Post-Match Interview: Jose Mourinho (0-1 win vs Hull City, PL)

Date: 27 – Aug – 16

Jose talks to BT Sport

Interviewer: Jose, you recovering from that one?

Jose: Yeah, I’m recovering. I think we did everything to win. I know when we score – minute 90-something – we always speak about a bit of luck, bit of a star behind us, but I think the reality is that we deserve it, because especially in the second half, we were so dominant, we were so intense in our rhythm, in our attacking wave that I always believed  that sooner or later, the goal would arrive. But I would have to say that Hull City did an amazing job, they defended with everything. They couldn’t counter-attack because we played very well defensively. Every time we lost the ball, we were really really strong. But, I think they did fantastically well, and congratulations to them. And if I was the chairman, I would give immediately the job to Mike Phelan because it is in the eyes of everyone that the players are giving everything, the players are with him, the players cannot do more than what they did. So, congratulations to Mike and to all the boys.

Interviewer: Absolutely, and I imagine that the feeling will be the same when it comes to Mike Phelan. Marcus Rashford. He’s had to wait for his chance, hasn’t he? Wondering when it would come, when it did come, he took it. What will be your words to him when you get back into the dressing room?

Jose: A big smile and a big hug, I think is enough. He’s working extremely well, and both times when the team was in trouble and needing one goal, Community Shield with the score 1-1, and here 0-0, he comes on and he gives a special contribution. And everybody’s speaking about him, or Ibra. They can play together, like we show today, and eventually with more work, he can even play coming from one of the sides. But, I think the kid is a striker and when you play with him and Ibra together, he gives different problems to the opposition. Sometimes, Ibra drops back because he always likes to play with ball at his feet. This kid is faster, he has penetration, he has an appetite to attack the last line. So, we tried everything, we tried everything. I was thinking last change with him, Marouane out, but I was a bit afraid of them in the set pieces, and you know sometimes how these things happen. Dominate, dominate, dominate – and then you go there in the last minute of the game, one set piece and you lose the game. And Marouane is a special guy for us in the defensive work, but I think everyone played well, and they gave everything, and specially this kind of spirit – which I think is amazing – because you only win these matches if you want to win a lot. If you are in a comfortable situation, and you think that a point is not bad, or let’s see what’s going to happen – normally you don’t win. But the boys believed till the last minute, and of course, I feel sorry for Hull, because they couldn’t do more to get the point, but I think my guys deserve, and I think the way the fans supported them, specially in the second half, I think the fans could also see that we were giving everything.

Interviwer: Jose, it’s Rio here. Are you there? I know you said it’s hard on your heart, but in the last five minutes, we were up here thinking, “Even if it’s 0-0, they’re going for it.” In the last couple of years, we haven’t seen that. We’ve been frustrated sitting there, watching it in the studio, and the fans at home. How do you, as a manager, instill this mentality in your team to keep going in the last five minutes?

Jose: We start thinking about what this game could be, even before the game starts. Because we know the way they defend, we know that today they wouldn’t play Huddlestone more in front, they would play Huddlestone in a line of 3 with Meyler and Clucas. The wingers, they defend all the time, so, we knew that we were going to find a very compact wall. Tactically you can change things, you can bring different situations, you can try to create new problems for the opponent, but it is the mental side of it that can make a difference. And we speak about this all the time. And we speak about our objective – it is only one, is to be champions. If in the end of the season, we finish 2nd, 3rd or 4th – it is because somebody was better than us. If we finish 5th or 6th, it is because we were not good enough. But, we have to play to win every game. If we don’t win, we don’t win. And of course, we know that we are not going to win every game, but the mentality is there, the boys are giving everything. And for me, it is amazing when I look to my side and I see the people on the bench suffering with us, and jumping with the goal, we have a really good group, and it is a privilege for me to work with these guys

Interviewer: Well, you can have a break now. You can go home, maybe go house hunting if you want because it’s the international break.But when you sit down and you assess what has happened so far in the first three PL games, how do you refer on your start to the club?

