₦airaland Forum

"This is not a competition that Manchester United wants, it is not a competition I want, it is not a competition the players want.

"It is a competition where we are and that's the reality. We have to look to the competition with respect. I think we want to do well in the competition and, for a club of our dimension to do well, is not to be out of the competition in the group phase.

"We want to win the competition. It is difficult to do it but it is simple to feel it and to say it. This is the way we want to approach the competition. Tomorrow is an important match for us. We must find that motivation that I found myself already and I have to pass that motivation on to the players because I know the Europa League is not the big dream of every big player. 

"But you are not in the Champions League so you have to find your motivation in the competition you are in. My message to the players is with the players I bring; I bring a very good squad and I'm going to play with a very good team. 

"I think that's the message I want to give them. To lose, we bring kids, we instead give experience to kids, chances to [Axel] Tuanzebe and other great boys in the squad but maybe that would be the wrong message for me to give to my players.

"We try to win the match and play with what we think is the best team. We are also going to play a very important game on Sunday. I am thinking of two matches at the same time but that's just me. Not them."


- Jose Mourinho

Thursday's match in the Netherlands will coincidentally mark the one-year anniversary of Shaw breaking his leg during a Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven. However, Mourinho rejected a suggestion that this was the reason why Shaw has stayed at home in Manchester at the Aon Training Complex. 

"No, I didn't know that," Jose told one journalist at his press conference. "The decision was not made thinking about that negative episode. The reason is simple - Marcos Rojo is a very good player who is working really well, working hard. My option in the last four games in the Premier League was Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke and I think it is time for Marcos to play, so it was a simple decision."

LongD:
Don't worry about us

Don't mind him..... Arsenal played on Tuesday, Manchester City played Today (Wednesday), United is playing tomorrow (Thursday) and their useless Club is playing on Friday!

He thought Chelsea FC is also playing a UEFA Competition! LOL!

elampiro:
He has since proven himself. In official United facebook page, I saw two people who also believe he is a great great defender. One even said if given the chance he will be another Terry.

All our defenders are fighting for places, even Smalling is still proving himself.

He's not a bad Defender, but kinda tired of his persistent Injury!

elampiro:
I am not giving up on him yet. He is just 24. Two years ago, Smalling was almost like this.

It's painful he won't have a chance to prove to Mourinho what he is capable of. By time he returns, he will be short of match fitness for a period. But if he manages to stay fit, December busy period would be a good chance for him.

So someone is still expecting Jone to prove himself?!

We ain't Arsenal, hence we don't have to make another Diaby out of him!

Leicester (away) and Manchester City (Home) are leading while Tottenham (Home) is trailing presently!

elampiro:

PHIL JONES SIDELINED WITH KNEE INJURY

Manchester United defender Phil Jones could be out of action for around a month after sustaining a knee injury.

Jose Mourinho revealed in Rotterdam that the centre-back has picked up a medial knee ligament problem and, hence, did not travel with the squad to face Feyenoord in the Europa League opener on Thursday.

Consequently, Jones may be sidelined for a few weeks, which is a blow, particularly considering the Reds have a busy schedule until the next international break in October.

Daley Blind and Eric Bailly have started as United's central defensive partnership in all of the games thus far this season but the manager has hinted he is considering shuffling his pack for the game at De Kuip.
. www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2016/Sep/phil-jones-picks-up-medial-knee-ligament-injury.aspx?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=ManUtd


Na wao!

This guy should save his bright career. Or na village things dey after am?

To be realistic, it's over for him as a Player! He should follow Hargreaves Footstep by hanging up his Boots at the end of this Campaign!

Danhumprey:
Rooney being left out of the squad is no big deal. Mourinho can as well rest Ibrahimovic.



My concern is him having the balls to bench Rooney in league games.

Slowly but surely!

chrisley024:
@elampiro, where's your guy Jones? Probably got injured while on his bed

Jose wouldn't have travelled with Ibra. He's old, needs rest and only a game per week.

Exactly my thought!
I hope he starts Rashford!

[quote author=SIRcumalot post=49355091][/quote]

Guess you see the exclusion of Rooney as a good development?

Danhumprey:
Valencia.

Thanks!

Darmian will definitely start the Match ahead of Mensah!

The good news is; ROONEY is left out of the Squad!


Cc Elampiro

Diademk07 - what's your reaction to Rooney's omission? Good or bad news?!

List of Squad Members for the Europa Match

De Gea, Romero, Johnstone; Darmian, Bailly, Blind, Fosu-Mensah, Rojo, Smalling; Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Memphis, Pogba, Schneiderlin, Young; Ibrahimovic, Martial, Rashford.

Luke Shaw and Valencia are rested! Rojo and Mensah are likely to start as LB and RB respectively!

Lingard is honorably left out too! Same as Mkhitaryan (because of injury though).

ROONEY is rested or deliberately left out?!

Elampiro turns to Diademk07 when the discourse is on Rooney!

No matter what Dudes are saying, he wouldn't give up, rather fight tooth and nail to defend our Captain!

Rooney played well (though still average) in the last Match! And it's obvious we lost the Match due to the poor forms and displays of both Lingard and Mkhitaryan!

dopeJemi:
Is mkhitaryan injured?

Yeah!

He's injured! His fitness level is also below average!

elampiro:
.

Phil Jones is officially out of Jose Mourinho plan. I wouldn't be amazed if he's either sold or loaned out in January!

