourinho got a chance to rotate his squad as United went into the final Group H match having already qualified for the last 16 of the competition. While he found a little comfort in the players' performance that lacked energy and drive. With first-place Juventus losing 2-1 at Young Boys, United could have jumped above the Italian team in Group H with a win at the Mestalla but Mourinho's decision to play a virtual reserve lineup backfired. The #MUFC boss has given his thoughts on tonight's #UCL game... — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 12, 2018 × The frustrated manager said that he expects more from the players. "My team improved really when I made the changes that I didn't want to make which is a little bit of frustration because I didn't want to play the three players that I played in the second half,'' said Mourinho. "I think that to qualify in this group is a success. Never a failure to finish second in this group is always a success," added the Portuguese. Paul Pogba returned to the starting side after being benched for the last two Premier League games but the French international midfielder failed to seize his opportunity. United then introduced striker Marcus Rashford, and midfielders Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young as they chased the game after falling 2-0 behind.

UCL: Jose Mourinho expresses frustration with starting eleven after losing to Valencia

Manchester United earned their first Premier League win in five games with a comfortable 4-1 victory over bottom side Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday.

With record signing Paul Pogba on the bench once more, United wasted no time in finding their rhythm, as Ashley Young scored his first goal in all competitons for United since 2017 to break the deadlock in the 13th minute.

Juan Mata stroked home a second to score his 50th Premier League goal in the 28th minute, before Romelu Lukaku scored his first home goal since March to make it 3-0 before halftime.

Coming into the encounter with a negative goal difference, United were in need of a confidence-building performance and a contest against the Premier League's most porous defence was just what the doctor ordered.

Fulham remained under the cosh after the break but managed a consolation through Aboubakar Kamara's penalty.

But Andre-Frank Anguissa was sent off for Fulham before Marcus Rashford scored a fourth late on to complete a miserable afternoon for Claudio Ranieri's strugglers.

A first three points in the league since early November ensured United climbed to sixth, seven points off the top four, with Chelsea in fifth not in action until later on Saturday.

Fulham remain bottom, three points from the safety zone.

"The players have shown they can be a better team than they are," manager Jose Mourinho said. "At times it was beautiful football. The first half was perfect. We were really good. We needed it."

Lukaku's inclusion was one of four changes to the side that drew against Arsenal in midweek, meaning Mourinho has made 50 changes to his starting line-up already this season.

One of those other changes, Young, got the ball rolling, nutmegging his marker to slot home, before an equally fine finish from Mata saw him reach his goalscoring half century.

Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico was then called into a action once more, keeping out a fierce Rashford strike, before Mata cut the ball back for Lukuku to score his first Old Trafford goal in 997 minutes in all competitions.

"The first half was only Manchester United with powerful qualities," Ranieri said. "Second half was much better. We had the desire to do our best."

After the break, Ander Herrera missed a glorious chance to make it four, before the Spaniard felled Kamara in the box to concede a penalty, which Kamara converted with ease.

Anguissa's red card after earning his second yellow made things yet more difficult for Fulham, before Rashford completed the rout eight minutes from time, squeezing his effort in at the near post.

Manchester United earned their first Premier League win in five games with a comfortable 4-1 victory over bottom side Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday. With record signing Paul Pogba on the bench once more, United wasted no time in finding their rhythm, as Ashley Young scored his first goal in all competitons for United since 2017 to break the deadlock in the 13th minute.

Manchester United earned their first Premier League win in five games with a comfortable 4-1 victory over bottom side Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday. With record signing Paul Pogba on the bench once more, United wasted no time in finding their rhythm, as Ashley Young scored his first goal in all competitons for United since 2017 to break the deadlock in the 13th minute. Juan Mata stroked home a second to score his 50th Premier League goal in the 28th minute, before Romelu Lukaku scored his first home goal since March to make it 3-0 before halftime. Coming into the encounter with a negative goal difference, United were in need of a confidence-building performance and a contest against the Premier League's most porous defence was just what the doctor ordered. Fulham remained under the cosh after the break but managed a consolation through Aboubakar Kamara's penalty. But Andre-Frank Anguissa was sent off for Fulham before Marcus Rashford scored a fourth late on to complete a miserable afternoon for Claudio Ranieri's strugglers. A first three points in the league since early November ensured United climbed to sixth, seven points off the top four, with Chelsea in fifth not in action until later on Saturday. Fulham remain bottom, three points from the safety zone. "The players have shown they can be a better team than they are," manager Jose Mourinho said. "At times it was beautiful football. The first half was perfect. We were really good. We needed it." Lukaku's inclusion was one of four changes to the side that drew against Arsenal in midweek, meaning Mourinho has made 50 changes to his starting line-up already this season. One of those other changes, Young, got the ball rolling, nutmegging his marker to slot home, before an equally fine finish from Mata saw him reach his goalscoring half century. Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico was then called into a action once more, keeping out a fierce Rashford strike, before Mata cut the ball back for Lukuku to score his first Old Trafford goal in 997 minutes in all competitions. "The first half was only Manchester United with powerful qualities," Ranieri said. "Second half was much better. We had the desire to do our best." After the break, Ander Herrera missed a glorious chance to make it four, before the Spaniard felled Kamara in the box to concede a penalty, which Kamara converted with ease. Anguissa's red card after earning his second yellow made things yet more difficult for Fulham, before Rashford completed the rout eight minutes from time, squeezing his effort in at the near post.

Manchester United crush Fulham for first league win in five games

Southampton have appointed Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl as manager on a 2-1/2-year contract after firing Welshman Mark Hughes, the struggling Premier League club said in a statement on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old former RB Leipzig coach will take charge on Thursday, the day after Saints play Tottenham Hotspur in the league at Wembley.

Southampton sacked Hughes after a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United last weekend left the south-coast club in the relegation zone with one win from 14 league matches.

Hasenhuttl guided newly-promoted Leipzig to second place in the Bundesliga in the 2016-17 season before leaving last May after a dispute over a new contract.

