Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reflected on last night’s Super Cup loss to Real Madrid.
Losing the game in Skopje two one, Mourinho told the Official Site that largely he felt the side had done well on the night so he felt positive going into the weekend’s Premier League kick off.
He did also feel United could consider themselves unlucky as he believed one of their goals should’ve been ruled out with a ‘good VAR’ and at the extra time stage anything could’ve happened.
‘I think we did well. We lost 2-1 which, I think, shows the result was really short, and one of the goals was offside so with a good VAR (video assistant referee) it would be 1-1 and extra time. I think they could score more goals than they did, we could score more goals than we did. They had a period of dominance in the middle of the first half. If Real were superior when they scored, they were very superior. They were best between minutes 20 and 40 and then they scored through Casemiro. They scored when they deserved to score. That was when they were dominating, playing the ball best and creating more difficulties for us. But it was offside.’
Mourinho went on to say.
‘I think we started with very good control of the game but we lost that control after 20 minutes when they were better than us. Later we had a period of dominance in the middle of the second half. In the second half we gave them problems. I was happy with our reaction. We were playing against a team of fantastic players and we discussed the result until almost the end, not the end but almost the end.’
It wouldn’t be a Mourinho press conference without a barb or two at the officials.
‘Almost the end because when Cristiano Ronaldo is coming, the referee decided to show the respect for this amazing player, and then game over because every time Cristiano wanted a free kick the game was stopped. But we gave them a fight, we gave them a good fight and my boys only have reasons to leave – okay, disappointed because to lose is disappointing – but to leave optimistic and proud. Let`s go for it on Sunday.’
Marouane Fellaini came in for praise for his performance as well.
‘The group is fantastic and Marouane is just an example of that group, of that spirit we have. We were losing 2-0 against a fantastic team and, after 2-0, the next ball is a double chance with an open goal, amazing reaction, and then we go to 2-1. Then Marouane was injured but he kept going. Then we missed the Rashford chance only with the keeper to beat. We fought really until Cristiano got onto the pitch and I have to say that I`m really happy because although we lost a game and we lost a cup, we didn`t lose the season. The season is here, the season started today but our Premier League starts on Sunday for us and we are better now than when we were last season when we won the Europa League.’
With Romelu Lukaku finding the net in the second half, Mourinho was asked for some thoughts on his performance.
‘It’s a difficult job to play against a team who dominate possession. He tried. Of course he missed an open goal but he scored his goal and had a good fight against two central defenders. I`m happy with how he fits within an amazing group.’
With speculation linking us with Gareth Bale, Mourinho did say that with him featuring in the game he expected him to stay.
‘I think so, I think clearly the club wants him, the manager wants him and he wants the club, so for me, game over, even before it started, but game over clearly because I think now everybody knows that he`s going to stay.’
With the eve of the Premier League season now on us, he added.
‘Yes, we deserve the rest tomorrow and on Thursday we will start, we go for it with everything. I`m so happy to be the manager of these guys, I told them a few days ago that during my long career I never had a group that I liked so much, like I like them. I`m really happy to be with them and I`m going to fight with them all the way, so let’s go on Sunday. Old Trafford is waiting for us and I think Old Trafford has a reason to be behind us.’
He also explained why he handed his medal to a fan.
‘Sometimes when I win, I don`t keep the medals – so imagine when I lose! For me, the medal would go to some place in my house; for that kid, it`s the moon – something to keep and remember. It was a little kid with a United shirt. I have no idea where he comes from. I think it`s something he`ll never forget. I repeat: when I win, they don`t mean much, so imagine when I lose!’
As for the dominance Utd had during the middle of second half, its good but didnt that happen because we wanted to equallize? Thats my point, i expect us to put up a fight from the start of the game, try to dominate from the start and not until we want to equallize or win at the die minutes and any player that is fatique thereafter should be sub. Though we still need 2 or 3 additions, we have a good squad to challenge even the europe giants.
As for Bale, he is at the near peak of his carear, Why not go for Guilherme, Moura, Yevhen or Gelson Martins.