Also..... Mou should use the Europa League to test out the likes of Memphis, Rojo, Schleiderlin as well as starts Rashford and Herrera instead of Ibra and Fellaini respectively!

sinizia:
Elampiro. . . Behold my angst with Rooney. See for yourself.

Cc Diademk07

Diademk07:
Herrera did nothing special, just helped us in the pressing..

Our chances came from piling Bravo with crosses even before the 1st half ended and we continued the same thing in the second half.. It was just like how opposition teams often took advantage of Degea when he first arrived at Manutd..

I'm ain't saying he played anything spectacular, rather my point is; he changed the Game dimension along with Rashford!

He played to instruction, he was so determined to make a difference and deserved to be applauded!

First reflections
"What did I make of today? I think in the first half they were much better than us. We started the game badly. We started the game with some players really below the normal level, in terms of their concentration, of their mental ability to play a game of this speed because you need to be sharp in the way you think, the way you play. In a match of this dimension, when you have three or four players not at that level, you pay for that. The team paid for it."

Derby of two halves
"In the first half, for 35 minutes it was City in control, City deserved to be in front. In the last period of the first half we scored a goal and we could immediately score again but I think that was outside the context of the game in the first half. The second half was completely different, and when they brought on Fernando, they were feeling what everybody was feeling, that we were in control. We were much more dangerous, we had our chances to equalise and who knows what could happen if we had equalised. For 45 minutes, we fought really hard. We tried everything, took lots of risks and deserved a different result."

Deciding factors in defeat
"I think we were punished by a lot of things. First thing: our first half – the way we started, some individual performances made the team look fragile. We were also punished by two decisions of Mark [Clattenburg], because even the best referees can make mistakes and he made two mistakes. The first one is Bravo [on Rooney] – it’s a penalty and a red card. If any player does that outside the box, it’s a direct free-kick and a red card, so inside the box it’s a penalty and a red card. But the referee maybe thought of the consequences of that because the consequences would be a completely different game and he didn’t want to take that decision, which would be very important. And the second one is another penalty – Otamendi, with his elbow. He tries to stop the cross that’s going in front of him but the cross goes behind him, he’s looking to the ball and brings the arm and elbow back, and it’s another clear penalty. So we were also punished by that."

Right team selection?
"Look, honestly, I had two or three players in the first half who, if the game was played now and I know what is going to happen, then I wouldn't play them. But this is football and sometimes players, they disappoint managers, and sometimes players, they give us great surprises. I thought because of the characteristics of the game we could hurt them playing with some individuals with some qualities, they didn't give what I want. Is it their fault? Is it my fault? It's my fault because I'm the manager and it's always my fault because it's always my choice."

Positives to take from the second half
"The positives I take are the spirit of the group and the mentality to play the second half in the way we played it, taking enormous risks against a team that was defending and was waiting for a chance to counter-attack."

Two substitutions at half-time
"I would have done more if I could, because I was far from happy with the performance and I had to try to change the direction of the game, which we clearly did, but we didn’t get the compensation of what we did in the second half. I was feeling [we would score again] until the last minute, like we did at Hull City. When you feel that the team is there and ready to give everything until the last second, you are always waiting for something. And in the last 15 minutes, against a very good team obviously, we gambled in such a way that we left one against one in defence and went forward with everybody else to try to take to City a situation of big pressure, which we did. But again we did not get the compensation we deserved. In the first half we were punished like we deserved, but in the second half we didn’t get the compensation we deserved."

Results like this can happen
"You know that in this league you are always going to lose matches and you know that especially between the big teams, three results are more than possible to happen. So I don’t open my mouth when Liverpool go and beat Arsenal at Arsenal, when City beat Man United here, when Man United beat Chelsea or Tottenham away – nobody opens their mouth with surprise because it’s a normal result. But of course we’re sad and disappointed with the defeat."

We did play a good Game, though in the 2nd Half, but we are just unlucky to at least get a Point.

Meanwhile, I hope Diademk07 will appreciate Herrera for the first time! He did a decent job, he played with passion and I am really happy for him!

Ride on with the Party, but to be frank, majority of United Fans ain't pained!

Leyqute:
Don't worry, Rooney performs fairly well during Manchester derbies. GGMU

I hope so!

elrony:
Nah...ninja was posting all about painting the city red!!


Where he at?

To our U21 to learn how to play the United way!

Fire for Fire!!!

dopeJemi:
I don't like the line up, mata should have started in place of lingard as his link up play with mkhitaryan would be vital

Who's gonna play the wing martial plays in?

Perhaps Rooney or Micki! I think the Lineup is OK! We need pacy Players upfront and with Lingard and Micki we've got it!

elrony:
Please where is Memphis...we don't even see him on the bench these days?

So you ain't aware of his loan Move?!

Man City Lineup!
Kelechi Iheanacho starts.....!!!

Wiseandtrue:
no be small thing oooooo my eyes don see somchin for nairaland

Just keep ensuring if for fun sake!

GBR1:
[img]http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cr_GDnbWEAIcMFj.jpg:large[/img]

Martial and Mata on the bench; Lingard and Mikhitaryan start

Wow!
I'm impressed with the Lineup! The only problem in the Team is Rooney, but hopefully he may perform well Today!

Spy360:
So you self go school?

Nah!

Just thinking about it!

Spy360:
If your IQ is as those of kindergartens you would grab. Implications it is less.

Too much Grammar!!!

Spy360:
Maybe it is that you don't understand the principles of Logic and Reasoning.

Philosophy!!!

This is the same Man that lost confidence in LVG?!

I guess he wouldn't have said the same if LVG is still the one in charge!