Former Austria forward will be Saints' fourth manager in two years with Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino also being sacked since Ronald Koeman left for Everton in 2016.

"This manager change offers us a fresh start and, very quickly, Ralph emerged as our ideal candidate," Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger said in a statement.

"As a coach, he embodies the passion, structure, communication skill set, work ethic and appetite for growth that we strive for in our Southampton Way."

Saints Radar

Krueger said Hasenhuttl had been on Southampton's radar since he was at FC Ingolstadt and took the German side up to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2015.

"As soon as we met, Ralph’s enthusiasm for football was contagious and his hunger to take on a new and challenging job in the Premier League was evident," added Krueger.

"In our discussions, he very quickly aligned himself with the values and the vision of the club."

Southampton said he would be supported by existing first team assistant coach Kelvin Davis, head of goalkeeping Dave Watson and head of sports science Alek Gross.

The change of manager has been welcomed by many Southampton supporters who were frustrated at Hughes' inability to get the most from a talented squad.

The Welshman helped Saints narrowly avoid the drop last season by finishing 17th in the table, but this term they sit 18th in the standings after seven defeats.

Their only league win this season came against Crystal Palace in September and success-starved fans have seen Southampton win only one league match at home in the past 12 months -- a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in April.

Southampton have appointed Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl as manager on a 2-1/2-year contract after firing Welshman Mark Hughes, the struggling Premier League club said in a statement on Wednesday.

Southampton have appointed Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl as manager on a 2-1/2-year contract after firing Welshman Mark Hughes, the struggling Premier League club said in a statement on Wednesday. The 51-year-old former RB Leipzig coach will take charge on Thursday, the day after Saints play Tottenham Hotspur in the league at Wembley. Southampton sacked Hughes after a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United last weekend left the south-coast club in the relegation zone with one win from 14 league matches. Hasenhuttl guided newly-promoted Leipzig to second place in the Bundesliga in the 2016-17 season before leaving last May after a dispute over a new contract. Former Austria forward will be Saints' fourth manager in two years with Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino also being sacked since Ronald Koeman left for Everton in 2016. "This manager change offers us a fresh start and, very quickly, Ralph emerged as our ideal candidate," Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger said in a statement. "As a coach, he embodies the passion, structure, communication skill set, work ethic and appetite for growth that we strive for in our Southampton Way." Saints Radar Krueger said Hasenhuttl had been on Southampton's radar since he was at FC Ingolstadt and took the German side up to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2015. "As soon as we met, Ralph’s enthusiasm for football was contagious and his hunger to take on a new and challenging job in the Premier League was evident," added Krueger. "In our discussions, he very quickly aligned himself with the values and the vision of the club." Southampton said he would be supported by existing first team assistant coach Kelvin Davis, head of goalkeeping Dave Watson and head of sports science Alek Gross. The change of manager has been welcomed by many Southampton supporters who were frustrated at Hughes' inability to get the most from a talented squad. The Welshman helped Saints narrowly avoid the drop last season by finishing 17th in the table, but this term they sit 18th in the standings after seven defeats. Their only league win this season came against Crystal Palace in September and success-starved fans have seen Southampton win only one league match at home in the past 12 months -- a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in April.

Southampton appoint Ralph Hasenhuttl as new manager

Manchester United remain distant spectators in a Premier League title race in which Liverpool continue to chase Manchester City but showed plenty of spirit as they twice equalised in a 2-2 draw with in-form Arsenal at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Liverpool also fell behind but stormed back to beat Burnley 3-1 and cut the gap on leaders Manchester City to two points.

Tottenham Hotspur climbed to third with a 3-1 win over Southampton while Chelsea hung on to fourth spot, above Arsenal on goal difference, despite a 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers who ended a run of six games without a win.

Storm clouds have been gathering over Jose Mourinho's misfiring United side and on a wet night in the north west they again looked well short of being contenders for the top four.

It was the first United v Arsenal clash since 1986 not featuring either Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger in the dugout.

On this occasion it was Wenger's successor Unai Emery who would had more to be satisfied as his Arsenal side stretched their unbeaten run to 20 matches -- although United boss Jose Mourinho also took comfort from a result that left his side 18 points behind leaders Manchester City.

"This is a performance of big soul and heart," Mourinho said. "But even from our bench you could feel the little panic when the ball comes to our defensive third."

Mourinho, who left Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku out of his starting lineup, said his side "scored all four goals".

He could not have expected keeper David de Gea to suffer the sort of panic that keeps undermining his side.

De Gea should have comfortably held Shkodran Mustafi's 26th-minute downward header but merely juggled it over his head and over the line.

Anthony Martial levelled six minutes later from close range, Ander Herrera pulling the ball back after Marcos Rojo's free kick was well-saved by Bernd Leno.

Rojo forced Leno into a fine save but it was Arsenal who led again in the 68th minute when Alexandre Lacazette got the final touch but the advantage lasted less than a minute as Arsenal's defence allowed Jesse Lingard to steal in and slide a shot under Leno.

De Gea made crucial late saves to deny Arsenal a first league win at Old Trafford since 2006.

"I think we controlled the game, the second half better than the first," Emery said. "We could have won this match in certain moments, but they equalised very quickly after both our goals."

Best Start

After Manchester City beat Watford on Tuesday to go five points clear, Liverpool responded well as their best start to a top-flight season continued after falling behind at Turf Moor.

James Milner levelled for the Reds after Jack Cork's surprise opener and substitute Roberto Firmino set Liverpool on course for a 12th win in 15 league games with his first touch before Xherdan Shaqiri rounded things off.

"I was really happy we could just adjust a few tactical things (at halftime)," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said after his side's 12th in 15 games.

"I shouted a lot in the first half but I wasn't angry."

His only concern was a nasty-looking ankle injury sustained by Joe Gomez in the first half.

Tottenham Hotspur shook off their north London derby defeat by Arsenal with Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min all on target for Mauricio Pochettino's side at Wembley where new Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl watched from the stands.

