Jose Mourinho has admitted it will be “a miracle” if Manchester United finish in the top four this season. Show United are currently in seventh place, 16 points behind leaders Manchester City and eight adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal. If United lose to the Gunners at Old Trafford on Wednesday, they could be 11 points off fourth, with Mourinho conceding they will need a miracle to finish in the Champions League places. “Last year I said that being in second place was a fantastic thing, due to the qualities we had compared to the qualities of the other teams that are fighting for the top four,” Mourinho told Brazilian television network RedeTV!, Jose Mourinho has all but written off Man United's chances of a top-four finish ( Image: BT Sport) “This year, with more problems, we have had proof of what I said in the the start of the season — that it would be a very difficult season. “The aim is to try to win as many points as possible and try almost a miracle to finish fourth.” United have endured their worst start to a domestic league campaign since 1990, having lost four of their opening 14 games, winning just six. Mourinho has already dodged the bullet once this season ( Image: REUTERS) Mourinho’s lamentable side have a goal difference of minus one and have scored just eight goals in six Premier League games at home this season. Failure to beat resurgent Arsenal would pile further pressure on Mourinho, with David Moyes and Louis van Gaal both sacked after failing to make the top four. United could be without as many as eight defenders for the visit of Arsenal, who will arrive at Old Trafford on a high after Sunday’s 4-2 derby win over Tottenham, which stretched their unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions. The Red Devils struggled to draw against Southampton last time out ( Image: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images) Mourinho played midfield duo Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay in defence for Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southampton, with Phil Jones United’s only fit centre-half. Jones suffered a knock in that game and is being assessed, Luke Shaw was subbed after picking up an injury, while Ashley Young’s fifth booking of the season means he is suspended against Arsenal. With Victor Lindelof out until Christmas, and Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian all doubts to face Unai Emery’s side, Mourinho’s defensive options could be stretched to the limit. Jose Mourinho thinks it would take a “miracle” for Manchester United to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season. The Red Devils currently sit in seventh position, eight points outside the top four and 16 behind leaders Manchester City. Recent form has been poor as they followed up a loss in the Manchester derby against City with two draws against Southampton and Crystal Palace. And Mourinho doubts that his side can close the eight-point gap to fourth-place Arsenal without some form of divine intervention. “Last year I said it was fantastic to finish second considering the quality we had compared to other teams who were fighting for a top four finish,” Mourinho told RedeTV. “This year, as we’re facing even more problems, it proves what I said when the season started: that it would be very tough for us. Now we must try and win as most points as we can, almost a miracle, to finish in the top four.” Mourinho failed to bring in the centre-back that he needed in the summer transfer window and it has been his major gripe ever since. “In the absence of more centre-backs that could play, we had to deploy midfielders to defend, but they don’t know how to do it, that is not their traits,” Mourinho added. José Mourinho refuses to believe his relationship with Manchester United’s players is partly to blame for the team’s struggles this season and insisted the only way that could be a factor is if they were “dishonest” footballers. United are languishing in seventh place, with a negative goal difference, after successive draws against Crystal Palace and Southampton, meaning the 20-times league champions are 19 points behind Manchester City at the top of the table and eight adrift of the Champions League places. Three days after allegedly calling Paul Pogba a “virus” in a dressing-room outburst at Southampton, Mourinho would not be drawn on their troubled relationship but, in a more controlled exchange at his latest press conference, he insisted he did not follow the theory that various players were doing badly because they disliked the manager. “I don’t understand that story,” Mourinho said. “If you think a player only plays, in your words, when he is behind the manager, what I have to call these players – or in this case, what you are calling them – is dishonest. “A football player is paid – and very well paid – to be a professional. What is that? It is to train every day to his limits, to play every game to his limits, to behave socially according to the nature of his job, to respect the millions of fans around the world and to respect the hierarchies of the club. “If a player doesn’t do that, it is one thing is to perform well and not so well, another thing is to be a professional. If you say a player plays well or badly because of how good a manager is, you are calling the player dishonest.” As ever with Mourinho, the key was to work out the exact point he was trying to make and, in this case, it felt conspicuously like another attempt to absolve himself of blame for their predicament, while possibly getting a message to Pogba, the subject of many questions. Mourinho may also be scoring a few points at the expense of the television pundits, including many former United players, he has come to resent because of their criticisms. “Because you are a journalist and not a professional player, I understand your question,” Mourinho said. “But when pundits, who were professional players, say ‘this player is not playing for the manager’, did they do that when they were players? Were they dishonest players? If they were, they shouldn’t be in front of a camera speaking to millions of people. “I disagree totally with that. You have to analyse a player by: ‘is he performing, yes or no?’. You shouldn’t go in that direction [the relationship with the manager] because you are calling the players dishonest.” When it was pointed out an employee’s work could be adversely affected in various walks of life if that person did not get on with the people at the top, Mourinho told the journalist asking the question: “So you have only one solution. If you don’t like your boss, you have to leave the newspaper. It is still a dishonest factor. Be honest and leave.” Of the latest alleged row with Pogba, he said: “I am not going to analyse the [Southampton] performance individually. I told after the game the reason why, in the second half especially, we did not have wave after wave of attacks. “I told the reason why we were not consistent and that we didn’t keep the opponent under pressure because we lost too many balls. “I told that they were not the best decisions in terms of ‘how many touches I need to pass the ball’ and the speed of the decision. I told that without saying one single name and I am going to say the same thing without names.” The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email. Mourinho has significant selection problems for Arsenal’s visit to Old Trafford on Wednesday with at least 10 players injured, suspended or needing late fitness checks. He retracted his comments from earlier in the week when he told Brazilian television United would need a “miracle” to finish in the top four. However, he would not go any further than saying he was confident United would still finish above Everton, who are sixth. “The investment Everton made was phenomenal and obviously there is a great improvement in that team from last season but in spite of this I don’t think Everton will be in front of Manchester United at the end of the season.” What is Jose Mourinho philosophy?José Mourinho. “The team is the most important thing. Even if you are the best player in the world. A player with the biggest status in the club: the team is the most important thing.” Everyone has to follow the rules and show their respect for their colleagues. What made Jose Mourinho successful?Mourinho's coaching style is known for being heavily influenced by psychology. “A coach must be everything: a tactician, motivator, leader, methodologist, psychologist.” To that end, he often tailored his approach to individuals on his team to get maximum buy-in. What leadership style is Jose Mourinho?There I was a confrontational leader because I felt that was what the team needed at the time. The guys desperately needed to make the jump from potential to reality, and I think they needed the kind of leader I was. I called it confrontational leadership: confrontation not just inside, but also outside the group. Who is the best coach between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho?While Mourinho toured in his peak years, accumulating trophies, Guardiola has been more selective, taking on projects and overhauling two of Europe's biggest clubs since leaving Barcelona. When Guardiola leaves, teams are in a better state than when he arrived. The same cannot be said for Mourinho. |
