Manchester United under Jose Mourinho

[Zulfan]

Menurut Mido, hal yang sama seperti dahulu di Chlelsea saat ini sepertinya tengah terjadi di skuat United. Menurutnya Paul Pogba cs main setengah hati dengan tujuan untuk melenyapkan sang manajer dari Old Trafford.

"Saya merasa kasihan pada Mourinho. Saya tahu ia telah melakukan kesalahan dan ia tidak berurusan dengan media dengan cara terbaik terutama di masa-masa sulit," cetusnya pada Sky Sports.

"Cara pemain Chelsea bermain dalam tujuh atau delapan pertandingan terakhirnya di sana, saya yakin para pemain menginginkannya keluar karena langsung setelah ia pergi, mereka mulai bermain lebih baik. Sekarang saya bisa melihat hal yang sama terjadi," cetusnya lagi.

Eks pemain Ajax ini menambahkan bahwa skuat United merasa jengah pada Mourinho karena ia menggunakan metode kuno saat berusaha membuat para pemainnya tampil lebih baik lagi. Menurutnya para pemain zaman now jelas tak bisa diperlakukan sama seperti para pemain zaman dahulu.

"Sebagian besar adalah kesalahannya karena ia tidak tahu bagaimana menghadapi ruang ganti pada saat-saat sulit. Kadang-kadang ia berurusan dengan situasi dengan gaya kuno tetapi pemain para pemain sekarang tidak sama lagi (seperti dahulu)," cetusnya.

"Sepuluh tahun yang lalu jika Anda keluar dan mengkritik Zanetti, Maldini atau Stam - hari berikutnya, pertandingan berikutnya mereka bekerja keras untuk membuktikan bahwa Anda salah. Generasi ini berpikir berbeda, Anda tidak dapat memperoleh reaksi yang sama dari mereka," terangnya.

"Ini adalah area di mana Mourinho sedang kesulitan, ia masih berurusan dengan pemain seperti yang ia lakukan di Porto atau Chelsea tetapi ia mendapatkan reaksi yang tidak ia harapkan," tandas Mido.


Masuk akal juga

[Zulfan]

Paul Pogba will play for Manchester United at West Ham on Saturday but manager Jose Mourinho says "no player is bigger than the club".

A clip of the midfielder and the United boss having a tense exchange on the training ground emerged on Wednesday.

Mourinho said they have a good relationship despite telling the 25-year-old France international he will not captain the team again.

"Tomorrow he plays. He is a player like the others," said Mourinho on Friday.

"No player is bigger than the club. If I am happy with his work he plays, if I am not he doesn't play. I am really happy with his work this week. He trained really well. The team needs good players. He is a good player."

Asked if this week's events could potentially have an impact on United's reputation, he replied: "Manchester United is bigger than anyone. I have to defend that."

The Portuguese was commenting for the first time since pictures emerged of a dispute between the pair at the Premier League club's Carrington training complex.

That came a day after Mourinho told Pogba he is no longer United's vice-captain.

"I explained in detail to the people that have to know, which is the squad and especially Paul," he said.

'Nobody trained better' than Pogba
When it was suggested at Friday's news conference that he did not need to rebuke his £89m record signing in front of the cameras, which were present for the training session, Mourinho said: "I don't care about the cameras. What confrontation?"

He added: "Nobody trained better than Paul Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Some trained as well as, nobody better."

Wednesday's exchange took place after Mourinho was told a social media post had been uploaded by Pogba in which he was laughing and joking with team-mate Andreas Pereira shortly after the end of Tuesday's Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat by Derby.

The United manager summoned Pogba to him as the pair made their way onto the training pitch and made a press officer explain the allegation.

Pogba reacted with incredulity.

He denied responding to the defeat in the way it appeared and said - accurately - that the mobile reception on a match night at Old Trafford is so bad the post, which he had sent much earlier in the evening, had only gone live when he got a decent signal, which was as he was leaving the stadium.

Mourinho, who has accepted this explanation, told a news conference: "You made a story - an incredible story - out of 15 minutes of training.

"Conversations with players I have many, many, many times. It was not the case but loud criticism, loud instruction happens every day.

"Coaching is about that, but you make stories out of it, so I'm happy that the rules are only 15 minutes [of open training] once a month, and with situations like that it is not going to change.

"There is no chance I am going to open the training session and let you watch a training session. No chance."

Pogba and Mourinho timeline
2016
August: Pogba's world record £89m transfer from Juventus is confirmed and the midfielder says: "I am really looking forward to working with Jose Mourinho." The manager says he "will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future".

