MOURINHO: WE DEFENDED EXTREMELY WELL
Jose Mourinho handed out the plaudits to his defensive players after Manchester United ground out a valuable away victory over Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
Romelu Lukaku's sixth Premier League goal for the Reds - his eighth strike in all competitions - secured the slender 1-0 win but the visitors had to work hard to protect the lead he provided in the 20th minute.
Here's what the boss had to say in his post-match interview with MUTV and press conference…
DOGGED DISPLAY
"It’s a difficult place to come, and it is a good opponent without anything to lose, that tried in the last 35 minutes to be really offensive and try to fight for the rescue of a point. Our team had chances to kill the game, we had two enormous chances with Herrera and Lukaku, but we didn’t [take them]. Then we put ourselves in a position where we had to defend to keep the result, which we did extremely well, with a good keeper, with good defenders, with the substitution of Smalling, so I am really happy."
BAILLY AND JONES PARTNERSHIP
"[They were] very good, and also Smalling. We did for 20 minutes what the majority of the Premier League teams are doing, which is to play defensive with five at the back. We did that for 20 minutes. I felt Southampton were strong. I felt their manager was excited and enthusiastic by risking bringing two strikers like Gabbiadini and Austin on to play direct, a style that’s not their style. And then I made the decision to bring on Smalling, and I think the team was solid. We showed good solidarity, good organisation and good spirit to get the three points."
DEFENDERS CAN ATTACK TOO
"If you can have two [attacking] full-backs on both sides, not just Valencia on the right, if you can have another one on the left [like Young] it’s positive for us on many occasions."
SOLIDITY WINS THE DAY
"What pleased me was the pragmatism, at half-time we talked and we wanted to kill the game, and we had chances to kill the game. We wanted to be in control but sometimes you can’t, sometimes we are not able, sometimes we have to give credit to the opponent. It was not our decision, it was the way the game went. And then there was a moment we feel that we are in difficulties, so it's better to make it solid. In a league that is becoming so defensive, so defensive, it was the first time that we played 20 minutes with a more defensive approach. Without this period we take a point not three."
HOT WEATHER MADE IT HARD WORK
"I think the players were all tired. Nine of them didn’t play in midweek, so for nine of them it wasn’t even an accumulation of fatigue. I think the weather was beautiful. Even if we train at 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock or 3 o'clock in Manchester we don’t get this weather. I'm serious, the last time we had this [weather] was in LA and then in Macedonia, and I think the players felt this, they were not sharp. They had great spirit, they were always trying, but not the same sharpness. So when your opponent comes with everything at you, [we had to think] let's do it for 10-15 minutes and we were solid."
AWAY SUPPORTERS
"The only thing I want to say is that the fans were amazing and that the support was amazing, from the first minute to the last minute. The players feel that support. It's very important. Not when you are winning 3 or 4-0 and enjoying the game; it is very important when you are fighting, and defending and you are exhausted, and the fans were amazing."
WHEN DO YOU START TO THINK ABOUT A TITLE CHALLENGE?
"I think it’s too early. I think we had five or six points less [at this stage last season] than we have this season, so we are better than last season, but this is nothing. This is just the start and with a difficult period, with an accumulation of matches, [to come] which isn’t ideal. It's just the beginning. It’s going to be difficult. I really think six teams are going to fight for the title."
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