MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER Jose Mourinho dismissed suggestions his team were not behind him, saying only “dishonest” players based their performance on whether they liked the boss.
The pressure is again mounting on Mourinho, whose United side are win-less in three Premier League games and sit eighth in the table.
They host fourth-placed Arsenal tonight, and a loss would see United fall 11 points behind Unai Emery’s men.
Mourinho had claimed that anything was possible for his side and that they would not need a miracle to finish in the top four, with the chance to make up points on fourth on Wednesday.
But amid questions over his relationship with his players, Mourinho said they had a job to do and claimed that professional players are paid to perform.
“If you think a player only plays when, in your words, he is behind the manager, what I have to call these players or, in this case, what you are calling them, is dishonest,” he told a pre-match press conference.
“A football player is paid – and very well paid – to be a football professional. What is that?
“It is to train every day to his limits, to play every game to his limits, to behave socially according to the nature of his job, to respect the millions of fans around the world and to respect the hierarchies in the club.
“If a player doesn’t do that, one thing is to perform well and not so well, another thing is to be a football professional.
“If you say that a player plays well or bad because of how good a manager is, you are calling the player dishonest.”
After Manchester City’s win on Tuesday, United are now 19 points behind the league leaders, though they can close that gap with a win over the Gunners.
Mourinho’s side also face more Premier League action at the weekend with a clash against Fulham, before closing out their Champions League groups campaign against Valencia on 12 December.
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“A covered stand, with a capacity of 500 spectators, will overlook the first pitch.”
All well and good, but when are they going to actually build a proper stadium of their own instead of continuing to use the GAA’s national stadium for half their games?
Croke Park has become Dublin GAA’s back garden, which is not what it is supposed to be, nor was it ever intended to be.
@Oisín McGovern: You do know it is the Leinster council who decides what matches are played in Croke Park and the ones away.
@Oisín McGovern: At least you realise and articulate correctly that CROKER , is the NATIONAL stadium , of the GAA , and not Dublins home venue, as some would have us believe
UpTheDubs
Great news for Dublin GAA. Only wish Cork GAA would do likewise
Great news as long as they are paying for it themselves .
@Karl Phillips: who else is going to pay for it?
Fingal County Boards future centre of excellence
On the border of Meath as well