Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct for comments made to the referee during last weeekend&#39;s Premier League match against Burnley, the FA said on Tuesday.

Mourinho was sent to the stands by referee Mark Clattenburg for the second half of the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday after reportedly complaining about a penalty decision that did not go United&#39;s way.

&quot;It is alleged that in or around the tunnel area at halftime he used abusive and/or insulting words towards a Match Official,&quot; the FA said.

Mourinho was also charged with misconduct by the FA last week for comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor ahead of United&#39;s Premier League game against Liverpool.

(Reuters)

Mourinho was sent to the stands by referee Mark Clattenburg for the second half of the match between United and Burnley

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct for comments made to the referee during last weeekend's Premier League match against Burnley, the FA said on Tuesday. Mourinho was sent to the stands by referee Mark Clattenburg for the second half of the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday after reportedly complaining about a penalty decision that did not go United's way. "It is alleged that in or around the tunnel area at halftime he used abusive and/or insulting words towards a Match Official," the FA said. Mourinho was also charged with misconduct by the FA last week for comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor ahead of United's Premier League game against Liverpool. (Reuters)

Man United boss Mourinho slapped with second misconduct charge

Former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger&#39;s exile came to an end on Monday as he returned to first-team training.

Pictures posted on the club&#39;s social media accounts featured the 32-year-old training with team-mates ahead of Thursday&#39;s match at Fenerbahce.

Since United manager Jose Mourinho&#39;s arrival Schweinsteiger has not played and was also left out from United&#39;s Europe League squad.

&quot;It&#39;s great to see him back,&quot; United left-back Luke Shaw told AFP at United&#39;s training complex.

&quot;We found out the news a couple of days ago and it&#39;s so great to have him back. He&#39;s a big influence in the dressing room and obviously on the pitch, especially for the young players like myself. It&#39;s a great boost for us, the experience and the quality that he brings.&quot;

Former United captain Bryan Robon also hailed Schweinsteiger&#39;s return.

&quot;Bastian&#39;s a great lad, speaks perfect English, has got great quality and vast experience,&quot; Robson said at the launch of a United deal with Chinese mattress firm Mlily.

&quot;For me he could definitely help the group, on the confidence side and just the know-how on how to play the game in that central role. I still think he could be valuable to the squad.&quot;

Mourinho had criticised Shaw after United lost 3-1 at Watford last month and was left out of the squad for their recent 4-0 loss to Chelsea.

Shaw said that although he was &quot;unhappy&quot; to miss the game against Chelsea but there were no issues between him and the manager.&nbsp;

&quot;I really wanted to play that game,&quot; said Shaw. &quot;But at the end of the day it&#39;s the manager&#39;s decision. After the game I spoke with him about it and I 100 percent agreed with what he said and why I wasn&#39;t involved. Obviously we&#39;ll keep that between us two. But it&#39;s been really good the last couple of games. I&#39;ve felt fitter and stronger.&quot;

(With inputs from AFP)

Pictures posted on the club's social media accounts featured the 32-year-old training with team-mates

Former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger's exile came to an end on Monday as he returned to first-team training. Pictures posted on the club's social media accounts featured the 32-year-old training with team-mates ahead of Thursday's match at Fenerbahce. Since United manager Jose Mourinho's arrival Schweinsteiger has not played and was also left out from United's Europe League squad. "It's great to see him back," United left-back Luke Shaw told AFP at United's training complex. "We found out the news a couple of days ago and it's so great to have him back. He's a big influence in the dressing room and obviously on the pitch, especially for the young players like myself. It's a great boost for us, the experience and the quality that he brings." Former United captain Bryan Robon also hailed Schweinsteiger's return. "Bastian's a great lad, speaks perfect English, has got great quality and vast experience," Robson said at the launch of a United deal with Chinese mattress firm Mlily. "For me he could definitely help the group, on the confidence side and just the know-how on how to play the game in that central role. I still think he could be valuable to the squad." Mourinho had criticised Shaw after United lost 3-1 at Watford last month and was left out of the squad for their recent 4-0 loss to Chelsea. Shaw said that although he was "unhappy" to miss the game against Chelsea but there were no issues between him and the manager. "I really wanted to play that game," said Shaw. "But at the end of the day it's the manager's decision. After the game I spoke with him about it and I 100 percent agreed with what he said and why I wasn't involved. Obviously we'll keep that between us two. But it's been really good the last couple of games. I've felt fitter and stronger." (With inputs from AFP)

Football: Schweinsteiger's exile ends, rejoins Man Utd training

Juan Mata swept home to steer Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over holders and bitter local rivals Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho got one over old adversary Pep Guardiola.

Mata rifled in a low finish past City keeper Willy Caballero early in the second half at Old Trafford on a night of few chances but plenty of derby fervour as United boss Mourinho won the tactical battle against Guardiola&#39;s much-changed City side.

The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday&#39;s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but for his old sparring partner, Guardiola, it was a sixth successive game without victory, his longest winless streak as a manager.

West Ham United also moved into the last eight after they overcame Chelsea 2-1 in a London derby spoiled by ugly scenes of fan violence at the end of the game, while Southampton heaped more misery on struggling Sunderland with a 1-0 victory.

Recent results and the gathering pressure on both Mourinho and Guardiola ensured the clash at Old Trafford had all the usual spice of a derby encounter even if City made nine changes to their side against a virtually full-strength United team.

City should have gone ahead after two minutes, but Kelechi Iheanacho darted in front of his marker to direct his header hopelessly off target from close range.

United offered little attacking threat, but gained control of possession as the match wore on and were the more dangerous side for most of the encounter.

It took until the start of the second half, however, for them to create a meaningful chance when Paul Pogba&#39;s low shot was turned onto the post by Caballero, sparking an onslaught from the home side that ended with Mata&#39;s opener on 54 minutes.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic shrugged off a challenge then played the ball back towards Ander Herrera, who went down dramatically in the box but Mata was following up to powerfully steer the ball home.

Derby Knockout

Then it was just a case of holding on, which they did comfortably, as Mourinho recorded his fourth victory over Guardiola in a rivalry spanning 18 matches.

The greater satisfaction for the Portuguese, however, seemed to be erasing some of the negativity of Sunday&#39;s thrashing by his former club Chelsea.

&quot;The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling,&quot; he said.

West Ham&#39;s woeful start to the season is turning round and the revival continued in the first derby at their new London Stadium home.

Tight security arrangements, including a ban on the sale of alcohol in the vicinity of the Olympic Park, was intended to prevent flashpoints off the pitch, but there were still ugly scenes towards the end as rival fans clashed behind the goal with several seats being ripped out.

On the pitch, a vibrant West Ham proved too strong for a Chelsea side much-changed from their weekend trouncing of Manchester United.

Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers on their way to a third consecutive win with a thumping header from skipper Mark Noble&rsquo;s driven cross after 11 minutes and Edimilson Fernandes beat Asmir Begovic with a low shot three minutes after the restart.

Gary Cahill did grab a Chelsea consolation in stoppage time but by that time all eyes were on stewards trying to keep rival fans apart.

Southampton&#39;s record signing Sofiane Boufal scored from long range in the second half in their 1-0 victory over Sunderland, a fourth defeat in five games for Sunderland manager David Moyes.