Jose: I think we change the team, we change the dynamics, we change the way we think football, but also the way we think the competitions, and also the way we think the day-by-day in the club. I know Mr. van Gaal so well, because we worked together, and we are so so different in almost every aspect of our job, and sometimes when you arrive in a club, and the players are not so open for change, it is more difficult. The players were open, the players were waiting for me – I can say that way. They were waiting to give everything – I think we play different football. When the ball goes to a fullback, I think you see what we do this season, and what we did previously – it is an example. I think in many matches, the fullbacks are the first to receive the building-up pass, and then it is a trigger. What do you do with the trigger? You play the ball back to the central defender, or you start trying to find the lines to attack the last line? That’s what we are trying to do. Defensively, we don’t play man-to-man, we play zonal. I think the players are growing up a lot because they feel much more comfortable that way, and I am really really happy. I am really happy with the evolution of the team, and I think we can obviously do much much better because the players are very good. My substitutes on the bench are very good. Today, I was looking to the bench and I was counting the solutions – and all of them, good solutions. And I kept Ashley Young on the bench, I kept Memphis Depay at home – the solutions are all really good, the squad is much better than what they show last season. Of course, I think we bought well, but the players are better than what they show last season, so I think we are in a good direction. We are not going to be consistent, I think we are going to be a little bit down-up in some moments, because this is part of the evolution of the team, but I trust the guys a lot and my feeling is that they also trust me.

Interviewer: So, if you’re happy with your strength and depth, no more business before 11 o’clock on Wednesday night?

Jose: No, no, no. I want to keep every player. I want to go to Europa League. Imagine I go to the Europa League, and I change the four defenders – I play Darmian, Phil Jones, Smalling and Marcos Rojo – and I rest four players, and I play with four new. Or I rest Ibra, Mata and Martial, and I play Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford, and Ashley Young – so, I have a very good squad. I am really happy with what I have in my hands, and I repeat, it is a privelige for me to work with my boys.

Post-Match Interview: Jose Mourinho (2-0 win vs Southampton, H, PL)

Jose speaks to Sky

Interviewer: Jose, what about the performance?

Jose: Good enough, good enough to deserve the victory, and to be in control. I know probably, you go to numbers and you see that I had moments of ball possession. But I need that, because the way they play, with that closed diamond, it is a very good system to keep the ball and to hide the ball from the opponents. But, it didn’t create danger – we were always in control and I think we won comfortably and the result could (have been) be bigger.

Interviewer: It’s only the second game of the season, but what pleased you the most in terms of progress from the first week?

Jose: It is a natural evolution of things, I think. It is impossible to be faster than what we are doing. The way we are playing, the kind of football we are trying to play, sometimes we don’t but we always try to do that kind of football. The way the team is defending because it is a completely different way to defend with. We defend now zonal, which is much more difficult to defend as man-to-man. So evolution step-by-step, integration, players working together – some players working for one week like Paul, others two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, they were arriving step-by-step. And impossible to demand more from the boys. A great spirit, everybody’s working really hard and I’m pleased.

Interviewer: In terms of an aerial threat, when a ball like that is put into the area, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – is he virtually unstoppable?

Jose: He is very good in the air, but he is very good with his feet. He holds the ball better than anyone, his movement is great. When he drops back, he gives the team another option to play and to keep possession of the ball so I’m very happy with his performance. But again, I think globally, the team was good and the collective effort to keep the clean sheet, and everybody working really hard. And again, I’m hurt by some decisions to leave some players out, not to play them. Because the team is a really great team, and they all work, and they all deserve to play. But in this moment, I have to make my options and there is only one match per week. I am desperate for September to arrive for Capital Cup, for Europa League and then, they get what they all deserve – which is to play.

Interviewer: Was it a bonus, the amount of minutes Paul Pogba played? And what did you make of his contribution tonight?

Jose: I think he was so good. Everything that was individual, he was so good. Everything that was collectively, he’s learning how to play with us but I’m really happy. There are obviously details that we have to improve. We have different ways to play – one day he can play even more offensively than he did today, but he’s a player that needs that freedom that he has. I think that if you go for the graphics that sometimes you have like we will also have tomorrow, you see the area that he covers defensively as well as offensively to try to get the ball in play. So, I couldn’t be happier with him but the reality is that Fellaini in my opinion was superb. Ander Herrera, the same. Carrick, when he plays, Schneiderlin, looking for an opportunity – I have a big squad, and top quality guys.