2017
March: Mourinho says criticism of Pogba's performances are motivated by "envy", adding: "It is not his fault that some pundits are in real trouble while Paul is a multi-millionaire."

September: Reports emerge that Mourinho is unhappy Pogba flew to Miami to recover from a hamstring injury rather than stay in Manchester.

2018
January: Pogba is taken off just over an hour into United's 2-0 defeat by Tottenham and has a heated debate with Mourinho on the Wembley touchline.

February: Mourinho drops Pogba for the next game against Huddersfield, takes him off again in the 1-0 defeat at Newcastle and puts him on the bench for the Champions League fixture against Sevilla.

March: The pair are said to be "barely on speaking terms" amid reports the midfielder could be sold in the summer.

July: Pogba helps France to World Cup victory in Russia and is praised for becoming one of the team's leaders under Didier Deschamps.

August: Pogba is linked with a move to Barcelona before the end of the transfer window.

12 August: Despite returning late from the World Cup, Pogba starts and captains United in their opening match of the season - scoring in a 2-1 win against Leicester. But he says after the game that "there are things I cannot say, otherwise I will get fined".

17 August: Mourinho says he "couldn't be happier" with Pogba after the player suggested he was dissatisfied at Old Trafford.

24 September: Pogba says he wants the team to be able to "attack, attack, attack" at home after being held to a 1-1 draw by Wolves.

25 September: Mourinho insists he has "no problem" with Pogba despite telling him he will not captain the club again.

26 September: A clip emerges of the pair having a tense exchange on the training ground.

[Andi Istiabudi]

Mourinho sebenarnya pelatih bagus dan berpengalaman, hanya saja gaya permainannya kurang pas dengan "jiwa dan semangat" United. Mou yang sekarang sepertinya sudah bukan "Special One" lagi, ada apa denganmu Mou ?

[zudomiriku]

Jose Mourinho had 45-MINUTE rant at Manchester United flops ahead of Valencia bore draw as he clings to job

* Jose Mourinho had a 45-minute rant at his Manchested United stars on Tuesday
* The rant happened at a meeting at the Lowry Hotel before the draw with Valencia
* Hotel staff could hear Mourinho's raised voice as he berated his players
* Mourinho earlier said that some players care about the club more than others
* United went on to draw 0-0 at Old Trafford, continuing their poor run of form

Jose Mourinho had a 45-minute rant at his Manchester United stars in the build-up to their Champions League clash with Valencia as he battled to win their support.

The meeting at the Lowry Hotel on Monday evening was meant to last 20 minutes, but it went on more than twice as long as Mourinho confronted the players over their abysmal performance at West Ham.

Hotel staff could hear Mourinho’s raised voice throughout the meeting with very little response from the United squad in the meeting room.

Earlier, Mourinho had admitted at the pre-match press conference that some of his players care more than others about the crisis engulfing Old Trafford as his future at United hangs in the balance.

He reminded them in his programme notes for the game against Valencia that ‘the crest on the chest is more important than the name on the back of the shirt’ and then told MUTV before kick-off: ‘From the supporters I cannot ask any more. I cannot ask for more than they are giving at home. Away, with bad results, I cannot ask for more.

‘I think it’s time for the people on the pitch to show them that they love the club as much as the fans.’

The United players formed a huddle on the pitch before a disappointing draw and Marouane Fellaini revealed that it was a show of support for their embattled boss.

‘I think everybody is behind the manager,’ said Fellaini. ‘Everyone is going in the same direction to try to improve and to do better. I think we wanted to show that we are together.’


Jose Mourinho had a 45-minute rant at his Manchested United stars on Tuesday. Mourinho berated his squad at a meeting at the Lowry Hotel before the draw with Valencia. Manchester United's players formed a huddle before the game in support of Mourinho

Antonio Valencia also claimed after the game that he is ‘100 per cent’ behind the manager despite being criticised by Mourinho for not attending last week’s Carabao Cup tie against Derby in his role as club captain.

But Valencia contradicted himself shortly afterwards by liking an Instagram post calling for Mourinho to be sacked and describing the football under the Portuguese coach as ‘a punishment’.

Valencia issued a curious apology saying: ‘Yesterday, I liked a post on Instagram without reading the text that accompanied the picture.

‘These are not my views and I apologise for this. I am fully supportive of the manager and my team-mates. We are all giving our everything to improve the results.’

It is clear that United are actively encouraging the players to back Mourinho in public amid suggestions that he has lost the dressing-room, with Paul Pogba revealing that he has been gagged from talking to the media.

MANCHESTER UNITED: CRISIS CLUB?