Tottenham have 33 points, six behind Liverpool, and two more than Chelsea and Arsenal.

Chelsea took the lead early through Ruben Loftus-Cheek but Wolves replied with quickfire goals by Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota as Chelsea lost for the second time in three games.

"We played very well for 55 minutes and then suddenly we were another team," Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said.

Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri welcomed his old club Leicester City to Craven Cottage and shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw while Everton were held 1-1 at home by Newcastle United.

Southampton, Burnley and Fulham occupy the three relegation spots with nine points each.

Manchester United remain distant spectators in a Premier League title race in which Liverpool continue to chase Manchester City but showed plenty of spirit as they twice equalised in a 2-2 draw with in-form Arsenal at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Manchester United remain distant spectators in a Premier League title race in which Liverpool continue to chase Manchester City but showed plenty of spirit as they twice equalised in a 2-2 draw with in-form Arsenal at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Liverpool also fell behind but stormed back to beat Burnley 3-1 and cut the gap on leaders Manchester City to two points. Tottenham Hotspur climbed to third with a 3-1 win over Southampton while Chelsea hung on to fourth spot, above Arsenal on goal difference, despite a 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers who ended a run of six games without a win. Storm clouds have been gathering over Jose Mourinho's misfiring United side and on a wet night in the north west they again looked well short of being contenders for the top four. It was the first United v Arsenal clash since 1986 not featuring either Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger in the dugout. On this occasion it was Wenger's successor Unai Emery who would had more to be satisfied as his Arsenal side stretched their unbeaten run to 20 matches -- although United boss Jose Mourinho also took comfort from a result that left his side 18 points behind leaders Manchester City. "This is a performance of big soul and heart," Mourinho said. "But even from our bench you could feel the little panic when the ball comes to our defensive third." Mourinho, who left Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku out of his starting lineup, said his side "scored all four goals". He could not have expected keeper David de Gea to suffer the sort of panic that keeps undermining his side. De Gea should have comfortably held Shkodran Mustafi's 26th-minute downward header but merely juggled it over his head and over the line. Anthony Martial levelled six minutes later from close range, Ander Herrera pulling the ball back after Marcos Rojo's free kick was well-saved by Bernd Leno. Rojo forced Leno into a fine save but it was Arsenal who led again in the 68th minute when Alexandre Lacazette got the final touch but the advantage lasted less than a minute as Arsenal's defence allowed Jesse Lingard to steal in and slide a shot under Leno. De Gea made crucial late saves to deny Arsenal a first league win at Old Trafford since 2006. "I think we controlled the game, the second half better than the first," Emery said. "We could have won this match in certain moments, but they equalised very quickly after both our goals." Best Start After Manchester City beat Watford on Tuesday to go five points clear, Liverpool responded well as their best start to a top-flight season continued after falling behind at Turf Moor. James Milner levelled for the Reds after Jack Cork's surprise opener and substitute Roberto Firmino set Liverpool on course for a 12th win in 15 league games with his first touch before Xherdan Shaqiri rounded things off. "I was really happy we could just adjust a few tactical things (at halftime)," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said after his side's 12th in 15 games. "I shouted a lot in the first half but I wasn't angry." His only concern was a nasty-looking ankle injury sustained by Joe Gomez in the first half. Tottenham Hotspur shook off their north London derby defeat by Arsenal with Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min all on target for Mauricio Pochettino's side at Wembley where new Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl watched from the stands. Tottenham have 33 points, six behind Liverpool, and two more than Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea took the lead early through Ruben Loftus-Cheek but Wolves replied with quickfire goals by Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota as Chelsea lost for the second time in three games. "We played very well for 55 minutes and then suddenly we were another team," Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said. Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri welcomed his old club Leicester City to Craven Cottage and shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw while Everton were held 1-1 at home by Newcastle United. Southampton, Burnley and Fulham occupy the three relegation spots with nine points each.

Manchester United battle to draw with Arsenal, Liverpool march on

Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini struck a controversial stoppage-time winner to bring blessed relief to Old Trafford after a laboured 1-0 win over Young Boys edged them into the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

United's struggles at home and their fans' disenchantment had looked set to continue as it seemed that, for the first time in their history, they were going to fail to score at their own ground in a European tie for three matches in a row.

Yet, after largely dominating the match while being betrayed by a blunt edge up front, Belgian Fellaini turned to shoot home in the 91st minute, despite the ball appearing to come off his hand as he swivelled to strike it.

"For me it was not a handball," he told BT Sport. "If it touched my hand, it was not on purpose."

United, though, were also grateful for the right hand of goalkeeper David de Gea, who made a truly remarkable second-half save at full stretch from a deflected Ulisses Garcia strike, clawing the ball off the line at full stretch.

It was so brilliant that it even prompted United manager Jose Mourinho to hail the Spaniard as "the best goalkeeper in the world."

The save came as the Swiss champions grew in confidence in the second half, encouraged by the prosaic efforts of United, who struggled to create chances and squandered the few they did fashion.

Marcus Rashford, one of their livelier players, was also their most wasteful, missing five opportunities, including an outstanding one in the opening five minutes.

The relief around Old Trafford when Fellaini turned to fire his effort through the legs of defender Loris Benito was so pronounced that an emotional Mourinho even picked up and hurled the pitchside drinks holder furiously to the ground.

The late win after another sub-par performance at least ensured United qualified from Group H as they moved on to 10 points, two behind leaders Juventus who beat Valencia 1-0 to eliminate the Spaniards who have five. Young Boys are on one.

"The most important thing is to qualify and for some of my lovers, and those that like stats, I am 14 seasons in the Champions League and 14 times my teams have qualified through to the group stages," Mourinho told BT Sport.

"The season I was not in the Champions League, I won the Europa League."

On a wet night at Old Trafford enlivened by the sight of 3,000 visiting fans all in yellow rain macs cheering on the underdogs, United began brightly, even with Mourinho having left Paul Pogba on the bench and omitted Alexis Sanchez.