(Reuters)

The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea

Juan Mata swept home to steer Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over holders and bitter local rivals Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho got one over old adversary Pep Guardiola. Mata rifled in a low finish past City keeper Willy Caballero early in the second half at Old Trafford on a night of few chances but plenty of derby fervour as United boss Mourinho won the tactical battle against Guardiola's much-changed City side. The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but for his old sparring partner, Guardiola, it was a sixth successive game without victory, his longest winless streak as a manager. West Ham United also moved into the last eight after they overcame Chelsea 2-1 in a London derby spoiled by ugly scenes of fan violence at the end of the game, while Southampton heaped more misery on struggling Sunderland with a 1-0 victory. Recent results and the gathering pressure on both Mourinho and Guardiola ensured the clash at Old Trafford had all the usual spice of a derby encounter even if City made nine changes to their side against a virtually full-strength United team. City should have gone ahead after two minutes, but Kelechi Iheanacho darted in front of his marker to direct his header hopelessly off target from close range. United offered little attacking threat, but gained control of possession as the match wore on and were the more dangerous side for most of the encounter. It took until the start of the second half, however, for them to create a meaningful chance when Paul Pogba's low shot was turned onto the post by Caballero, sparking an onslaught from the home side that ended with Mata's opener on 54 minutes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic shrugged off a challenge then played the ball back towards Ander Herrera, who went down dramatically in the box but Mata was following up to powerfully steer the ball home. Derby Knockout Then it was just a case of holding on, which they did comfortably, as Mourinho recorded his fourth victory over Guardiola in a rivalry spanning 18 matches. The greater satisfaction for the Portuguese, however, seemed to be erasing some of the negativity of Sunday's thrashing by his former club Chelsea. "The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling," he said. West Ham's woeful start to the season is turning round and the revival continued in the first derby at their new London Stadium home. Tight security arrangements, including a ban on the sale of alcohol in the vicinity of the Olympic Park, was intended to prevent flashpoints off the pitch, but there were still ugly scenes towards the end as rival fans clashed behind the goal with several seats being ripped out. On the pitch, a vibrant West Ham proved too strong for a Chelsea side much-changed from their weekend trouncing of Manchester United. Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers on their way to a third consecutive win with a thumping header from skipper Mark Noble’s driven cross after 11 minutes and Edimilson Fernandes beat Asmir Begovic with a low shot three minutes after the restart. Gary Cahill did grab a Chelsea consolation in stoppage time but by that time all eyes were on stewards trying to keep rival fans apart. Southampton's record signing Sofiane Boufal scored from long range in the second half in their 1-0 victory over Sunderland, a fourth defeat in five games for Sunderland manager David Moyes. (Reuters)

Football: ManU beat holders Man City 1-0, reach League Cup quarter-final

Chelsea made it a miserable return for Jose Mourinho as they hammered his Manchester United side 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League.

Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 30 seconds and Chelsea did not look back, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N&#39;Golo Kante completing an emphatic victory.

He saw his side squander a chance to level when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed over after Antonio Valencia had stood up a cross from the right.

More slack defending allowed Chelsea to double their lead in the 21st minute, Cahill slamming home after Hazard&#39;s corner had struck Ander Herrera and bounced down inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been relatively untroubled up to that point, although he produced a smart double save to repel Herrera&#39;s left-foot effort and Jesse Lingard&#39;s follow-up.

It was an ideal first half for Chelsea, but David Luiz was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs in Marouane Fellaini&#39;s knee five minutes before half-time.

Mourinho changed tack at half-time, sending on Juan Mata for Fellaini and moving Marcus Rashford up front alongside Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-2 formation.

Lingard sought to sound the revolt for United, wriggling away from a pair of Chelsea players and unleashing a crisp drive that Courtois had to push away.

But in the 62nd minute it was game over. Nemanja Matic&#39;s pass down the inside-left channel found Hazard, who checked inside Smalling and steered a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Kante completed the rout, darting between Smalling and the sleep-walking Paul Pogba to tuck away his first Chelsea goal since his close-season switch from Leicester City.

Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. With seven major titles across two spells, Mourinho is Chelsea&#39;s most successful ever manager, but his return to his old stomping ground ended in one of the most chastening results of his career.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side have now won three consecutive league games without conceding a goal and climbed to fourth place, just a point below leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Pedro, Cahill, Hazard & Kante ripped apart Manchester United's poor defence, taking Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League standings

Chelsea made it a miserable return for Jose Mourinho as they hammered his Manchester United side 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League. Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 30 seconds and Chelsea did not look back, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante completing an emphatic victory. He saw his side squander a chance to level when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed over after Antonio Valencia had stood up a cross from the right. More slack defending allowed Chelsea to double their lead in the 21st minute, Cahill slamming home after Hazard's corner had struck Ander Herrera and bounced down inside the six-yard box. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been relatively untroubled up to that point, although he produced a smart double save to repel Herrera's left-foot effort and Jesse Lingard's follow-up. It was an ideal first half for Chelsea, but David Luiz was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs in Marouane Fellaini's knee five minutes before half-time. Mourinho changed tack at half-time, sending on Juan Mata for Fellaini and moving Marcus Rashford up front alongside Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-2 formation. Lingard sought to sound the revolt for United, wriggling away from a pair of Chelsea players and unleashing a crisp drive that Courtois had to push away. But in the 62nd minute it was game over. Nemanja Matic's pass down the inside-left channel found Hazard, who checked inside Smalling and steered a shot into the bottom-right corner. Kante completed the rout, darting between Smalling and the sleep-walking Paul Pogba to tuck away his first Chelsea goal since his close-season switch from Leicester City. Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. With seven major titles across two spells, Mourinho is Chelsea's most successful ever manager, but his return to his old stomping ground ended in one of the most chastening results of his career. Antonio Conte's side have now won three consecutive league games without conceding a goal and climbed to fourth place, just a point below leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. (AFP)

Football: Chelsea thrash Mourinho's Manchester United 4-0

One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday.

After all the hype preceding the battle between English football&#39;s fiercest rivals, United&#39;s manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool&#39;s acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics.

The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho.&nbsp;

Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth on 17, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Portuguese sounded particularly satisfied as he suggested United&#39;s ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown &quot;they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are&quot;.

Klopp, though, talked of &quot;mixed feelings&quot;, admitting it had been a poor spectacle.

&quot;I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better.

&quot;We get a point. It doesn&#39;t feel like the best thing but it is what we got.&quot;

His usually whirlwind Liverpool were effectively subdued in the first half as Mourinho reverted to conservative type, bringing in Marouane Fellaini to partner Ander Herrera in a stifling central midfield combination.

Throwing men behind the ball and taking the voice out of the passionate home crowd, United controlled most of the play in the opening half-hour even if a 40-metre Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick blasted into row Z was their lowest of highlights.

Liverpool, without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and forced to leave Adam Lallana on the bench, never got going, with Daniel Sturridge proving disappointing, and they looked nervous in front of their fevered fans.

It took them more than half an hour before a Roberto Firmino header straight at De Gea represented their first attempt on goal.

