Right at the pre match conference Manchester United Coach Jose Mourinho had this to say :
We’re working hard to improve
“I think in this moment we have to focus on ourselves and do better, or to get better results. For example, to go to Stamford Bridge and do better than what we did in terms of performance. But we had three points in our pocket and we left with only one, as an example. In other matches we could have, we should have, better results than what we had. So until the end of December we have to focus on ourselves and the potential we have, and the problems we have, and the qualities we have and try to go. Because in this moment we are outside the top four, we have to push hard, work hard to improve to try and get into these top four positions.”
In January we’ll be in a better position“I think we will be in a better position. I always say that in the end of the season you play 19 matches at home and 19 matches away, and it doesn’t matter when, but the reality is that the way the fixtures are coming sometime they have an influence in the moment. We had a double fixture away: Burnley, Watford, now we have a double fixture away: Bournemouth and Manchester City.
“We will have Juventus away before Manchester City. We will have Valencia away before Liverpool. In this part of the season we will play away against possibly the three biggest candidates to the title: Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, so the calendar was not nice to us.
But I think by the end of December, which is the end of the first half of the Premier League, I think we are not going to be in the position we are now. We are going to be in a better position.”
My reaction to the FA statement“The reason why I ask the club and lawyers to appeal was I was 100 per cent that I was not guilty on these charges. But you never know how it ends. Yes I’m pleased but I know that I have to respect the process and I have to wait for what is going to happen next, but I only appeal if I feel that I am not guilty. I don’t appeal if I lose my time or make other people lose time.”
An exclusive injury update.Speaking before the press conference, Jose said:
“A very good week. We work tactically, we improve some fitness levels. We improve some of the players that were almost there but not there – Lingard, Alexis – these kind of players, that were already available but not yet at a good level. We trained with our kids too. They mixed with us on one of the days, which is an amazing feeling for them.
“Dalot and Fellaini are still out. The only one that went one step behind was Antonio Valencia with some problem in his knee. But Lingard and Alexis, now I can say ‘ready’.”
Finally some good news.