The Frenchman scored twice in the corresponding fixture in Berne when United won 3-0 and it looked from the start, as Rashford chipped over when one-on-one with keeper David von Ballmoos, as if it could be a comfortable night for the hosts.

Rashford forced another sharp save from Von Ballmoos on the quarter-hour and fired one wide 10 minutes later with his exciting approach play betrayed by poor finishing as United began to perform in now-familiar stodgy fashion.

Young Boys created barely an opportunity but could have sneaked the lead just before halftime had it not been for Djibril Sow's attempt at an over-elaborate back-heel finish.

Rashford's profligacy continued after the break when he sliced wide with his left foot before Fellaini hoiked another volleyed opportunity skywards.

It all encouraged the visitors to come out of their shells and Garcia forced the incredible stop from De Gea as the Swiss side looked increasingly dangerous.

"We're thankful for David pulling off an unbelievable save but we dug in there, kept going and, okay, it wasn't pretty but we won the game." said United defender Phil Jones.

"It takes the pressure off going to Spain but we need to finish the group strongly."

Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini struck a controversial stoppage-time winner to bring blessed relief to Old Trafford after a laboured 1-0 win over Young Boys edged them into the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini struck a controversial stoppage-time winner to bring blessed relief to Old Trafford after a laboured 1-0 win over Young Boys edged them into the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday. United's struggles at home and their fans' disenchantment had looked set to continue as it seemed that, for the first time in their history, they were going to fail to score at their own ground in a European tie for three matches in a row. Yet, after largely dominating the match while being betrayed by a blunt edge up front, Belgian Fellaini turned to shoot home in the 91st minute, despite the ball appearing to come off his hand as he swivelled to strike it. "For me it was not a handball," he told BT Sport. "If it touched my hand, it was not on purpose." United, though, were also grateful for the right hand of goalkeeper David de Gea, who made a truly remarkable second-half save at full stretch from a deflected Ulisses Garcia strike, clawing the ball off the line at full stretch. It was so brilliant that it even prompted United manager Jose Mourinho to hail the Spaniard as "the best goalkeeper in the world." The save came as the Swiss champions grew in confidence in the second half, encouraged by the prosaic efforts of United, who struggled to create chances and squandered the few they did fashion. Marcus Rashford, one of their livelier players, was also their most wasteful, missing five opportunities, including an outstanding one in the opening five minutes. The relief around Old Trafford when Fellaini turned to fire his effort through the legs of defender Loris Benito was so pronounced that an emotional Mourinho even picked up and hurled the pitchside drinks holder furiously to the ground. The late win after another sub-par performance at least ensured United qualified from Group H as they moved on to 10 points, two behind leaders Juventus who beat Valencia 1-0 to eliminate the Spaniards who have five. Young Boys are on one. "The most important thing is to qualify and for some of my lovers, and those that like stats, I am 14 seasons in the Champions League and 14 times my teams have qualified through to the group stages," Mourinho told BT Sport. "The season I was not in the Champions League, I won the Europa League." On a wet night at Old Trafford enlivened by the sight of 3,000 visiting fans all in yellow rain macs cheering on the underdogs, United began brightly, even with Mourinho having left Paul Pogba on the bench and omitted Alexis Sanchez. The Frenchman scored twice in the corresponding fixture in Berne when United won 3-0 and it looked from the start, as Rashford chipped over when one-on-one with keeper David von Ballmoos, as if it could be a comfortable night for the hosts. Rashford forced another sharp save from Von Ballmoos on the quarter-hour and fired one wide 10 minutes later with his exciting approach play betrayed by poor finishing as United began to perform in now-familiar stodgy fashion. Young Boys created barely an opportunity but could have sneaked the lead just before halftime had it not been for Djibril Sow's attempt at an over-elaborate back-heel finish. Rashford's profligacy continued after the break when he sliced wide with his left foot before Fellaini hoiked another volleyed opportunity skywards. It all encouraged the visitors to come out of their shells and Garcia forced the incredible stop from De Gea as the Swiss side looked increasingly dangerous. "We're thankful for David pulling off an unbelievable save but we dug in there, kept going and, okay, it wasn't pretty but we won the game." said United defender Phil Jones. "It takes the pressure off going to Spain but we need to finish the group strongly."

Manchester United qualify after controversial late Fellaini winner

Manchester United's David de Gea was hailed as the best keeper in the world by his manager Jose Mourinho after the Spaniard's amazing second-half save was instrumental in his side qualifying for the Champions League last 16 on November 27.

"He is the best goalkeeper in the world. If our ambitions are to have the best in the world, we have to keep him," Mourinho told reporters after one extraordinary save in the Group H game again demonstrated the Spaniard's value to United.

"First of all let me send a message to my lovers and say that I play Champions League for 14 years and I qualify 14 times. And the year, the two years where I didn't play Champions League I won the Europa League twice. So, in 16 years, 14 times I qualify and twice I play Europa League and I won. Just a little curiosity for my lovers and the lovers of the stats," Mourinho added.

Following a last-gasp 1-0 win over Young Boys at Old Trafford, Mourinho was also adamant that it was crucial to United's ambitions to keep the 28-year-old, who has been linked with French champions Paris St Germain.

The home side had been labouring and, with the Swiss champions growing in confidence, a 70th-minute Ulisses Garcia shot took a deflection and looked to have put the visitors ahead until De Gea flung himself backwards to claw the ball to safety.

Goal-line technology demonstrated that the ball was on the line when he somehow managed to perform his acrobatic heroics.

United went on to grab a 91st-minute winner thanks to a Marouane Fellaini strike, with the Belgian appearing to touch the ball with his arm as he swivelled to strike it.

Spain international De Gea has been at the centre of a drawn-out contract saga at United, who have failed to nail him down with a new deal this year. The most recent British media reports say he will move to PSG in the close season.