It was only after the break that they began to show glimpses of their true colours, Can wriggling through to force a fine one-handed save from De Gea at full stretch before the Spanish keeper delivered an even finer stop, flying through the air to tip Coutinho&#39;s curler wide.

A brilliant last-gasp challenge by Antonio Valencia deprived Firmino but United, for all their solidity, had only one effort on target and looked back ruefully on their best chance, a tame header across goal from Ibrahimovic after a great delivery from Paul Pogba.

(Reuters)

Man United, seventh in the table, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth

One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday. After all the hype preceding the battle between English football's fiercest rivals, United's manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool's acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics. The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho. Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth on 17, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal. The Portuguese sounded particularly satisfied as he suggested United's ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown "they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are". Klopp, though, talked of "mixed feelings", admitting it had been a poor spectacle. "I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better. "We get a point. It doesn't feel like the best thing but it is what we got." His usually whirlwind Liverpool were effectively subdued in the first half as Mourinho reverted to conservative type, bringing in Marouane Fellaini to partner Ander Herrera in a stifling central midfield combination. Throwing men behind the ball and taking the voice out of the passionate home crowd, United controlled most of the play in the opening half-hour even if a 40-metre Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick blasted into row Z was their lowest of highlights. Liverpool, without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and forced to leave Adam Lallana on the bench, never got going, with Daniel Sturridge proving disappointing, and they looked nervous in front of their fevered fans. It took them more than half an hour before a Roberto Firmino header straight at De Gea represented their first attempt on goal. It was only after the break that they began to show glimpses of their true colours, Can wriggling through to force a fine one-handed save from De Gea at full stretch before the Spanish keeper delivered an even finer stop, flying through the air to tip Coutinho's curler wide. A brilliant last-gasp challenge by Antonio Valencia deprived Firmino but United, for all their solidity, had only one effort on target and looked back ruefully on their best chance, a tame header across goal from Ibrahimovic after a great delivery from Paul Pogba. (Reuters)

Liverpool, Manchester United play out drab draw

Ahead of Monday&#39;s game against Liverpool, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has asked supporters of both teams to show restraint when two of football&#39;s fiercest rivals face-off in the Premier League.

&quot;In football, we have some &#39;football tragedies&#39;, which is the big match that you lost, the mistake that some player did and you can make fun of it in a positive way. But the human tragedy is something much, much more serious and I think is the last thing somebody should use on a football pitch, Mourinho told the press. &quot;These need our respect, so I would be really sad if in such a big football match that was a negative point.&quot;

He was referring to last season&#39;s Europa League last-16 tie when both clubs were fined for chants mocking the Hillsborough and Munich tragedies faced by their teams.

In 1958, 23 people, including eight United players, died after their plane caught fire and crashed in Munich. In 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died after being crushed during an FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.

On Thursday, the two clubs also warned their supporters to behave in a joint statement.

Mourinho, who has faced Liverpool many times as Chelsea manager, also said he was looking forward to the match at Anfield and liked the atmosphere there.

&quot;I always like to play at Anfield. I won many times there, I also lost. I won big matches, I lost big matches. I cannot say I like to go there because I&#39;m always successful because it&#39;s not true. I like to go there, I like the atmosphere, said the Portuguese.

&quot;Being Man United manager obviously means something more because we cannot compare the historical rivalry between my previous club and Liverpool, Man United and Liverpool,&quot; he added. &quot;I&#39;m in England for a long time. Obviously I never played this match but I played many times against Liverpool, United. I understand the dimension of the clubs and now I understand better the history between the rivals.&quot;

&quot;In the end, it&#39;s just a big match. It can be comparable to Milan v Inter Milan, (Real) Madrid v Barcelona, maybe Porto v Benfica, maybe comparable to one of these matches.&quot;

He also clarified that the outcome would not impact United&#39;s season.

&quot;The season for me is not about the Anfield match though, or Old Trafford in January. It&#39;s about many matches, many points to win, many points to lose and targets to achieve.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Manchester United manager does not want a repeat of last season's debacle when both teams were fined for mocking each other

Ahead of Monday's game against Liverpool, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has asked supporters of both teams to show restraint when two of football's fiercest rivals face-off in the Premier League. "In football, we have some 'football tragedies', which is the big match that you lost, the mistake that some player did and you can make fun of it in a positive way. But the human tragedy is something much, much more serious and I think is the last thing somebody should use on a football pitch, Mourinho told the press. "These need our respect, so I would be really sad if in such a big football match that was a negative point." He was referring to last season's Europa League last-16 tie when both clubs were fined for chants mocking the Hillsborough and Munich tragedies faced by their teams. In 1958, 23 people, including eight United players, died after their plane caught fire and crashed in Munich. In 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died after being crushed during an FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough. On Thursday, the two clubs also warned their supporters to behave in a joint statement. Mourinho, who has faced Liverpool many times as Chelsea manager, also said he was looking forward to the match at Anfield and liked the atmosphere there. "I always like to play at Anfield. I won many times there, I also lost. I won big matches, I lost big matches. I cannot say I like to go there because I'm always successful because it's not true. I like to go there, I like the atmosphere, said the Portuguese. "Being Man United manager obviously means something more because we cannot compare the historical rivalry between my previous club and Liverpool, Man United and Liverpool," he added. "I'm in England for a long time. Obviously I never played this match but I played many times against Liverpool, United. I understand the dimension of the clubs and now I understand better the history between the rivals." "In the end, it's just a big match. It can be comparable to Milan v Inter Milan, (Real) Madrid v Barcelona, maybe Porto v Benfica, maybe comparable to one of these matches." He also clarified that the outcome would not impact United's season. "The season for me is not about the Anfield match though, or Old Trafford in January. It's about many matches, many points to win, many points to lose and targets to achieve." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Jose Mourinho asks supporters to behave ahead of United-Liverpool game

Manchester United dismantled Premier League champions Leicester in a ruthless 20-minute burst as Jose Mourinho&#39;s decision to drop Wayne Rooney was rewarded with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford on Saturday. 
 
Leicester imploded defensively as United racked up four goals between the 22nd and 42nd minutes. 
 
It was a stylish display from a United side who had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games, against Manchester City and Watford, with Chris Smalling opening the scoring after replacing Rooney as captain. 
 
Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, with his first United goal following his world record &pound;89 million ($115 million, 102 million euros) arrival from Juventus, were also on target after England captain Rooney was dropped to the substitutes&#39; bench. 
 
But it was a chastening afternoon for Leicester despite an improved second-half display and a brilliant consolation goal from half-time substitute Demarai Gray. 
 
It was the second successive Premier League away game in which Leicester had shipped four goals after doing so at Liverpool two weeks ago. 
 
Leicester held their own early on with Robert Huth lashing a shot just over but it was United who edged in front in the 22nd minute after some neat play wide on the left had forced a corner. 
 
It was delivered by Daley Blind and Smalling escaped the United defence to power home a header from six yards. 
 
Rashford should have doubled United&#39;s lead moments later when Leicester squandered possession and Zlatan Ibrahimovic galloped forwards and squared for the teenager. 
 
But Rashford&#39;s first touch was heavy and his shot flew over. 
 
