After the 2-2 draw with Southampton, next match for Manchester United is a home clash against old enemies Arsenal.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho faced the media this morning, ahead of the clash at Old Trafford.
Here is a full transcript.
There’s a suggestion you called Paul Pogba a virus?
If you have attention a couple of mins ago I don’t play the game of the suggestions.
You’re quoted as saying that you need a miracle to finish top four, is that an accurate assessment?
I what? Nah. Is not, I don’t know if I say or if I didn’t but if I used that word is not what I feel at all. We have like eight or nine points from fourth something like that, I don’t think we need a miracle at all. We need a good run of results, not waste points we shouldn’t waste. Last week before Crystal Palace game I told my hopes and targets were end of December to be in that position, the target change but in the sense let’s try to close the distance best we can and be very close to these positions, I think far from a miracle, we just need to not be so unlucky with problems that we have, we need some players to perform better than they are we need to perform better as a team but far from a miracle.
No matter what happens, United should never be in seventh place in the Premier League?
I think Manchester United seventh place I can agree, in spite of the investment Everton made was phenomenal and obviously, there was a great improvement in that team from last season in relation to this but I don’t think Everton will be in front of Manchester United at the end of the season. There are six teams that should stay in the first six positions, season after season two of these teams are staying outside the top four. For example, last season was Arsenal and Chelsea. And this season two of these six are going to stay outside. Who is the best team of the six the team with more potential less potential who is the team performing not so well these will be around the Questions and Answers. At the end of the season, the top six will be done by the six teams we all know have that responsibility to finish in the top six.
You’re also quoted after the Southampton game with some strong words, guess you weren’t happy?
I quoted one thing is an interview I gave to Brazilian TV that you can go there and see what I told and another thing is to be quoted who or how. I don’t play that game. You saw me in the press conference you saw me in the flash interviews, you know what I told. That’s simple. You go to my words what I told to TV, press conference, another thing is somebody said I told, I don’t play that game.
The fans, what are they saying to you about the current situation?
My life is not a life of very public life, I’m not a person that is all the time in the street or in contract with the fans, not really.
Is it a different Arsenal team you’ll be facing in this match compared to the Arsenal of previous seasons?
Yes, is different It’s not for me to do that analysis, I have my opinion but keep for myself, different yes, and a very difficult match for us because we are going to play against a good team in a good moment without accumulation of matches because they are playing Europa League and when you play Europa League you normally play with second choices and give good rest to the players, we have to play to the max and is accumulation of matches and then you arrive in this moment in December and many teams pay the price of that, I’m not clearly, that is not the motivation you want as a team as a club but to develop players fresher is a good way to do it. And when you have good results in Europa League but a very difficult match for us and very difficult match for them, in spite of our problems with players and with the selection of the team, I am pretty sure they are not...