Mourinho, who went on to pick up and hurl a drinks container to the ground after the winning goal, admitted his "relief" that it meant United would now not have to suffer a nervous night in Valencia in the final round of group matches.

His United side, though, had gone through a now-familiar lengthy struggle to earn the win, raising more questions about their chances of going much further in the knockout stages.

The Portuguese coach also had a reminder for his 'lovers' by telling his critics that he has qualified for the Champions League 14 times and won the Europa League twice.

Manchester United's David de Gea was hailed as the best keeper in the world by his manager Jose Mourinho after the Spaniard's amazing second-half save was instrumental in his side qualifying for the Champions League last 16 on November 27.

Manchester United's David de Gea was hailed as the best keeper in the world by his manager Jose Mourinho after the Spaniard's amazing second-half save was instrumental in his side qualifying for the Champions League last 16 on November 27. "He is the best goalkeeper in the world. If our ambitions are to have the best in the world, we have to keep him," Mourinho told reporters after one extraordinary save in the Group H game again demonstrated the Spaniard's value to United. "First of all let me send a message to my lovers and say that I play Champions League for 14 years and I qualify 14 times. And the year, the two years where I didn't play Champions League I won the Europa League twice. So, in 16 years, 14 times I qualify and twice I play Europa League and I won. Just a little curiosity for my lovers and the lovers of the stats," Mourinho added. Following a last-gasp 1-0 win over Young Boys at Old Trafford, Mourinho was also adamant that it was crucial to United's ambitions to keep the 28-year-old, who has been linked with French champions Paris St Germain. The home side had been labouring and, with the Swiss champions growing in confidence, a 70th-minute Ulisses Garcia shot took a deflection and looked to have put the visitors ahead until De Gea flung himself backwards to claw the ball to safety. Goal-line technology demonstrated that the ball was on the line when he somehow managed to perform his acrobatic heroics. United went on to grab a 91st-minute winner thanks to a Marouane Fellaini strike, with the Belgian appearing to touch the ball with his arm as he swivelled to strike it. Spain international De Gea has been at the centre of a drawn-out contract saga at United, who have failed to nail him down with a new deal this year. The most recent British media reports say he will move to PSG in the close season. Mourinho, who went on to pick up and hurl a drinks container to the ground after the winning goal, admitted his "relief" that it meant United would now not have to suffer a nervous night in Valencia in the final round of group matches. His United side, though, had gone through a now-familiar lengthy struggle to earn the win, raising more questions about their chances of going much further in the knockout stages. The Portuguese coach also had a reminder for his 'lovers' by telling his critics that he has qualified for the Champions League 14 times and won the Europa League twice.

Mourinho has message for 'lovers', smashes water bottles as United win

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Manchester+United">Manchester United</a> coach <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Jose+Mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a> has asked his players to stay at home and watch the match on TV if they cannot handle the pressure to perform at Old Trafford against Young Boys in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Champions+League">UEFA Champions League</a>.

"If you feel pressure, stay at home. When I say home, I don't mean the stadium, I mean home, home and watch on TV. If you feel pressure to play where the people come to support, come on. I never feel pressure to play at home," he said.

The United manager spoke of his frustrations with his team's sub-par performances before the match against Swiss side Young Boys, saying he wanted his players "not to be reactive but proactive".

"I want the team to start strong, I want the team to have a go immediately and it is a bit frustrating," he said.

Mourinho said defender Victor Lindelof would likely be out of action for "quite a while" with an injury.

"(Lindelof) does the scan (Tuesday) but, by the experience of the medical department and the feelings of the player, he has a muscular problem and a muscular problem takes time," he added.

"I would say if we have him for the Christmas period -- where we need, if possible, every player to be available for that difficult period until the Newcastle match on January 2 -- if we can have Victor available for that period, it will be good."

Manchester United will go against Youngs boys on November 27. United stands at the second position in Group H on League table whereas Young Boys are places at last with just one point.

Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has asked his players to stay at home and watch the match on TV if they cannot handle the pressure to perform at Old Trafford against Young Boys in UEFA Champions League.

Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has asked his players to stay at home and watch the match on TV if they cannot handle the pressure to perform at Old Trafford against Young Boys in UEFA Champions League. "If you feel pressure, stay at home. When I say home, I don't mean the stadium, I mean home, home and watch on TV. If you feel pressure to play where the people come to support, come on. I never feel pressure to play at home," he said. The United manager spoke of his frustrations with his team's sub-par performances before the match against Swiss side Young Boys, saying he wanted his players "not to be reactive but proactive". "I want the team to start strong, I want the team to have a go immediately and it is a bit frustrating," he said. Mourinho said defender Victor Lindelof would likely be out of action for "quite a while" with an injury. "(Lindelof) does the scan (Tuesday) but, by the experience of the medical department and the feelings of the player, he has a muscular problem and a muscular problem takes time," he added. "I would say if we have him for the Christmas period -- where we need, if possible, every player to be available for that difficult period until the Newcastle match on January 2 -- if we can have Victor available for that period, it will be good." Manchester United will go against Youngs boys on November 27. United stands at the second position in Group H on League table whereas Young Boys are places at last with just one point.

If you feel pressure, stay at home and watch on TV, says Man United coach Mourinho

Tottenham Hotspur ended Chelsea's unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a breathtaking display of attacking football at Wembley that saw them seal an emphatic 3-1 win and refresh their title challenge on Saturday.

The win moved Spurs up to third but unbeaten Manchester City still looked in a class of their own at the top as Leroy Sane scored twice in a 4-0 stroll over West Ham United at the London Stadium.

It put City onto 35 points from 13 matches but nearest pursuers Liverpool, also still unbeaten, remained just two points behind the champions, keeping up the pressure with a 3-0 win at Watford.

Much had been made of the unbeaten runs of City, Liverpool and Chelsea but Spurs had, quietly, made an impressive start to their own campaign and were at their brilliant best at a raucous Wembley.