Interviewer: Lastly, you said you wanted atmosphere. You wanted the fans to be happy. What did you get?

Jose: Couldn’t be better! Couldn’t be better. I got what I want, I got what the players need, what the players deserve. I think they are happy, not just with the results, I think they are happy with some details of our game that belong to the nature of this club, so… We cannot be the same United of the 80s or the 90s or the early 2000s, because football changes a lot, opponents change a lot. This Southampton is not the same Southampton of 20 years ago, even with Matt le Tissier. So, there is an evolution in things, and we have to go in relation to that. But, we brought to the game some aspects of the United culture, and I think the first goal is an incredible example of that.

Interviewer: Thank you, Jose.

MUTV Interview

Jose speaks to MUTV

Interviewer: Happy with that?

Jose: Very happy. I know we cannot play 90 minutes the way we want. Impossible to have that consistency for 90 minutes. But in many moments in long periods in the game, we played offensively like we want to play. We scored goals, create chances, and then defensively I think we were very good during all the game – very good, very solid with 10 players defending, not 6, or 7 or 8 – so collective effort. I’m so pleased for the boys. And the fans – incredible. Absolutely incredible, their support. And like this, if the team grows up step by step, week after week, we can be happy.

Interviewer: 90 minutes for Paul Pogba, despite the fact that he hasn’t really had any pre-season, but he looks…

Jose: He could play extra time, he could play extra time (laughs). Phenomenal, phenomenal, and surrounded by organization, surrounded by vision for the game. Fellaini was so good, the way the wingers were closing the spaces inside. I’m so happy with the organization of the team.

Interviewer: Did Pogba do exactly what you wanted him to do when you bought him? He did exactly what you bought him for?

Jose: Everything that was individual, obviously he was superb. The other things related to the team organization, he tried really hard to do it. He did very well, many many things. When I was feeling that he was losing a little bit of the consistency and the precision was when I brought Herrera to close the inside spaces and to close the defensive door, so I couldn’t be happier with the boy too.

Interviewer: And you can’t keep Zlatan out of the headlines. You give him a chance, and he puts it in!

Jose: But the day he doesn’t score, the contribution will still be there. Because he cannot score every game, but the way he holds the ball, the way he’s a target man when the team is not in control of the game, he drops back. He comes to the organization, he gives stability to the team – I think he was very good again.

Interviewer: Can I ask you about Luke Shaw as well? Obviously, we missed him badly last year as well but did he show tonight, again, what he can be?

Jose: Yeah, Luke and Antonio, they had to be offensive when they had to be offensive, they were very good defensively. They had always very good support from our wingers to close down the opponents. The team, we can go player by player and speak well about them, because I don’t think we can criticize any one of them, but I think collectively, they were organized, they were compact. They know how to play for the result in the last 10 minutes, we try to kill the game. But when you don’t kill the game, minutes 60-70 we had chances – Martial, face to face with the keeper – when you don’t kill the game in that moment, in the last 10 minutes, you realize that is the moment to control. So they want to control, I want to control – the changes I made in that moment were to control, you need that at that moment with some people getting tired, so I think we did very well and the fans – they won like us because their contribution was amazing.

Interviewer: And did you feel at home on that dugout? Or on that touchline?

Jose: Oh yes, completely. Completely at home. I know that I’m not a very nice guy, I’m not going and walking and waving and smiling because it is not my nature in matchday, because when I leave the dressing room, I go already playing my game. So, I’m not a nice face there to wave people, to smile people. But, I want them to know that I’m so happy with what they gave us.

Interviewer: Thanks very much.

Post Match Reaction: Jose, Zlatan on winning the Community Shield 2-1 vs Leicester City

Interviewer: One game in charge, one trophy. That’s not a bad start, is it?