Ibrahimovic then went close to a goal after collecting a fabulous pass by Pogba, but the Swede&#39;s effort on the turn just cleared the bar. 
 
Next it was Pogba&#39;s turn to let fly with an outrageous effort from 30 yards that bent towards the top corner but was forced away by Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. 
 
United finally added a second goal as they turned on the style eight minutes before half-time. 
 
Ander Herrera started the move with a fine ball to Mata before a clever pass by Pogba and a fine flick by Jesse Lingard allowed Mata to blast past Zieler. 
 
And the third goal arrived just two minutes later as Leicester handed a chance to Rashford which the youngster snapped up. 
 
The visitors were caught napping as Blind took a quick corner and Mata was free to square for an unmarked Rashford to finish from close range. 
 
Double change&nbsp;

It was 4-0 before half-time as another corner by Blind was headed in by Pogba as he leapt above Christian Fuchs. 
 
Leicester made a double change at half-time with key duo Vardy and Riyad Mahrez withdrawn ahead of the Champions League meeting with FC Porto on Tuesday. 
 
And they almost had some joy when David De Gea dived at the feet of Islam Slimani but gifted possession back to the visitors with a poor throw. 
 
Fuchs wasted the chance, however, with a poor cross. 
 
And at the other end Mata tried to add his second goal with a firm shot that Zieler parried well. 
 
It was one of the half-time substitutes who salvaged a modicum of respectability for Leicester with a goal of real quality on the hour-mark. 
 
Gray collected a crossfield pass from Daniel Amartey and cut inside Lingard before lashing a brilliant shot past a helpless De Gea from 25 yards. 
 
But United were soon back on the attack as Zieler made a smart save from Ibrahimovic. 
 
Two more Leicester substitutes combined for what should have been a second goal but Andy King produced a tame shot from a Jeff Schlupp cross and De Gea saved easily. 
 
Gray then went within a whisker of replicating his stunning goal with an almost identical effort which De Gea scrambled back to push over the bar. 
 
(AFP)

The United side had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games

Manchester United dismantled Premier League champions Leicester in a ruthless 20-minute burst as Jose Mourinho's decision to drop Wayne Rooney was rewarded with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford on Saturday. Leicester imploded defensively as United racked up four goals between the 22nd and 42nd minutes. It was a stylish display from a United side who had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games, against Manchester City and Watford, with Chris Smalling opening the scoring after replacing Rooney as captain. Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, with his first United goal following his world record £89 million ($115 million, 102 million euros) arrival from Juventus, were also on target after England captain Rooney was dropped to the substitutes' bench. But it was a chastening afternoon for Leicester despite an improved second-half display and a brilliant consolation goal from half-time substitute Demarai Gray. It was the second successive Premier League away game in which Leicester had shipped four goals after doing so at Liverpool two weeks ago. Leicester held their own early on with Robert Huth lashing a shot just over but it was United who edged in front in the 22nd minute after some neat play wide on the left had forced a corner. It was delivered by Daley Blind and Smalling escaped the United defence to power home a header from six yards. Rashford should have doubled United's lead moments later when Leicester squandered possession and Zlatan Ibrahimovic galloped forwards and squared for the teenager. But Rashford's first touch was heavy and his shot flew over. Ibrahimovic then went close to a goal after collecting a fabulous pass by Pogba, but the Swede's effort on the turn just cleared the bar. Next it was Pogba's turn to let fly with an outrageous effort from 30 yards that bent towards the top corner but was forced away by Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. United finally added a second goal as they turned on the style eight minutes before half-time. Ander Herrera started the move with a fine ball to Mata before a clever pass by Pogba and a fine flick by Jesse Lingard allowed Mata to blast past Zieler. And the third goal arrived just two minutes later as Leicester handed a chance to Rashford which the youngster snapped up. The visitors were caught napping as Blind took a quick corner and Mata was free to square for an unmarked Rashford to finish from close range. Double change It was 4-0 before half-time as another corner by Blind was headed in by Pogba as he leapt above Christian Fuchs. Leicester made a double change at half-time with key duo Vardy and Riyad Mahrez withdrawn ahead of the Champions League meeting with FC Porto on Tuesday. And they almost had some joy when David De Gea dived at the feet of Islam Slimani but gifted possession back to the visitors with a poor throw. Fuchs wasted the chance, however, with a poor cross. And at the other end Mata tried to add his second goal with a firm shot that Zieler parried well. It was one of the half-time substitutes who salvaged a modicum of respectability for Leicester with a goal of real quality on the hour-mark. Gray collected a crossfield pass from Daniel Amartey and cut inside Lingard before lashing a brilliant shot past a helpless De Gea from 25 yards. But United were soon back on the attack as Zieler made a smart save from Ibrahimovic. Two more Leicester substitutes combined for what should have been a second goal but Andy King produced a tame shot from a Jeff Schlupp cross and De Gea saved easily. Gray then went within a whisker of replicating his stunning goal with an almost identical effort which De Gea scrambled back to push over the bar. (AFP)

EPL: United thrash Leicester 4-1 without Rooney

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. 
 
Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday&#39;s big match. 
 
It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. 
 
The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. 
 
Although the &#39;Special One&#39; did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. 
 
For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford&#39;s harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. 
 
Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. 
 
Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. 
 
&quot;It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve,&quot; the Portuguese told reporters. 
 
United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. 
 
A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. 
 
Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. 
 
Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time United manager Jose Mourinho has lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday's big match. It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. Although the 'Special One' did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford's harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. "It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve," the Portuguese told reporters. United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. (Reuters)

Watford condemns Manchester United to third straight defeat

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United&#39;s rehabilitation will be a steady process but Friday&#39;s 2-0 win over Southampton indicated the team are quickly rediscovering their vim and verve under the new manager. 
 
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice while Paul Pogba, the world&#39;s most expensive player, impressed on his first outing in his second spell at the club, prompting the kind of atmosphere that has been increasingly rare in recent seasons of toil at Old Trafford. 
 
Mourinho, who replaced Dutchman Louis van Gaal in the close season, has called on the squad to bring the fear factor back to the stadium and even at this early stage of their development there seems to be an aura about United again. 
 
&quot;The players are happy with some details which belong to the nature of this club,&quot; said Mourinho after his side made it two wins from two Premier League matches this season. 
 
&quot;We can&#39;t be the same United of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s as football has changed a lot. 
 
&quot;There is an evolution in things and we have to go in relation to that. It&#39;s a natural evolution, step by step,&quot; added Mourinho. 
 
&quot;We brought to the game some aspects of the United culture, the first goal is a great example of that.&quot; 
 
Ibrahimovic, who met Wayne Rooney&#39;s fine cross with a thumping header in the 36th minute, led the line with an Eric Cantona-esque air of self-belief as United played with the swagger that has been missing since the retirement of all-conquering former manager Alex Ferguson in 2013. 
 
BIG PUZZLE 
 
&quot;We need to get used to winning,&quot; said Ibrahimovic, &quot;the mental part is important. 
 
&quot;Everything is new. It&#39;s like a big puzzle, we need to put the puzzle together.&quot; 
 
For the first time since 2000, the world&#39;s most expensive footballer has not been signed by Real Madrid, and while Pogba is a &#39;Galactico&#39; in every sense, his return &quot;home&quot;, as Ibrahimovic described it, can provide United with a big lift. 
 