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After City and Liverpool had won, the writing was quickly on the wall for Maurizio Sarri's men in the day's late fixture as Chelsea went 2-0 down inside 16 minutes to goals from Dele Alli and Harry Kane.

Spurs added a sensational third when Son Heung-min carried the ball from inside his own half, beat two men with ease before finishing neatly.

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⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️<a href="https://twitter.com/LFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LFC</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/MoSalah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoSalah</a> has SIX goals in his last three <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a> appearances against Watford <a href="https://t.co/KPqDfMbNLo">pic.twitter.com/KPqDfMbNLo</a>
— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1066474316227928064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Substitute Olivier Giroud added a late consolation for Chelsea but Spurs' win moved them on to 30 points, now two points clear of their London rivals.

"We created a lot of chances. If we had been more clinical we could have scored more, it was a great performance by everyone," Alli told BT Sport.

Sane's double along with goals from David Silva and Raheem Sterling helped Man City record their eighth consecutive victory.

Worryingly for the rest of the league, City manager Pep Guardiola felt his side could have played much better.

"We are a humble team and today we weren't at our best, too many touches, our passing was not good enough but our running was fantastic," he said.

Juergen Klopp's Liverpool had to be patient at Vicarage Road but were rewarded when Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino netted late goals that subdued Watford. The only downside was captain Jordan Henderson being shown a red card for two bookable offences but Klopp was more focused on his side's spirit.

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🦊 <a href="https://twitter.com/vardy7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vardy7</a>'s penalty secured a point for <a href="https://twitter.com/LCFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LCFC</a> at Brighton - and ended a run of 468 minutes without a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a> goal for the Leicester striker 
 
Report 👉 <a href="https://t.co/rT9R2n7wp9">https://t.co/rT9R2n7wp9</a> <a href="https://t.co/JHyIX7gz5s">pic.twitter.com/JHyIX7gz5s</a>
— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1066461480172863489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"I think it (the result) tells the story because we stayed stubborn, they defended and counter-attacked so we had a few really good moments we didn't score which is not a big problem if we stay on track.

"How we closed down the game was just brilliant especially the third goal."

Elsewhere, Manchester United failed to close the gap on the top four as they were held by Crystal Palace – the sixth time they have failed to win in the league at Old Trafford this season. "Frustrating," United manager Jose Mourinho said. "The objective was to start well this period of eight matches until December. We did not win one point, we lost two. We did not have enough aggression or intensity to kill."

Claudio Ranieri celebrated a winning return to the Premier League as his Fulham team moved off the foot of the table with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton at Craven Cottage. Two goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic helped Fulham record their first top-flight win since August to make it a dream first game in charge for Ranieri. "It was important to come back and come back with a victory. It is a little step but important for the enthusiasm and everything." the Italian said.

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RANIERI BOUNCE Fulham’s 3-2 win over Southampton was their first win in 10 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a> matches - having lost 7 of the past 9 
 
Read all about a thriller at Craven Cottage 👉 <a href="https://t.co/vl1MFS3wBr">https://t.co/vl1MFS3wBr</a> <a href="https://t.co/mpPJSjFqQM">pic.twitter.com/mpPJSjFqQM</a>
— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1066524393088720897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Jamie Vardy netted his first goal since September as 10-man Leicester City secured a 1-1 draw with Brighton &amp; Hove Albion. Brighton thought they were heading for all three points after Glenn Murray put them ahead early in the first half and James Maddison was sent off after 30 minutes. Everton moved into the top six as Gylfi Sigurdsson's close-range finish after 59 minutes sealed a 1-0 win over Cardiff City who remained in the bottom three.

Tottenham Hotspur ended Chelsea's unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a breathtaking display of attacking football at Wembley that saw them seal an emphatic 3-1 win and refresh their title challenge on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur ended Chelsea's unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a breathtaking display of attacking football at Wembley that saw them seal an emphatic 3-1 win and refresh their title challenge on Saturday. The win moved Spurs up to third but unbeaten Manchester City still looked in a class of their own at the top as Leroy Sane scored twice in a 4-0 stroll over West Ham United at the London Stadium. It put City onto 35 points from 13 matches but nearest pursuers Liverpool, also still unbeaten, remained just two points behind the champions, keeping up the pressure with a 3-0 win at Watford. Much had been made of the unbeaten runs of City, Liverpool and Chelsea but Spurs had, quietly, made an impressive start to their own campaign and were at their brilliant best at a raucous Wembley. David Silva's on fire 🔥 The @ManCity midfield maestro has scored in four consecutive competitive appearances for the first time in his eight years at the club 👏 pic.twitter.com/fz10LdiGx2 — Premier League (@premierleague) November 25, 2018 × After City and Liverpool had won, the writing was quickly on the wall for Maurizio Sarri's men in the day's late fixture as Chelsea went 2-0 down inside 16 minutes to goals from Dele Alli and Harry Kane. Spurs added a sensational third when Son Heung-min carried the ball from inside his own half, beat two men with ease before finishing neatly. ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️@LFC's @MoSalah has SIX goals in his last three #PL appearances against Watford pic.twitter.com/KPqDfMbNLo — Premier League (@premierleague) November 24, 2018 × Substitute Olivier Giroud added a late consolation for Chelsea but Spurs' win moved them on to 30 points, now two points clear of their London rivals. "We created a lot of chances. If we had been more clinical we could have scored more, it was a great performance by everyone," Alli told BT Sport. Sane's double along with goals from David Silva and Raheem Sterling helped Man City record their eighth consecutive victory. Worryingly for the rest of the league, City manager Pep Guardiola felt his side could have played much better. "We are a humble team and today we weren't at our best, too many touches, our passing was not good enough but our running was fantastic," he said. Juergen Klopp's Liverpool had to be patient at Vicarage Road but were rewarded when Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino netted late goals that subdued Watford. The only downside was captain Jordan Henderson being shown a red card for two bookable offences but Klopp was more focused on his side's spirit. 🦊 @vardy7's penalty secured a point for @LCFC at Brighton - and ended a run of 468 minutes without a #PL goal for the Leicester striker Report 👉 https://t.co/rT9R2n7wp9 pic.twitter.com/JHyIX7gz5s — Premier League (@premierleague) November 24, 2018 × "I think it (the result) tells the story because we stayed stubborn, they defended and counter-attacked so we had a few really good moments we didn't score which is not a big problem if we stay on track. "How we closed down the game was just brilliant especially the third goal." Elsewhere, Manchester United failed to close the gap on the top four as they were held by Crystal Palace – the sixth time they have failed to win in the league at Old Trafford this season. "Frustrating," United manager Jose Mourinho said. "The objective was to start well this period of eight matches until December. We did not win one point, we lost two. We did not have enough aggression or intensity to kill." Claudio Ranieri celebrated a winning return to the Premier League as his Fulham team moved off the foot of the table with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton at Craven Cottage. Two goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic helped Fulham record their first top-flight win since August to make it a dream first game in charge for Ranieri. "It was important to come back and come back with a victory. It is a little step but important for the enthusiasm and everything." the Italian said. RANIERI BOUNCE Fulham’s 3-2 win over Southampton was their first win in 10 #PL matches - having lost 7 of the past 9 Read all about a thriller at Craven Cottage 👉 https://t.co/vl1MFS3wBr pic.twitter.com/mpPJSjFqQM — Premier League (@premierleague) November 25, 2018 × Jamie Vardy netted his first goal since September as 10-man Leicester City secured a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton thought they were heading for all three points after Glenn Murray put them ahead early in the first half and James Maddison was sent off after 30 minutes. Everton moved into the top six as Gylfi Sigurdsson's close-range finish after 59 minutes sealed a 1-0 win over Cardiff City who remained in the bottom three.

