Jose Mourinho says 'defending properly is seen as a crime' after Manchester United win
ByPA Sport
Updated 19/10/2017 at 06:52 GMT
Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United's resolute defending is only considered a "crime" because he does not bleat about injuries like other managers.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho
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Despite being two points off Premier League leaders Manchester City and already on the brink of reaching the Champions League knock-out phase, there is a lingering air of negativity.
Mourinho's tactics were widely condemned after Saturday's drab scoreless draw at Liverpool and things hardly improved in Lisbon, where United again held firm at the back to secure a 1-0 win against Benfica.
It was the ninth clean sheet in 13 matches and the Reds boss cannot understand the negativity surrounding his style.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho with Romelu Lukaku
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"Not that I read it a lot, but sometimes when I read the press - not only English but Portuguese - I feel that sometimes defending properly it is seen as a crime," Mourinho said. "But it is not.
"That's why we controlled the game because we defended properly."
Later asked if United were unfairly treated when onlookers talk about their defensive approach, he said: "You know, with other managers, with other players, I'm pretty sure that yes (they get an easier ride) but that's not the problem for us.
"And there is another situation, maybe I'm guilty of it: I never speak about injuries. Other managers, they cry, they cry, they cry when some player is injured. I don't cry.
"I think the way to do it is to ignore the players that are injured, is to focus on the players that are available. it is to give confidence to the players that are available. But if I want to moan and cry like the others, I can cry for the next five minutes.
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Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho gestures during the UEFA Champions League group A football match SL Benfica vs Manchester United FC at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on Ocotber 18, 2017.
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"(Zlatan) Ibrahimovc, (Paul) Pogba, (Marouane) Fellaini, Marcos Rojo - I can cry but I don't, so we do it with what we have. You know, we went to Liverpool with two midfield players and nothing else, not even on the bench.
"Today it happened the same. We brought a kid, like Benfica does, because I don't have another solution. I brought Scott McTominay who is the same age as Benfica's kids, but the Premier League is a different story. It's really hard. But, again, you know, 12 matches, 10 victories, two draws, nine clean sheets. We are not bad."
Mourinho was just as strong when it came to defending Benfica's teenage goalkeeper Mile Svilar.
Wednesday saw the Belgian became the youngest goalkeeper to start in a Champions League match, but it ended in embarrassment as Marcus Rashford's free-kick caught him out - standing too far off his line and then carrying the ball into the goal as he tried to backtrack.
"He is a phenomenon, he is amazing," Mourinho said of the 18-year-old.
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Mile Svilar
Image credit: Getty Images
"What I really want to say is that I prefer that a goalkeeper of one of my teams suffers a goal like this one than a goalkeeper to be on the line of goal for 90 minutes. Only great goalkeepers suffer goals like this because they are the only ones that risk things, that they use the space they have ahead of them.
"Only great goalkeepers can save a goal like he did when he used his head to go and get the ball outside the area, so given the amazing use of space, he was unlucky - and I think he'll never concede another goal like this.
"But it's a goalkeeper with huge potential. Either Benfica has a top goalkeeper for many years, or the president please prepare a big suitcase because (clubs) will pay a lot of money for his kids in a few years."
Benfica counterpart Rui Vitoria, whose side have yet to register a point in Group A, also defended Svilar.
"This is a kid that has just become old enough for a driving licence," he said. "The potential is there, the quality is there."
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