&quot;I came here to win, that&#39;s what I always wanted,&quot; said the France midfielder who has gone back to his first club from Juventus for a fee of 89 million pounds ($116.35 million). 
 
&quot;We need to get used to winning and carry on like this. We dream big. United are a big club, I know we will do big things this season.&quot; 
 
Pogba gave a dynamic display, managing more interceptions than any other player and completing more dribbles. 
 
There was more than a hint of fellow countryman Patrick Vieira about his performance and United fans will be hoping they have finally found a long-awaited successor to former Ireland midfielder Roy Keane who shone under Ferguson. 
 
(Reuters)

Ibrahimovic scored twice while Paul Pogba, the world's most expensive player, impressed on his first outing in his second spell

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United's rehabilitation will be a steady process but Friday's 2-0 win over Southampton indicated the team are quickly rediscovering their vim and verve under the new manager. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice while Paul Pogba, the world's most expensive player, impressed on his first outing in his second spell at the club, prompting the kind of atmosphere that has been increasingly rare in recent seasons of toil at Old Trafford. Mourinho, who replaced Dutchman Louis van Gaal in the close season, has called on the squad to bring the fear factor back to the stadium and even at this early stage of their development there seems to be an aura about United again. "The players are happy with some details which belong to the nature of this club," said Mourinho after his side made it two wins from two Premier League matches this season. "We can't be the same United of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s as football has changed a lot. "There is an evolution in things and we have to go in relation to that. It's a natural evolution, step by step," added Mourinho. "We brought to the game some aspects of the United culture, the first goal is a great example of that." Ibrahimovic, who met Wayne Rooney's fine cross with a thumping header in the 36th minute, led the line with an Eric Cantona-esque air of self-belief as United played with the swagger that has been missing since the retirement of all-conquering former manager Alex Ferguson in 2013. BIG PUZZLE "We need to get used to winning," said Ibrahimovic, "the mental part is important. "Everything is new. It's like a big puzzle, we need to put the puzzle together." For the first time since 2000, the world's most expensive footballer has not been signed by Real Madrid, and while Pogba is a 'Galactico' in every sense, his return "home", as Ibrahimovic described it, can provide United with a big lift. "I came here to win, that's what I always wanted," said the France midfielder who has gone back to his first club from Juventus for a fee of 89 million pounds ($116.35 million). "We need to get used to winning and carry on like this. We dream big. United are a big club, I know we will do big things this season." Pogba gave a dynamic display, managing more interceptions than any other player and completing more dribbles. There was more than a hint of fellow countryman Patrick Vieira about his performance and United fans will be hoping they have finally found a long-awaited successor to former Ireland midfielder Roy Keane who shone under Ferguson. (Reuters)

Ibra, Pogba power Manchester United to 2-0 win over Southampton

Ryan Giggs has rejected an offer to stay at Manchester United and is ready to end his association with the club after 29 years, a British newspaper reported today.&nbsp; 
 
Giggs, who played 963 times for United after joining the club as a 14-year-old, worked as a coach under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.&nbsp; 
 
But the Daily Mail said he has decided against taking up an offer of a reduced role from new manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
&quot;Giggs representatives are now in negotiations with United over a pay-off for the final year of his contract,&quot; the Mail said.&nbsp; 
 
It was reported that Giggs has not spoken directly to Mourinho, who starts work at United on Monday. 
 
Giggs is likely to be questioned about his future on British television today when he starts work as an ITV pundit ahead of the Euro 2016 quarter-final between Poland and Portugal. 
 
The Welshman had been tipped as a future Manchester United manager but is now expected to seek a role with another club. 
 
(Reuters)

Ryan Giggs played 963 times for United after joining the club as a 14-year-old and also worked as coach under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

Ryan Giggs has rejected an offer to stay at Manchester United and is ready to end his association with the club after 29 years, a British newspaper reported today. Giggs, who played 963 times for United after joining the club as a 14-year-old, worked as a coach under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. But the Daily Mail said he has decided against taking up an offer of a reduced role from new manager Jose Mourinho. "Giggs representatives are now in negotiations with United over a pay-off for the final year of his contract," the Mail said. It was reported that Giggs has not spoken directly to Mourinho, who starts work at United on Monday. Giggs is likely to be questioned about his future on British television today when he starts work as an ITV pundit ahead of the Euro 2016 quarter-final between Poland and Portugal. The Welshman had been tipped as a future Manchester United manager but is now expected to seek a role with another club. (Reuters)

Giggs 'set to leave' Manchester United after 29 year of association

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that&nbsp;he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today:

League titles but no Champions League crown

Ibrahimovic&#39;s goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff.

Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic

Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. &quot;With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot,&quot; he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. &quot;Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep.&quot; Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh.

Opponents pay homage to &#39;God&#39;

Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons.&nbsp;Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their &quot;thanks&quot;&nbsp;for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. &quot;Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything.&quot;

Bikes, bed and docks

No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the &quot;beautiful game&quot;. Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed&nbsp;for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. &quot;We carried it home between us. It&#39;s fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn&rsquo;t pay the rent but he did that.&quot;

Literary Roth of God

Most footballer&#39;s autobiographies generally don&#39;t provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic&#39;s &#39;I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39; unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: &quot;She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, &#39;Darling, would you please pass me the milk?&#39;, whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other.&quot; Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth&#39;s fictional biography Portnoy&#39;s Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. 
 
(AFP)

'Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd', the 34-year-old said on Twitter today

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today: League titles but no Champions League crown Ibrahimovic's goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff. Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. "With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot," he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. "Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep." Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh. Opponents pay homage to 'God' Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons. Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their "thanks" for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. "Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything." Bikes, bed and docks No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the "beautiful game". Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. "We carried it home between us. It's fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn’t pay the rent but he did that." Literary Roth of God Most footballer's autobiographies generally don't provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic's 'I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic' unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: "She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, 'Darling, would you please pass me the milk?', whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other." Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth's fictional biography Portnoy's Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. (AFP)

Five Facts about Manchester United's sensational signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic

France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. 
 
British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23--year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. 
 
&ldquo;I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with (manager) Jose Mourinho,&quot; Pogba said in a statement on United&#39;s official wesbite (www.manutd.com). 
 
&quot;I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends. But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. 
 
&quot;I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can&rsquo;t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.&rdquo; 
 
Pogba is the latest of Mourinho&#39;s new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal. 
 
&quot;Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future,&quot; added Mourinho. 
 
&quot;He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. 
 
&quot;At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond.&quot; 
 
Great footballer 
 
The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering. 
 
&quot;Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best,&quot; Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus. 
 
Pogba joined Juventus in 2012, having come through Le Havre&#39;s youth system before moving to United&#39;s academy in 2009. 
 
He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club but was criticised after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France&#39;s Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil. 
 
Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave. 
 
The Frenchman made just seven first-team appearances for United, all off the bench. &quot;Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I&#39;d made my decision to leave,&quot; Pogba has said. 
 
He will now be reacquainted with Ferguson, who is a global ambassador at the club, but will take his orders from the uncompromising Mourinho who will demand a significant return on the club&#39;s world record investment in the Frenchman. 
 