Spurs end Chelsea run as Man City, Liverpool forge on

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was disappointed with his side's performance after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/spurs-end-chelsea-run-as-man-city-liverpool-forge-on-179280">a goalless draw against Crystal Palace</a> on Saturday in the Premier League clash. He accused his players of not playing "from the heart" at Old Trafford.

"It was not enough from the heart. You must play with brain. You must play also with heart. I think not enough heart," said Mourinho during the post-match press conference.

He further said, "We should also blame ourselves for the results because we started really well. We did the most difficult thing, apart of score, which is to find the spaces to play against the team that is very closed."

"We played the game like one more game (like just another game). I don't think the game is one more game, I think it is a game that we really need to win."

The result left United in seventh place on 21 points from 13 games, 14 adrift of leaders Manchester City and six behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

"You must play also with heart"

Adding to that, he said, "Probably I have to make certain choices based on heart, and then probably I will blame myself because I will think heart is not enough and I'm missing here some quality."

He credited Palace for their performance which allowed them to snap their six-match losing streak against the Red Devils.

"I think they, Crystal Palace, they deserve the credit. They deserve, because they come for this. And they got it, and they fought for it, and they gave everything for it. So I think they deserve their credit," he concluded.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was disappointed with his side's performance after a goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League clash.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was disappointed with his side's performance after a goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League clash. He accused his players of not playing "from the heart" at Old Trafford. "It was not enough from the heart. You must play with brain. You must play also with heart. I think not enough heart," said Mourinho during the post-match press conference. He further said, "We should also blame ourselves for the results because we started really well. We did the most difficult thing, apart of score, which is to find the spaces to play against the team that is very closed." "We played the game like one more game (like just another game). I don't think the game is one more game, I think it is a game that we really need to win." The result left United in seventh place on 21 points from 13 games, 14 adrift of leaders Manchester City and six behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. "You must play also with heart" Adding to that, he said, "Probably I have to make certain choices based on heart, and then probably I will blame myself because I will think heart is not enough and I'm missing here some quality." He credited Palace for their performance which allowed them to snap their six-match losing streak against the Red Devils. "I think they, Crystal Palace, they deserve the credit. They deserve, because they come for this. And they got it, and they fought for it, and they gave everything for it. So I think they deserve their credit," he concluded.

Manchester United didn't play 'from the heart' against Crystal Palace: Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has reopened his feud with former Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas on Friday after claiming he is behind a campaign to oust David de Gea from the national team.

The Manchester United stopper came in for renewed criticism last week following Spain's 3-2 Nations League defeat to Croatia, which cost them a place in the semi-finals and led to Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga taking his place for the subsequent friendly win over Bosnia on Sunday.

But Mourinho hinted his former Real Madrid stopper Casillas, who has been linked with a possible return to international duty, is behind a media-driven campaign to drive the United player out of the Spain team.&nbsp;

"Why (is there) criticism in Spain? Do you know?” said Mourinho.

"I know. It is because there is somebody very powerful that is thinking about 'jumping' again but I think it's very difficult to jump when you have the best goalkeeper in the world in front of you."

De Gea was among a number of leading Spanish internationals whose displays in a disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia were widely criticised.

Mourinho and Casillas had a stormy relationship during the Portuguese manager's three years in charge at Real and have taken verbal swipes at each other ever since.

Mourinho said that the veteran keeper, 37 and now at Porto, was using his extensive media contacts to pile pressure on De Gea rather than exert influence on Spain manager Luis Enrique.

"No, not on the manager," said Mourinho. "I know him very well, the manager. But (on the media), yes."

Jose Mourinho has reopened his feud with former Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas on Friday after claiming he is behind a campaign to oust David de Gea from the national team.