Young Boys 0-3 MANCHESTER UNITED

MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 Wolves

MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 (7-8 pens) Derby

West Ham 3-1 MANCHESTER UNITED

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 Valencia

Mourinho could also be seen gesticulating at star players at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening

They were warned about comments made in public after Pogba appeared to criticise Mourinho’s tactics following the draw with Wolves by saying United should ‘attack, attack, attack’ at home, and also reminded about social media posts following Pogba’s fallout with the manager over his Instagram video during the Derby game. That in itself made Valencia’s blunder all the more extraordinary.

Ultimately, performances on the pitch will be the most accurate barometer of the support for Mourinho, and former United striker Dion Dublin believes the signs are not good.

‘Looking at their body language a few players aren’t playing for the manager,’ Dublin told BBC 5Live. ‘I hate to call out players but its Man Utd, it’s a Champions League night, you’re at home against Valencia and you cannot put a performance in like that.

‘I’m frustrated. There’s something fundamentally wrong with the balance and togetherness of this football club behind the scenes.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6235493/Jose-Mourinho-45-MINUTE-rant-Manchester-United-flops-Portuguese-boss-clings-job.html

yg bisa dibanggakan 'cuma' menjadi klub Inggris yg belum kalah di UCL

[zudomiriku]

Manchester United have no immediate plans to sack Jose Mourinho, but next seven matches will decide his future

* Jose Mourinho is under fire following Manchester United's disappointing start
* The Portuguese boss saw his side held to a 0-0 draw by Valencia on Tuesday
* United face Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday evening
* However, the owners are prepared to give Mourinho time to turn the ship around

Jose Mourinho retains the backing of Manchester United’s owners – although the next seven matches are key to his future.

United have not won at Old Trafford since the opening Friday of the Premier League season and Tuesday’s 0-0 stalemate with Valencia was the latest setback in a disappointing start.

Mourinho’s underperforming side entertain Newcastle this weekend and while a heavy defeat may prompt a different outcome, Sportsmail understands an upcoming schedule which includes fixtures with Juventus (twice), Chelsea and Manchester City will either seal his fate or buy him more time.


Manchester United's next seven games will define the future of manager Jose Mourinho

United are now without a win in four games across all competitions. That run includes an embarrassing exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Championship Derby County and a morale-sapping 3-1 reverse at West Ham United.

Mourinho’s relationship with star man Paul Pogba is under strain, while Antonio Valencia apologised after he liked an Instagram post calling for the manager’s head.

Other senior players are also known to be frustrated with the situation but determined to make things work under Mourinho.

UNITED'S NEXT SEVEN

Saturday: Newcastle (H)

Oct 20: Chelsea (A)

Oct 23: Juventus (H)

Oct 28: Everton (H)

Nov 3: Bournemouth (A)

Nov 7: Juventus (A)

Nov 11: Man City (A)

A source said: ‘The Glazers are not – and have never been – ones for knee-jerk reactions. They are aware that things are not great and they know that things need to change.

'They also know that it’s the start of October and there is a lot of football to be played. If Newcastle come and win, say 3-0, then that could be the end but they are far more likely to review the situation following the City match.

'If things are going OK then Jose will be there past Christmas.’

The Glazers remain in contact with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward on a daily basis. They also use a video-conferencing system installed at the club’s Carrington training ground to conduct talks with Woodward and Mourinho.

The fixture at City takes place on November 11. United are then not in action until November 24, when they entertain Crystal Palace.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6239813/Next-seven-matches-hold-key-Jose-Mourinhos-Man-Utd-future.html

Prediksi UNITED'S NEXT SEVEN

Saturday: Newcastle (H) : Menang

Oct 20: Chelsea (A) : Kalah

Oct 23: Juventus (H) : Seri

Oct 28: Everton (H) : Menang

Nov 3: Bournemouth (A) : Menang/Seri

Nov 7: Juventus (A) : Kalah

Nov 11: Man City (A) : Kalah

ya tetap dipecat juga akhirnya, 7 game cukup la buat nego sama Zidane/Conte/Pochettino

[Zulfan]

Kabar terakhir lebih sadis deh. Abis lawan ncu, menang atau kalah, tetap dipecat dan diganti pocetino.

[zudomiriku]

Why do Manchester United play with so much fear? Nobody has done more to undermine the team than the manager Jose Mourinho himself

* Jose Mourinho blamed the media manhunt for making his players 'scared'
* Mourinho has undermined his players by criticising them publicly multiple times
* United's defence is shambolic, but Mourinho's constant changes aren't helping
* Antonio Valencia and Paul Pogba have both paid the price for going against him

Before he turned to Brexit and the London weather, Jose Mourinho touched on some of the more relevant issues affecting him and his Manchester United players.