Jose: Yeah, I have to thank the players. I have to thank Mr. van Gaal, because without the victory in the FA Cup, we wouldn’t be here today. So, I’m getting a trophy to the club and to the boys, and to the fans and to myself. But, I played this match not because I won the FA Cup. I played this match because Mr. van Gaal won the FA Cup. So, congratulations also to him, because he’s a part of this. But I think it’s nice, and the spirit is good. And to play against a team that is an end product, a team that is working together and plays exactly the same team as they had last season, just without Kante and King – playing King for Kante. So, they know the team they are, and they are very automatic. We are in a process. We are changing the manager, we are changing a few players, we are trying to change the style of play, the principles of play – so, I think that it was good. First half was really good – very solid, very dominating, very comfortable in the game. In the second half, we felt the change of speed. We felt Musa, Gray, Vardy all together against a team a bit tired. But then, we recovered the control of the game when Mata and Herrera comes on. Specially them, we recovered the control of the game, and we scored an important goal to win us the match.

Interviewer: Two new signings – one got the winner, and one got the man of the match, I think, in Eric Bailly – pretty happy with how they’re coming on?

Jose: Eric is working since day one. He started pre-season with us, he played matches. He is fit. So, I knew that with him, it is just a question of his personality allowing him of this big move from Villareal to Man U to Wembley – it was just that. He was super comfortable, so no doubt that he’s the man for us. Zlatan is tired. I think he’s tired even before the game starts. So, a bit slow, a bit – lack of sharpness. But – one cross, one header, one goal, one cup.

Interviewer: Fourth new signing is hopefully on the way. Is that going to be the missing piece of the jigsaw, do you think? The club has said that a medical’s taking place.

Jose: He is a fantastic player. If everything goes well, he’s a very important player. But, we have a great squad. We left today seven players out of the group, and – very good players. Some players that work so hard to be there. So, we have options, we have the players, we have the squad. I think we are getting the mentality, and the most difficult thing is the principles of play. That we are changing step by step. But, I saw today – specially the team as a defensive unit – very compact, understanding the zonal game, not following man-to-man all over the place. Not opening any gaps, I think the team was very compact by the defensive point of view.

Interviewer: And finally, would the free week that you have got now mean you’ll be ready for the Premier League?

Jose: Ah, very important. One day to rest, one week to work. The fact that we play Sunday gives us one extra day. It is a very important week  – we have no injuries. Of course, we have a suspension with Smalling but we have no injuries. I think Lingard must not be anything serious. So, we are in a good condition to work, but a long way to go.

Interviewer: Congratulations and Thank You.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Interviewer: Well, here with Zlatan – the main man, eh? Scoring the winning goal. How does it feel to do that at Wembley and win some silverware under your new manager?

Zlatan: It feels amazing, it feels amazing. First official game, and I’ve been a couple of weeks and I get to win my first trophy with United. I mean, this is what we play for – we play for the trophies, and I’m super happy, super excited – not just for the goal, but specially for the win. This is a trophy for the team, and this is what we work hard for, and sacrifice for. When you can win it, it’s even more amazing but all the credit to Leicester also, they did a good game, and they had a fantastic last season, and you can see – it’s a strong team.

Interviewer: This is a kind of dream scenario for you, isn’t it? You’ve hit the ground running, scoring against Galatasaray in Sweden, scoring here the winning goal as well today, it must be pretty good to be Zlatan right now.

Zlatan: I mean, it feels good to be in Manchester United. This is what counts. My individual performance will come – we are in the beginning, building up my physique, my condition, and get to know the team mates, and when every thing, these things, are settled, things are going to get easy. Just to play your game and enjoy.

Interviewer: And you feel everything’s coming together now ahead of the new season, after pre-season? Getting together with everyone, and winning this today?

Zlatan: Absolutely. We’re in the beginning, we’re just getting to know each other, specially me that is new, and we win today! Hopefully, we can win more.

Interviewer: Well done today, thanks a lot.

Jesse Lingard Quote

Yeah, I mean, it’s always good to score goals. Different types of goals, but the most important thing was to win. It was a massive boost for Jose as well, first cup, so it’ll give him a confidence boost. Likewise for the squad. Yeah, I mean, it’s a proper game, and we had a mindset before the game. The gaffer’s come in and said he wants to win the game, so it was on us to win the game, and we did it.

Luke Shaw Quote

You know, it’s different to, obviously, the FA cups and the Premier League and the Champions League, but for me, I’m really happy because it’s my first one, so you know, they all count at the end of the day. Yeah, I’m really happy, and obviously for the team as well. It’s just the start of the season next week, so this has now kick started our season, I would say.