United have not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford. 
 
(Reuters)

According to British media, Manchester United splashed out a record fee of 89 million pounds on Paul Pogba

France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23--year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. “I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with (manager) Jose Mourinho," Pogba said in a statement on United's official wesbite (www.manutd.com). "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends. But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. "I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can’t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.” Pogba is the latest of Mourinho's new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal. "Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future," added Mourinho. "He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. "At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond." Great footballer The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering. "Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best," Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus. Pogba joined Juventus in 2012, having come through Le Havre's youth system before moving to United's academy in 2009. He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club but was criticised after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France's Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil. Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave. The Frenchman made just seven first-team appearances for United, all off the bench. "Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I'd made my decision to leave," Pogba has said. He will now be reacquainted with Ferguson, who is a global ambassador at the club, but will take his orders from the uncompromising Mourinho who will demand a significant return on the club's world record investment in the Frenchman. United have not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford. (Reuters)

Pogba joins United from Juventus for world record fee

A man has been jailed for four weeks after attempting to break into Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho&#39;s London home, British police said today. 
 
Gabor Roman, a 25-year-old of no fixed address, was arrested on July 10 in the plush London street where the Portuguese boss lives.&nbsp;He appeared before a London court on Tuesday charged with attempted burglary. 
 
&quot;He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison,&quot; London&#39;s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. 
 
The Sun newspaper, which carried the story on its front page, said the incident took place while Mourinho was watching Portugal win the European Championships on television. 
 
The tabloid said his maid screamed as she saw Roman trying to get in a basement door.&nbsp;A private security guard hired by local residents noticed his unusual behaviour, going from house to house trying the doors.&nbsp;Following the scream, the guard blocked Roman as he tried to get away, The Sun said. 
 
It had a picture of Mourinho and his wife looking out of the window as Roman was arrested. 
 
(AFP)

Gabor Roman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison. The incident happened when Mourinho was watching the Euro 2016 final

A man has been jailed for four weeks after attempting to break into Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's London home, British police said today. Gabor Roman, a 25-year-old of no fixed address, was arrested on July 10 in the plush London street where the Portuguese boss lives. He appeared before a London court on Tuesday charged with attempted burglary. "He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. The Sun newspaper, which carried the story on its front page, said the incident took place while Mourinho was watching Portugal win the European Championships on television. The tabloid said his maid screamed as she saw Roman trying to get in a basement door. A private security guard hired by local residents noticed his unusual behaviour, going from house to house trying the doors. Following the scream, the guard blocked Roman as he tried to get away, The Sun said. It had a picture of Mourinho and his wife looking out of the window as Roman was arrested. (AFP)

Man jailed for attempting to break into Mourinho's home

Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club&#39;s Carrington training base on Monday. 
 
The Portuguese man travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: &quot;I am here/UNITED we can&quot;. 
 
He arrived at Carrington with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro on Monday morning. 
 
The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. 
 
Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his final match in charge, but in the Premier League he led the Red Devils to only fourth and fifth-placed finishes in his two seasons. 
 
Mourinho has already begun shaping his new squad to grace Old Trafford next season, with former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly high-profile new signings. 
 
The former Chelsea coach is also close to concluding a deal for Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. 
 
The German club announced on Saturday that Mkhitaryan was close to finalising a deal with United after they had accepted an &quot;enormously valuable offer&quot;. 
 
Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his second spell at Stamford Bridge unceremoniously ended after a disastrous start to the Blues&#39; league title defence last term. 
 
Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled as United head coach on Tuesday before the players start pre-season training the following day. 
 
The three-time European champions take on Dortmund and rivals Manchester City on their pre-season tour of China later in July. 
 
(AFP)

Other new high-profile signings include former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly

Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club's Carrington training base on Monday. The Portuguese man travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: "I am here/UNITED we can". He arrived at Carrington with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro on Monday morning. The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his final match in charge, but in the Premier League he led the Red Devils to only fourth and fifth-placed finishes in his two seasons. Mourinho has already begun shaping his new squad to grace Old Trafford next season, with former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly high-profile new signings. The former Chelsea coach is also close to concluding a deal for Borussia Dortmund's Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The German club announced on Saturday that Mkhitaryan was close to finalising a deal with United after they had accepted an "enormously valuable offer". Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his second spell at Stamford Bridge unceremoniously ended after a disastrous start to the Blues' league title defence last term. Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled as United head coach on Tuesday before the players start pre-season training the following day. The three-time European champions take on Dortmund and rivals Manchester City on their pre-season tour of China later in July. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho's coaching reign kicks off in Manchester United

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. 
 
United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football&#39;s third and fourth tiers, was made today. 
 
But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. 
 
In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 &#39;category one&#39; academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one &#39;invited&#39; club. 
 
Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London&#39;s Wembley Stadium on April 2. 
 
(AFP)

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament was made

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football's third and fourth tiers, was made today. But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 'category one' academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one 'invited' club. Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London's Wembley Stadium on April 2. (AFP)

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. 
 
The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top-flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League. 
 
The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Eric Bailly and according to local media reports, have been negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Paul Pogba. 
 
&quot;I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It&#39;s not just the new signings, we&#39;ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact,&quot; Rooney told the Daily Mail in an interview. 
 
Rooney, who will line up against boyhood club Everton in his testimonial at Old Trafford on Wednesday, also hopes United can secure the annual Community Shield against English champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester,&quot; Rooney added. &quot;I know it&#39;s a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on. We feel that&#39;s an important event for us.&quot; 
 
United, who thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly on Saturday, open their league campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. 
 
(Reuters)

The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Henrikh Mkhityaran, and defender Eric Bailly

Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top-flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League. The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Eric Bailly and according to local media reports, have been negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Paul Pogba. "I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It's not just the new signings, we've got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact," Rooney told the Daily Mail in an interview. Rooney, who will line up against boyhood club Everton in his testimonial at Old Trafford on Wednesday, also hopes United can secure the annual Community Shield against English champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday. "We're in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester," Rooney added. "I know it's a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on. We feel that's an important event for us." United, who thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly on Saturday, open their league campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. (Reuters)

Rooney expects rejuvenated ManU to challenge for Premier League title

Paul Pogba, midfielder 
 
Where will he ply his trade: Manchester United 
Empty nest syndrome: Juventus 
How much moolah did he cost: A world record sum of&nbsp;&euro;105 million. Staggering, yes. 
Why is he making news: As mentioned earlier, the 23-year-old midfield dynamo was bought for a world record fee 
 
Ilkay Gundogan, midfielder 
 
Home sweet home: Manchester City 
Parted away from: Borussia Dortmund 
Moolah: Roughly &euro;24m&nbsp; 
Why is he on the list: Bang for buck. An integral member of Klopp&#39;s team that threatened Bayern Munich&#39;s hegemony in Germany and caused more than a few flutters in Europe 
 
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, striker 
 
New subjects: Manchester United 
Left as a legend from: Paris Saint-Germain (better known as PSG) 
Money cost: He is King Zlatan. Money can&#39;t buy love and Zlatan 
Why did he make news: He is Zlatan, simples 
 