Marcus Rashford was ‘sad’ in this remarkable win over Newcastle, said Mourinho. Scott McTominay was ‘scared’. These are not words we are accustomed to hearing in relation to footballers.

The United manager was, of course, blaming media speculation over his future, and what he kept referring to as a manhunt, for the negative mood of his young players. The truth, however, lies somewhat closer to home. Nobody has done more to undermine, expose or demotivate this United squad than Mourinho himself.

In his seemingly endless war with the world, the players have become collateral damage, even when United win. ‘You could feel the tension with the players,’ said Romelu Lukaku afterwards. ‘It touches us, you know.’

Fear is a dangerous emotion for players to carry on to the pitch, particularly younger ones and especially in the Premier League. It is no place for faint hearts and uncertain minds.

But that is exactly what Mourinho and the constant battles — some real, some perceived and others designed to deflect from his shortcomings — have instilled in the players.


Jose Mourinho blamed a media manhunt for his players being scared during Newcastle game. Mourinho's constant war with the world raged as he said the manhunt affected his players

They are always one bad pass away from being substituted, one caustic comment from public humiliation. While Sir Alex Ferguson earned the respect of his men by rarely criticising them outside the dressing room, Mourinho has no such compunction.

That’s why it is difficult to see a way back for him at Old Trafford, whatever short-term relief this win may have given him, or credit he deserves for dragging a second-half performance out of a team who had looked on the verge of collapse.

‘Maybe it was my wrong decision to play Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay,’ admitted Mourinho. ‘They were not ready for this level of pressure that the manhunt is bringing.

‘The boys woke up this morning and they didn’t know if I was going to be here or not. For big boys like me, it’s no problem. But for younger people, I think it’s a problem.’

McTominay started in midfield, moved to centre back and did not reappear for the second half after struggling once again in an unfamiliar role.

Rashford missed two glaring chances with his head before his number also went up.

Mourinho is right, Rashford does look sad. In a United shirt, he lacks the spirit and vibrancy he will bring to England over the course of the next week, but whose fault is that?

It isn’t just those two. Look down United’s squad list and there is damage everywhere. Centre back, in particular, is a disaster zone. Mourinho has chopped and changed so many times, is it any surprise his defenders have forgotten how to defend?

‘Let’s not forget this team defensively conceded one more goal than Manchester City last season,’ said Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer.

‘They are all over the place this year because they are constantly hearing the manager tell them they’re not good enough. That has to affect their confidence.’

Over on BT Sport, former United centre back Rio Ferdinand wondered whether Eric Bailly’s career at the club can possibly recover after he was substituted in the 19th minute as Mourinho tried to arrest a quite horrific start.

It came 11 days after the United boss admitted he ‘knew we were in trouble’ when Bailly and Phil Jones were next up in the penalty shootout against Derby. Luke Shaw is only just re-emerging as the player we know he can be, scarred as much by Mourinho’s public criticism of him over the last two years as any physical injury he has suffered.

On Saturday, captain Antonio Valencia paid the price for endorsing a social media comment calling for Mourinho to be sacked by being axed from the squad.

Replacement skipper Ashley Young was exposed as Kenedy and Yoshinori Muto stunned Old Trafford with two goals inside the opening 10 minutes for a Newcastle side experiencing their worst start to a top-flight season, but who clearly fancied their chances here.

Paul Pogba, stripped of the vice captaincy, led the fightback. Even the three players who dug Mourinho out of the biggest of holes — Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez — have had their issues with the manager.

But dig they did. It would be stretching it to say this was proof Mourinho retains the complete support of his players, but you cannot ignore the effort they gave in the second half.

It brought their manager respite and no little credit for turning around a desperate — and apparently fiery — half-time situation that threatened to intensify the speculation over his job.

‘A lot of strong words were said in the changing room at half-time and everything that was said was correct and needed,’ said Shaw, who picked up a knock that will be assessed before he is cleared for England duty.

‘Being 2-0 down at home to Newcastle is really bad. It (the talk) helped us and the changes helped us. We came out a new side in the second half; what we should be like in every game.’

Will the benefits last any longer than they did when United came from two goals down to win at Manchester City and Crystal Palace last season? Probably not. Four of the next six games are against City, Chelsea and Juventus twice, so the issue of Mourinho’s future will remain firmly on the table.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6250399/Why-Man-United-play-fear-undermine-team-Mourinho.html

[tumpal_oneunited]

Originally Posted by Zulfan

Kabar terakhir lebih sadis deh. Abis lawan ncu, menang atau kalah, tetap dipecat dan diganti pocetino.

