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Key quotes: Mourinho's view on United 0 West Brom 1

by
Joe Ganley
Sunday 15 April 2018 18:53

Jose Mourinho claimed that "complicated football" cost Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to relegation candidates West Bromwich Albion.

A 73rd-minute header from striker Jay Rodriguez condemned the Reds to only their second home league defeat of the season, and ensured West Brom's slim hopes of Premier League survival remain intact. United controlled the overwhelming majority of the game, but were unable to capitalise on their territorial dominance - something Mourinho was critical of in his post-match interview. Read what the manager had to say when he spoke to the media following the game...

WE DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED
“I think we were deservedly punished because we were masters in complication. Players didn’t want to or couldn’t play simple. Everything was slow, everything was one more touch, one more flick, one more trick, one more turn, ball lost and no continuity or fluidity in our football. I don’t think we deserved to lose but we gave them the opportunity to win the match by being solid in defence and smelling a chance in a set-play which they did.” 

Boss: We were masters of complicated football Video

Boss: We were masters of complicated football

"We were masters of complicated football," concedes Jose in his MUTV interview...

COMPLACENCY FOLLOWING DERBY WIN
“I know them [my players], I smell, I have a lot of experience and that’s not me because I won eight titles and I’m not in the moon because I won against Manchester City – a match that is only three points. But I saw lots of people in the moon because we won against Manchester City like winning against Manchester City was the most important thing of the season. I won too much to just be happy with one big victory and during the week I was trying to fight that because I was feeling and you could see the difference of attitude in some players today compared to other weeks. Masters of complication – we complicated our football since the beginning and gave West Bromwich Albion the chance to feel quite comfortable in their football.”
 
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A PENALTY 
“Paul Tierney [the referee] was unlucky in one decision [the challenge by Craig Dawson on Ander Herrera] but I don’t blame him at all – it’s football. It’s a penalty and nothing else but I think we deserved to be punished. Not the defeat, I think it’s too heavy, but not to win this match. I think we deserved that punishment for sure.”

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‘I NEEDED TO CHANGE THE DYNAMIC’
“In the first half, I felt that I had to bring one player with more dynamic and more of a run and more of a player that touched the ball and searched for spaces, so I had to make a decision about one midfield player out to play Jesse Lingard. After that, I wanted to get more width and Paul [Pogba] had a yellow card and before the substitution he had a situation, not for a second yellow card but you never know in football the way the referees react to that. Paul’s game was complicated – like many others, always one more touch and one more turn.” 
 
CITY DESERVE TO BE CHAMPIONS
“When somebody is champion and deserves to be champion, they deserve for people to say that [they are worthy champions]. I’m not going to come here with excuses like I didn’t after we beat them, I didn’t make it like it was the biggest victory of my career and again I told him [Pep Guardiola] you will win the title sooner or later because they have been the best team and if it wasn’t today, it would be the next weekend. I won titles. I wouldn’t be happy if somebody says I won the title because somebody lost a match. Manchester City won the title because they won more points than anybody else and yesterday they beat Tottenham and because during the season they have only lost two matches. You’re not going to say that City won the title because Manchester United gave them the title – it’s not fair for them.” 

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