Sadio Mane, winger 
 
Which club will he dazzle: Liverpool 
Which club will miss him: Southampton 
How much did he cost: About&nbsp;&euro;39m 
Why is he making airwaves: He is fast, slippery, scores and creates goals 
 
Michy Batshuayi, striker 
 
He&#39;ll score goals at: Chelsea 
Which club will miss him: Marseille 
Money exchanged for him:&nbsp;&euro;40m 
Why on this list: Still green at 23 but scored 26 goals in 62 matches across the pond&nbsp; 
 
Granit Xhaka, midfielder 
 
Will introduce his silky touch at: Arsenal 
Stricken club: Borussia Monchengladbach 
Price: Roughly&nbsp;&euro;39 million 
Why on this list: Arsene Wenger&#39;s hawkish eye can perceive talent from far. Period 
 
Ahmed Musa, striker 
 
Which club will he scorch: Leicester City (who can leave them out from anything these days?) 
Alma mater: CSKA Moscow 
Price tag:&nbsp;&euro;18.5m (approx.) 
What will he bring to the club: Speed, speed and more speed 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

We run the rule on Pogba, Gundogan, Ibrahimovic, Mane, Batshuayi, Xhaka and Musa

Paul Pogba, midfielder Where will he ply his trade: Manchester United Empty nest syndrome: Juventus How much moolah did he cost: A world record sum of €105 million. Staggering, yes. Why is he making news: As mentioned earlier, the 23-year-old midfield dynamo was bought for a world record fee Ilkay Gundogan, midfielder Home sweet home: Manchester City Parted away from: Borussia Dortmund Moolah: Roughly €24m Why is he on the list: Bang for buck. An integral member of Klopp's team that threatened Bayern Munich's hegemony in Germany and caused more than a few flutters in Europe Zlatan Ibrahimovic, striker New subjects: Manchester United Left as a legend from: Paris Saint-Germain (better known as PSG) Money cost: He is King Zlatan. Money can't buy love and Zlatan Why did he make news: He is Zlatan, simples Sadio Mane, winger Which club will he dazzle: Liverpool Which club will miss him: Southampton How much did he cost: About €39m Why is he making airwaves: He is fast, slippery, scores and creates goals Michy Batshuayi, striker He'll score goals at: Chelsea Which club will miss him: Marseille Money exchanged for him: €40m Why on this list: Still green at 23 but scored 26 goals in 62 matches across the pond Granit Xhaka, midfielder Will introduce his silky touch at: Arsenal Stricken club: Borussia Monchengladbach Price: Roughly €39 million Why on this list: Arsene Wenger's hawkish eye can perceive talent from far. Period Ahmed Musa, striker Which club will he scorch: Leicester City (who can leave them out from anything these days?) Alma mater: CSKA Moscow Price tag: €18.5m (approx.) What will he bring to the club: Speed, speed and more speed

Premier League 2016/17: Top transfers, so far

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. 
 
Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club&#39;s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba&#39;s agent Mino Raiola. 
 
Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t confirm and I don&#39;t deny. I cannot tell you,&quot; Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he&#39;s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,&quot; said Mourinho. 
 
&quot;I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance.&quot; 
 
Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking &pound;100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. 
 
United are believed to have had an opening bid of &pound;86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of &pound;85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. 
 
Mourinho has already spent more than &pound;50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday&#39;s opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. 
 
Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. 
 
Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. 
 
Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

Reportedly Mourinho has made Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club's pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. "I don't confirm and I don't deny. I cannot tell you," Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. "I don't think it's correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he's a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do," said Mourinho. "I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August." "We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance." Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking £100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. United are believed to have had an opening bid of £86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. Mourinho has already spent more than £50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday's opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho tight-lipped on Paul Pogba's purported Manchester United move

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits the arrival of Jose Mourinho has given him added motivation for the season ahead. 
 
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has suggested he preferred to play Rooney in a more attacking role, rather than see him pull strings from midfield as he did under predecessor Louis van Gaal. 
 
Rooney will be looking to forge a formidable strike partnership with new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after a dearth of goals under the Dutchman last season. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really excited to be working with Jose this season,&quot; the 30-year-old told the club&#39;s official magazine. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s one of the best managers in the world and it&#39;s an exciting time for Manchester United.&nbsp;I&#39;ve always respected him both as a man and a manager.&nbsp;I like to think I&#39;m always motivated as a player, but I&#39;d be lying if I said I wasn&#39;t a bit more motivated when a new manager comes in.&nbsp;He&#39;ll bring all these qualities with him and I&#39;m sure he&#39;ll have his own ideas, but one of the biggest assets will be his experience.&quot; 
 
United begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. 
 
(Reuters)

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has suggested he'll play Rooney in a more exciting, attacking role

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits the arrival of Jose Mourinho has given him added motivation for the season ahead. Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has suggested he preferred to play Rooney in a more attacking role, rather than see him pull strings from midfield as he did under predecessor Louis van Gaal. Rooney will be looking to forge a formidable strike partnership with new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after a dearth of goals under the Dutchman last season. "I'm really excited to be working with Jose this season," the 30-year-old told the club's official magazine. "He's one of the best managers in the world and it's an exciting time for Manchester United. I've always respected him both as a man and a manager. I like to think I'm always motivated as a player, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit more motivated when a new manager comes in. He'll bring all these qualities with him and I'm sure he'll have his own ideas, but one of the biggest assets will be his experience." United begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. (Reuters)

Rooney looks forward to playing under new manager and alongside Ibrahimovic

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today backed Sam Allardyce&#39;s impending appointment as England manager saying he was a &quot;good choice&quot; for the job. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s the right person for that job,&quot; Mourinho told a news conference in Shanghai on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s a good choice. I think Sam never had a big chance at the highest level; lots of experience in the Premier League but never that big one and now he has the big one. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s more than ready.&quot; 
 
Allardyce is set to be chosen as new England manager at a Football Association board meeting at Wembley today, FA chairman Greg Dyke said. 
 
&quot;Big Sam&quot;, as the Sunderland manager is known, has been selected by a three-man FA panel from a shortlist that included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. 
 
Allardyce is also thought to have received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson and the new Old Trafford boss agrees. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s a good motivator. I think he can create a good team spirit with his players,&quot; said Mourinho. 
 
&quot;And I wish him the best from my side and not just as a friend but as a Manchester United manager. 
 
&quot;The only thing I can promise is that I am going to try to support him in the best way ...to have English players always available in conditions to help him. 
 
&quot;So good luck to Sam.&quot; 
 
Dyke told the UK&#39;s Sky Sports News that the board were due to rubber-stamp Allardyce&#39;s appointment. 
 
&quot;Clearly the three-man group are convinced he&#39;s the right man and I go along with that, yes. 
 
&quot;We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. 
 
