MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER Jose Mourinho said his players made mistakes in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City due to the mental pressure of having to play two world class teams in one week.
The Red Devils faced Juventus in Turin on Wednesday evening before travelling across Manchester to play the Premier League champions, but Mourinho did not get the result he wanted at the Etihad.
Goals from David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan cancelled out Anthony Martial’s penalty, causing United to lose further ground on the top four.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Mourinho said: “I think it is not a bad performance at all. It was a performance with mistakes and we paid for it. All three goals are our mistakes. Against a team like City, if you make mistakes you will get punished.
“We had two matches away [Juventus and then City], it is not the physical effort but the mental pressure. I think some of the boys felt it a little bit.
“The first one is a bad one to concede and the second one is even worse. The third goal kills everything.
Everybody has to agree. It is one thing to go to Juventus and play against one of the best teams in the world for 90 minutes. Another thing to beat Shakhtar Donetsk at home 6-0 and be very relaxed. We arrive in different circumstances.
“We cannot lose the ball the way we did. It is not about David de Gea, it is about the way we lost the ball.”
United now sit eighth in the Premier League table, seven points behind Tottenham in fourth.
City on the other hand reclaimed their spot at the top, overtaking Liverpool who had beaten Fulham 2-0 at Anfield earlier on Sunday.
United will face Crystal Palace at Old Trafford after the international break, while Pep Guardiola’s team will travel to West Ham.
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Delighted Fla is onboard. He was hilarious on tg4 a few years ago with Leaving Cert level As Gaeilge.
Gordon D’arcy……. Great
@Liam Flague: THE worst co-commentator of all time!
@KH: could be worse, Luke Fitzgerald
@Liam Flague: Agreed, however Stringer is just as bad. Flah could be good though
@KH:
He is one of the best Rugby pundit in his piece in the Irish times. And as a commentator who knows but ::: what is a commentator is it the guy who tells us what is happing or the guy who discusses the game Before::in the middle :: and at the end :: this is the area where I think he is very gpood ::
Worst of all time he would have a lot of competition
@Martin Quinn: the comedy club is Friday evening Marty!!
@Liam Flague:
Are you avertising it ?? Will you be on it ??
Now I know that we both think Gorden is ::what was it you called him Great
How on earth does Liam Toland keep getting these gigs? He is woeful.
@Treaty Bhoy:
I guess the bosses like him, have you told them you do not !!
@Treaty Bhoy: Liam Toland is beige
Treaty Bhoy ::I liked Gordon D’arcy when I saw him and as I said in the paper. But there are so many opinions regarding commentators , so one will never get it right