Jose Mourinho has reopened his feud with former Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas on Friday after claiming he is behind a campaign to oust David de Gea from the national team. The Manchester United stopper came in for renewed criticism last week following Spain's 3-2 Nations League defeat to Croatia, which cost them a place in the semi-finals and led to Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga taking his place for the subsequent friendly win over Bosnia on Sunday. But Mourinho hinted his former Real Madrid stopper Casillas, who has been linked with a possible return to international duty, is behind a media-driven campaign to drive the United player out of the Spain team. "Why (is there) criticism in Spain? Do you know?” said Mourinho. "I know. It is because there is somebody very powerful that is thinking about 'jumping' again but I think it's very difficult to jump when you have the best goalkeeper in the world in front of you." De Gea was among a number of leading Spanish internationals whose displays in a disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia were widely criticised. Mourinho and Casillas had a stormy relationship during the Portuguese manager's three years in charge at Real and have taken verbal swipes at each other ever since. Mourinho said that the veteran keeper, 37 and now at Porto, was using his extensive media contacts to pile pressure on De Gea rather than exert influence on Spain manager Luis Enrique. "No, not on the manager," said Mourinho. "I know him very well, the manager. But (on the media), yes."

Casillas behind anti-De Gea campaign, says Jose Mourinho

The Football Association is seeking an explanation from Pep Guardiola regarding his comments about referee Anthony Taylor prior to last weekend's Manchester derby, British media reported Monday.&nbsp;

Manchester City boss Guardiola did not appear to say anything controversial or critical about the official but the FA, English football's governing body has made it clear previously it would prefer managers not to make any public comment at all about referees.

Taylor, hails from the Manchester suburb of Wythenshawe, near Manchester United's Old Trafford ground.

That led some City fans to question his impartiality ahead of Sunday's match at the Etihad Stadium.

But the Premier League have long been happy to let Altrincham fan Taylor handle some of the division's biggest games.

"He is going to try to do the best job like we try as managers and football players," said Guardiola when asked about the referee at his pre-match press conference.&nbsp;

"Mr Taylor is going to try to make a good time. I don't think too much. The important thing is to focus on our game, of course knowing which opponent we are going to face, and that's all.

"Hopefully they can make good decisions for both sides and (it will) be a good game -- all England, all parts of Europe are going to watch us, that is the most important pleasure.

"The referee doesn't want to make a mistake but he knows everybody around the world is going to watch him. He doesn't want to make mistakes, that is pretty sure.

"But if he is a fan of United or City? Anybody can be a fan of whoever he wants. No problem."&nbsp;

None of Taylor's decisions proved controversial in a match City, the reigning Premier League champions, won 3-1 to return to the top of the table.

The Football Association is seeking an explanation from Pep Guardiola regarding his comments about referee Anthony Taylor prior to last weekend's Manchester derby, British media reported Monday.

The Football Association is seeking an explanation from Pep Guardiola regarding his comments about referee Anthony Taylor prior to last weekend's Manchester derby, British media reported Monday. Manchester City boss Guardiola did not appear to say anything controversial or critical about the official but the FA, English football's governing body has made it clear previously it would prefer managers not to make any public comment at all about referees. Taylor, hails from the Manchester suburb of Wythenshawe, near Manchester United's Old Trafford ground. That led some City fans to question his impartiality ahead of Sunday's match at the Etihad Stadium. But the Premier League have long been happy to let Altrincham fan Taylor handle some of the division's biggest games. "He is going to try to do the best job like we try as managers and football players," said Guardiola when asked about the referee at his pre-match press conference. "Mr Taylor is going to try to make a good time. I don't think too much. The important thing is to focus on our game, of course knowing which opponent we are going to face, and that's all. "Hopefully they can make good decisions for both sides and (it will) be a good game -- all England, all parts of Europe are going to watch us, that is the most important pleasure. "The referee doesn't want to make a mistake but he knows everybody around the world is going to watch him. He doesn't want to make mistakes, that is pretty sure. "But if he is a fan of United or City? Anybody can be a fan of whoever he wants. No problem." None of Taylor's decisions proved controversial in a match City, the reigning Premier League champions, won 3-1 to return to the top of the table.

FA probe Guardiola's referee remarks: Reports

Premier League leaders Manchester City turned on the style with a 3-1 win over Manchester United in their derby clash on Sunday, leaving Pep Guardiola's unbeaten side two points clear of Liverpool.

David Silva fired City ahead in the 12th minute after a Raheem Sterling cross from the left was turned back across the goal by Bernardo Silva and the Spaniard took his time before blasting home.

City doubled their lead in the third minute after the interval - Aguero bursting goalwards and playing a clever exchange with Riyad Mahrez, before thumping the ball, from a tight angle, past David de Gea.

United manager Jose Mourinho brought on Romelu Lukaku for Jesse Lingard in the 57th minute and within seconds the Belgian forward helped get his team back in the game.

Lukaku was brought down inside the area by City keeper Ederson and French forward Anthony Martial confidently converted the spot kick.

But four minutes from the end City secured the victory, their 10th in 12 games this season, when the influential Bernardo Silva picked out substitute Ilkay Gundogan in the area and the German made no mistake as he made it 3-1.

Eighth-placed United are now 12 points behind City.

Premier League leaders Manchester City turned on the style with a 3-1 win over Manchester United in their derby clash on Sunday, leaving Pep Guardiola's unbeaten side two points clear of Liverpool.

Premier League leaders Manchester City turned on the style with a 3-1 win over Manchester United in their derby clash on Sunday, leaving Pep Guardiola's unbeaten side two points clear of Liverpool. David Silva fired City ahead in the 12th minute after a Raheem Sterling cross from the left was turned back across the goal by Bernardo Silva and the Spaniard took his time before blasting home. City doubled their lead in the third minute after the interval - Aguero bursting goalwards and playing a clever exchange with Riyad Mahrez, before thumping the ball, from a tight angle, past David de Gea. United manager Jose Mourinho brought on Romelu Lukaku for Jesse Lingard in the 57th minute and within seconds the Belgian forward helped get his team back in the game. Lukaku was brought down inside the area by City keeper Ederson and French forward Anthony Martial confidently converted the spot kick. But four minutes from the end City secured the victory, their 10th in 12 games this season, when the influential Bernardo Silva picked out substitute Ilkay Gundogan in the area and the German made no mistake as he made it 3-1. Eighth-placed United are now 12 points behind City.

Manchester City beat Manchester United to go top of Premier League

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