&quot;They&#39;ve taken that decision and obviously we&#39;ll agree with them.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Big Sam, as the Sunderland manager is known, has been selected by a three-man Football Association panel

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today backed Sam Allardyce's impending appointment as England manager saying he was a "good choice" for the job. "I think it's the right person for that job," Mourinho told a news conference in Shanghai on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund. "I think he's a good choice. I think Sam never had a big chance at the highest level; lots of experience in the Premier League but never that big one and now he has the big one. "I think he's more than ready." Allardyce is set to be chosen as new England manager at a Football Association board meeting at Wembley today, FA chairman Greg Dyke said. "Big Sam", as the Sunderland manager is known, has been selected by a three-man FA panel from a shortlist that included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Allardyce is also thought to have received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson and the new Old Trafford boss agrees. "I think he's a good motivator. I think he can create a good team spirit with his players," said Mourinho. "And I wish him the best from my side and not just as a friend but as a Manchester United manager. "The only thing I can promise is that I am going to try to support him in the best way ...to have English players always available in conditions to help him. "So good luck to Sam." Dyke told the UK's Sky Sports News that the board were due to rubber-stamp Allardyce's appointment. "Clearly the three-man group are convinced he's the right man and I go along with that, yes. "We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. "They've taken that decision and obviously we'll agree with them." (AFP)

Sam Allardyce ready to lead English football: Jose Mourinho

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. 
 
&quot;Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd,&quot; the 34-year-old said. 
 
Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. 
 
United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. 
 
At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
(Reuters)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. "Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd," the 34-year-old said. Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. (Reuters)

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an &quot;improved offer&quot; for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club&#39;s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. 
 
The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
&quot;The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer,&quot; Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. 
 
&quot;In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. 
 
&quot;As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho&#39;s second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly&#39;s arrival from Villarreal. 
 
(Reuters)

The midfielder displayed good form for the German club which finished second in the Bundesliga last season

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an "improved offer" for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. "The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer," Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. "In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. "As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision." The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho's second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly's arrival from Villarreal. (Reuters)

United make 'improved offer' for Dortmund's Mkhitaryan

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose Mourinhos offer of a reduced backroom role, according to British media reports today. 
 
Giggs is the most decorated player in United illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. 
 
But the 42-year-old is set to quit United because he feels snubbed both by the clubs hierarchy, who reportedly told him he would be offered the chance to succeed van Gaal when the Dutchman left, and Mourinho, who opted not to give him a senior role in his coaching team. 
 
Giggs had one more year on his contract as assistant manager, but Mourinho was said to be concerned the former Wales winger had distanced himself from both Moyes and van Gaal rather than offering public support during the teams struggles in recent years. 
 
Mourinho was also believed to be worried that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former United colleague of Giggs, had become a very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal. 
 
Instead of risking a similar scenario during his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts work with United this week after his May appointment, will give the role of assistant manager to his long-time associate Rui Faria. 
 
Mourinhos only concession to Giggs was reported to have been the offer of a position overseeing the connection between United youth teams and the first team. 
 
But, after considering his options on a holiday in Dubai, he decided he was dissatisfied with that role and how the club has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson era.Although United hoped Giggs could be persuaded to stay on in a different role, he has decided to call time on almost three decades with the club. 
 
Giggs, who won two of his four matches as Uniteds caretaker manager following Moyes sacking in 2014, this week worked as a television pundit during Euro 2016. 
 
But, rather than go into the media, he is said to be keen to land a permanent managerial position and, according to the Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with his advisors over a pay-off for the final year of his contract, with an official statement expected in the coming days. 
 
Giggs has passed all his coaching badges, was linked with the managers job at Swansea last season and is unlikely to be short of coaching offers once the first managers are axed next season. Giggs, who joined United on his 14th birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the greatest moments in the clubs history during the golden reign of Ferguson, who was the Welshman`s only club manager until he retired in 2013. 
 
He turned professional aged 17 in November 1990 and made his first team debut against Everton in March 1991. 
 
Eventually becoming the most decorated British player of all time, Giggs won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and nine Community Shields. 
 
(AFP)

The Welsh winger played 963 times for United and won 35 major trophies before serving as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose Mourinhos offer of a reduced backroom role, according to British media reports today. Giggs is the most decorated player in United illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. But the 42-year-old is set to quit United because he feels snubbed both by the clubs hierarchy, who reportedly told him he would be offered the chance to succeed van Gaal when the Dutchman left, and Mourinho, who opted not to give him a senior role in his coaching team. Giggs had one more year on his contract as assistant manager, but Mourinho was said to be concerned the former Wales winger had distanced himself from both Moyes and van Gaal rather than offering public support during the teams struggles in recent years. Mourinho was also believed to be worried that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former United colleague of Giggs, had become a very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal. Instead of risking a similar scenario during his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts work with United this week after his May appointment, will give the role of assistant manager to his long-time associate Rui Faria. Mourinhos only concession to Giggs was reported to have been the offer of a position overseeing the connection between United youth teams and the first team. But, after considering his options on a holiday in Dubai, he decided he was dissatisfied with that role and how the club has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson era.Although United hoped Giggs could be persuaded to stay on in a different role, he has decided to call time on almost three decades with the club. Giggs, who won two of his four matches as Uniteds caretaker manager following Moyes sacking in 2014, this week worked as a television pundit during Euro 2016. But, rather than go into the media, he is said to be keen to land a permanent managerial position and, according to the Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with his advisors over a pay-off for the final year of his contract, with an official statement expected in the coming days. Giggs has passed all his coaching badges, was linked with the managers job at Swansea last season and is unlikely to be short of coaching offers once the first managers are axed next season. Giggs, who joined United on his 14th birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the greatest moments in the clubs history during the golden reign of Ferguson, who was the Welshman`s only club manager until he retired in 2013. He turned professional aged 17 in November 1990 and made his first team debut against Everton in March 1991. Eventually becoming the most decorated British player of all time, Giggs won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and nine Community Shields. (AFP)

Ryan Giggs ends 29-year association with Man U on sour note

Jose Mourinho was unveiled as the new Manchester United manager on Tuesday, insisting he was a winner who aims to return the club to its traditional position of dominance. 
 
The 53-year-old former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach said he did not want the players to think improving on last season&#39;s fifth place would be sufficient. 
 
&quot;For United fans, for many years, success was just routine. In the last three years, I want to forget,&quot; the Portuguese manager told reporters at Old Trafford. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want the players to think we need to do better. What is to do better? Finish fourth. Finishing fourth is not the aim. We want to win. 
 
&quot;I want everything. I want to win matches, I want to play well. I want to score goals, I don&#39;t want to concede goals. I want everything.&quot; 
 
Mourinho&#39;s first game in charge will be a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in the International Champions Cup at Shanghai Stadium on July 22. United&#39;s first Premier League game is at Bournemouth on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Jose Mourinho was unveiled as the new Manchester United manager on Tuesday, insisting he was a winner who aims to return the club to its traditional position of dominance. The 53-year-old former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach said he did not want the players to think improving on last season's fifth place would be sufficient. "For United fans, for many years, success was just routine. In the last three years, I want to forget," the Portuguese manager told reporters at Old Trafford. "I don't want the players to think we need to do better. What is to do better? Finish fourth. Finishing fourth is not the aim. We want to win. "I want everything. I want to win matches, I want to play well. I want to score goals, I don't want to concede goals. I want everything." Mourinho's first game in charge will be a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in the International Champions Cup at Shanghai Stadium on July 22. United's first Premier League game is at Bournemouth on August 13. (Reuters)

Mourinho is unveiled at ManU, he insists he is a winner