MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER Jose Mourinho thinks his side “totally controlled” Chelsea during their 2-0 Premier League victory at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera scored early in each half as United blew the title race wide open and boosted their own hopes of finishing in the top four with a valuable victory at Old Trafford.
Mourinho felt United were dominant as Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in a league match for the first time since September 2007.
And the United boss believes the victory proves his team would have beaten Chelsea in last month’s FA Cup quarter-final tie, had Herrera not received a controversial red card in that match at Stamford Bridge.
“We were tactically very good and the players did an amazing job,” Mourinho, who pointed to the United badge as he walked off the pitch, told Sky Sports.
“They totally controlled a team full of fantastic players, who are creative and fast. We controlled them totally and I am really happy.
“It was the same tactics as when we went to Stamford Bridge in the cup.
“That game was totally controlled when we played with 11 players and only the [refereeing] decision that made us play with 10 players for all the second half, plus 10 minutes in the first half, gave Chelsea a chance to be dominant.
“We knew that playing this way would be very difficult for them.
“From a personal point of view, thinking about just about me and my work, [what made me most happy] was being totally convinced that we would be playing the FA Cup semi-final this weekend if we played Stamford Bridge with 11 men. That is totally convincing.”
Mourinho added to MUTV: “They struggled to cope with everything. They struggled to cope with us defensively and they struggled to cope with us with Marcus and other target points we had on the pitch.
“The performance was really very, very good and it is a pleasure for me to say that the [league] leaders – the leaders with some difference – could not cope with our performance.”
United are not in the title race, but they have helped make it a title race.
Chelsea are currently experiencing Liverpool 2014 and Newcastle 1996. Hopefully we can further add to their woes on Saturday and make it a real season to remember, who knows maybe even a double !! – though I’m not gonna get greedy.
@John Ryan: it would be gas if the title race got blown open out of nowhere. United fan myself but I think most would rather see Tottenham win the league.
@Declan Doyle: I think most people are happy once United don’t win it 4 years and counting now
@Jamie: that says an awful lot more about them than it does United.
@Jamie: Utd have no chance of winning it this year but yet you feel a need to pass comment about it, you must be getting nervous now. It’s out of your hand
@John Ryan: Liverpool fans will be hoping for Chelsea to win it as it will be quite embarrassing for them if Spurs and Pochettino win it in a short time together. They are still feeling uneasy about Leicester triumph last year too
@Hoof Hearted: Most Liverpool fans I know want Spurs rather than Chelsea, to win title. No love lost between ‘Pool & Chelsea from the mid ’00s and the Blues derailed Liverpool’s charge 3 years ago.
@Hoof Hearted: i can easily say that is one of the most ridiculous comments i have seen by anybody on this. Regardless of what Liverpool are feeling or doing the fact of the matter is United are now getting very close to 6/7 years without remotely challenging. And look a long long way away from challenging in next 10 years at least. Regardless of the moral boosting victory for mourinho and his pups against a very poor injury ravaged Chelsea. Just saying.
@Games Greatest: United won it in 2013 which is 4 years ago and I’d put money on it that they will win it again before Liverpool do and definitely within 10 years.
@Pj Windgap: i don’t see it all. They play dire football have a disgusting manager and have a lousy squad. They won’t finish top 4 that’s a given and look very unlikely to win the Europa and if that happens and no champions league you could be looking at another manager gone. 3 in 4 years. That could be a saving grace as i feel if you miss out yet again on champions league it could be another period of endless trophy barren years similar to prevent Fergie. With the odd fa cup here and there. With Liverpool Chelsea City and Spurs going from strength to strength i see United falling away.
@Games Greatest: and you say I can’t count
#greateatspoon
@Games Greatest: from strength to strength Blahahahaha you haven’t won a trophy for 10 years and won’t win one this year either. Poor Marcus 5times bonnie……. #ticktockticktock #ashitbrendanrodgers
@Games Greatest: https://youtu.be/58wOW0OsXuM
@Johnny Bravo: fair play Johnny you’re on the Ball again outing this idiot, it stands out a mile now that these comments are written by a 10 year old
@Games Greatest: would you like some Aloe Vera to go with your stupidity
@Games Greatest: Liverpool haven’t gone from strength to strength, they’ve gone from Billy to Jack as regards managers and players, from mediocre to slightly above average as regards quality and from zero to zero as regards trophies. Liverpools current squad will be shown up next year trying to compete on European and domestic fronts unless they add at 7 quality players. Not just squad players.
@Pj Windgap: That’s what i mean huge money available this summer. 200 million. Look at his signings mané wijnaldum that’s it. Few little tweeks here and there. Firmino wow coutinho wow Lallana Henderson . And now Mignolet lovren starting to play. Matip is solid. Clyne solid. That’s why i mean strength to strength. When you add say probably Lacazzette a Bertrand a William carvalho a Gotze and God knows who else. Wow. Formidable. Especially how they play football. Electric and beautiful on the eye. And not to mention his contacts in Germany. Brandt and max Meyer on route navy keita. Well able to compete on all fronts next year east biscuits.
@Games Greatest: and you call Utd fans delusional. Btw what are east biscuits? Just saying
@Games Greatest: 6/7 years?? We won it in 2013. 10 years off winning it again? What drugs are you on? Injury ravaged Chelsea? Seriously what drugs are you on???
@Euphegenia: biscuits made in the east. What else could they be.
@Teddyzigzagbigbag: I don’t take take drugs thank you very much. United haven’t won a title in donkeys and it will be years if they ever do again. Liverpool City Chelsea Spurs all going from strength to strength. United are getting worse. The quality of football is shocking. Seriously look at them all season. Terrible. Proper man u fans couldn’t be happy with that rubbish. I don’t care about the carling cup. Southampton were robbed in that final. And there struggling in a poor poor europa cup. No, it’s terrible I’m sorry.
@Teddyzigzagbigbag: Marcus 5 times bonnie is right he doesn’t take drug because they have been invented yet for spanners
@Declan Doyle: the next fortnight will be pivotal for Spurs with 3 massive games – FA Cup semi on Sat followed by PL ties against Palace and Arsenal. Win all 3 and who knows what we could do this season.
United are such a more exciting team to watch when ibrahimovic isn’t in the team, to predictable its him involved.
Spurs are like a runaway train at the moment and Chelsea are nervous. My stepdad is a die hard Chelsea fan Londoner and they ain’t so happy now.