Jose Mourinho press conference: Manchester United manager denies claiming they need a ‘miracle’
Re-live Mourinho's Tuesday morning press conference ahead of facing Arsenal
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow live coverage of Jose Mourinho's Tuesday morning press conference to preview Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, with the manager set to deliver the latest injury news and address the growing rifts in the squad that are threatening to derail their season.
Mourinho is likely to face questions on his claim that United will need “almost a miracle” to finish in the top four this season, in comments made to Brazilian media outlet RedeTV that emerged on Monday following the 2-2 draw away at Southampton at the weekend.
When asked what his aims for the remainder of the season were, the United manager said: “Try to win as many points as possible and try [to achieve] almost the miracle of finishing fourth. Mourinho claimed after that draw at St Mary’s that his squad lacked ‘mad dogs’ and is understood to have singled out Paul Pogba for criticism in the dressing room. Follow live updates below.
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Jose Mourinho will meet journalists on Tuesday morning to preview Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Arsenal on Tuesday night.
Mourinho is likely to face questions on his claim that United will need “almost a miracle” to finish in the top four this season.
The comments, made to Brazilian media outlet RedeTV, emerged on Monday following the 2-2 draw away at Southampton at the weekend.
When asked what his aims for the remainder of the season were, the United manager said: “Try to win as many points as possible and try [to achieve] almost the miracle of finishing fourth."
Mourinho's press conference is set to begin at 10.30am GMT.
Stay here for live updates...
Mourinho denies claiming United need a miracle to finish in the top four:
"I what? Nah. Is not, I don't know if I say or if I didn't but if I used that word is not what I feel at all. We have like eight or nine points from fourth something like that, I don't think we need a miracle at all. We need a good run of results, not waste points we shouldn't waste."
On top four:
"Last week before the Crystal Palace game I told my hopes and targets were end of December to be in that position, the target changes but in the sense let's try to close the distance best we can and be very close to these positions. I think far from a miracle, we just need to not be so unlucky with probably what we have, we need some players to perform better than they are we need to perform better as a team but far from a miracle."
On where Manchester United will finish?
"I think Manchester United in seventh place I can agree, in spite of the investment Everton made was phenomenal and obviously there was a great improvement in that team from last season in relation to this but I don't think Everton will be in front of Manchester United at the end of the season.
"There are six teams that should stay in the first six positions, season after season two of these teams are staying outside the top four. For last season it was Arsenal and Chelsea. And this season two of these six are going to stay outside. Who is the best team of the six the team with more potential, less potential? Who is the team performing not so well? These will be around the questions and answers. At the end of the season the top six will be done by the six teams we all know have that responsibility to finish in the top six."
Back to the miracle quote:
"I quoted one thing in an interview I gave to Brazilian TV that you can go there and see what I told and another thing is to be quoted who or how. I don't play that game.
"You saw me in the press conference. You saw me in the flash interviews, you know what I told. That's simple. You go to my words what I told to TV, press conferences, another thing is somebody said I 'told', I don't play that game.
Contact with fans, sense their unhappiness:
"My life is not a very public life, I'm not a person that is all the time is in the street or in contract with the fans, not really."
On facing Arsenal tomorrow without Arsene Wenger:
"Yes, it's different. It's not for me to do that analysis, I have my opinion but keep for myself, different yes, and a very diff match for us because we are going to play against a good team in a good moment without accumulation of matches because they are playing Europa League and when you play Europa League you normally play with second choices and give good rest to the players.
"We have to play to the max and it's an accumulation of matches and then you arrive in this moment in December and many teams pay the price of that. I'm not clearly, that is not the motivation you want as a team as a club but to develop players fresher is a good way to do it."
On reports of another rift with Paul Pogba:
"If you have attention a couple of minutes ago I don't play the game of the suggest."
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