Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

14:00KEY EVENT

Mourinho gives an injury update

“Michael Carrick I know he cannot play, I know that. Lukaku looks fine and that’s it.”
 
14:02

Mourinho on the challenge of playing Liverpool

“It’s just one more match, could be the first, could be the eighth or ninth or the last one. Probably if it was the last maybe it would decide something important but October for me is just another match.

“I understand the tradition, the emotions around the supporters but I look at it in a professional way, what I try to tell my players from the beginning of the season is every match is important, there are no easy matches, there are no matches you prepare more carefully than others so if I try this mentality I am not going to say this match is more important than others
 
14:04

Mourinho on "easy games"

“We have more points. Last season we lost a few points before we played against Liverpool, we lost a point in matches that you considered easy, we lost points at home against Everton, West Ham, we lost points at Southampton, last season we didn’t win them before we play (Liverpool), so we have more points than last season at this stage.

“We are in a better position, we are playing better, we are more confident and have confidence to play but it’s a match I can take from this context, I don’t put Liverpool as a team that is in this moment in the middle of the table because they are not going to be there at the end of the season, I look at the quality of their team, it’s a very different match for us and them.”
 
14:05

Mourinho on the difference from last season vs Liverpool

“Last season we didn’t win three points, we got one but we got one comfortably, without any problems.

“Let’s see what happens this season, we want to win, last season we wanted to win, we couldn’t. This season we want to win.”
 
14:08

Mourinho on Anfield atmosphere

“This is quite funny for me when people speak about big atmospheres it looks like we don’t like, and it’s a problem for us to go to a certain place and to face a big atmosphere.

“This is what we want. I am surprised you speak about that in a negative way, I am surprised when I hear former big players speak about atmospheres like something sinister, it motivates us, if we could have every match we would have every match.

“When Barcelona played against Las Palmas in an empty stadium, do you think the players were happy with that? We are speaking about Old Trafford, Anfield in this case, like it’s a big problem, it’s a satisfaction, it’s what we want, I never see a player complain this atmosphere is very strong, when we don’t play at home and don’t see big enthusiasm with the people, we complain
 
“We go to play against a big team with a great tradition in an amazing stadium, we know the fans have a huge animosity against United historically, this is what we want. We have this beautiful conditions, it’s beautiful to play at Anfield.”
 
14:09

Mourinho on his set up

“I play with one defender and nine strikers, don’t worry about it, we play with one guy behind and then we go with a new system and we play with nine strikers, don’t worry about it.”

Brilliant response to suggestions of a “defensive” approach!
 
14:14

Mourinho on suggestions of "easy games" so far

“It is disrespectful to the opposition [we have played to say that], not us, but for the opposition it’s not nice, I think everybody knows we don’t need to hide there are better teams than others and at the end of the season you have the proof of that, the champion, runner up, third, fourth, I don’t think these teams that aren’t going to be champion or top four don’t mind if everybody says that
“But to say they’re easy matches to win is a bit aggressive to them, the only thing I say is that we drop points last season in many matches that you consider that you win before you start to play, you win in the tunnel because you wear a certain shirt and we lost many of these points.

“We drew at Stoke but managed to get points
 
Mourinho press conference key points

•Carrick is out vs Liverpool

•Lukaku fit

•Mourinho relishing Anfield atmosphere

•An insult to previous opponents to talk “easy games”

•Mourinho “to play with nine strikers” (insert wink emoji)
 
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