Kayaknya ga jadi yah..
Hahaha..

[zudomiriku]

'He'll do everything to change things:' Michael Essien says 'father figure' Jose Mourinho won't stop trying to turn Manchester United's fortunes around

* Michael Essien and Jose Mourinho formed an unbreakable bond at Chelsea
* The Ghanaian wants his former boss to prove his Old Trafford doubters wrong
* Mourinho is losing grip of his authority among the Manchester United players
* Essien admits Mourinho's abrasive style may not suit modern-day footballers

Michael Essien has a question. 'Why is everyone talking about Mourinho?' He does not mean generally. It seems amid Manchester United's minor crisis, Essien has become something of a font of Jose Mourinho knowledge. It's no real surprise, though.

Essien was brought in from Lyon in 2005, there for the peak Mourinho years at Chelsea, when the Portuguese seemed unable to do wrong. Their dynamic was so strong that Mourinho took him to Real Madrid on loan when everything was falling apart around him.

Beyond that, the pair still have an excellent relationship. Essien brought Mourinho to Accra, in Ghana, a few years ago, to show him where he grew up. Mourinho has even taken to calling himself Essien's 'white daddy', with the 35-year-old seeing himself as his son.

But all is not well in Mourinho's world. A dramatic win against Newcastle at the weekend papered over the cracks at United. They are eighth in the league, seven points off top.

And there are signs of tension behind the scenes. There may be a mass exodus of players if Mourinho stays in charge, with problems between him and his squad. But for Essien, Mourinho remains the man.

He told Sportsmail: 'For me, Jose is still the same. He hasn't changed. He still has the fighting spirit, he's still going to work hard to change things. For me he is always the same.


A dark cloud appears to be hanging over Jose Mourinho at Manchester United this season

'He had a very big influence on me and we'll always have this father and son relationship. He's a fighter and a winner and he wants to win. Knowing him he'll do everything to change things.'

There have been suggestions that Mourinho's methods do not work for the new generation of footballers. Why would brand Paul Pogba, for example, face criticism in the press when he is arguably more marketable than the club itself?

When it is put to Essien that the modern-day player would not react as well to Mourinho's methods, he puts down his bottle of Supermalt, nods and says, 'Probably you are right.

'He had a very big influence on me and we'll always have this father and son relationship. He's a fighter and a winner and he wants to win. Knowing him he'll do everything to change things.'

There have been suggestions that Mourinho's methods do not work for the new generation of footballers. Why would brand Paul Pogba, for example, face criticism in the press when he is arguably more marketable than the club itself?

When it is put to Essien that the modern-day player would not react as well to Mourinho's methods, he puts down his bottle of Supermalt, nods and says, 'Probably you are right.

Chelsea had seemed down and out but managed to turn around a tie against Napoli before a shock win at the Nou Camp: 'When the return game against Napoli happened, we said anything can happen.

'We just had to go in, work hard, do our best and see what happened. That took us through to the final. We won it in Munich, their home ground - that was a special day for us.'

It seems obvious, but while looking back on his playing career - which Essien has technically not called time on - it becomes clear that the Ghanaian adores the sport.

Manifesting itself in the way he plays with the new blue Champions League ball on the table in front of him, he says: 'I just love playing football. Football is everything for me. I was lucky enough to play for some big clubs.'

Laughing, he adds: 'It looks good on my CV, I guess?'

He is still visiting Chelsea's training ground on a regular basis, but not to coach. He pops down to Cobham if he fancies a game: 'I still play sometimes. I still train sometimes with the Chelsea kids. I go down to play with the Under 23s, to train with them.'

Even now, the influence of Mourinho runs deep. He has an appreciation for what Maurizio Sarri is now doing at Chelsea. He views them, Liverpool and Manchester City as the likely candidates for the Premier League title.

All aesthetically brilliant, but he only had one goal in mind when he went onto the pitch: 'Winning is all that matters really. I would not really be happy to play good football and lose - I wanted to play well and win or play bad and win.'

Essien admits he is hoping results pick up at Old Trafford too, whether performances come or not. At the least, it might stop the Mourinho-led interrogation.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6257475/Michael-Essien-backs-Jose-Mourinho-turn-things-Manchester-United.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

FIVE GREAT UNITED COMEBACKS UNDER MOURINHO

Manchester United's never-say-die attitude to win matches has been apparent throughout the club's illustrious and proud history, and that has continued since Jose Mourinho was appointed manager in the summer of 2016.

After the Reds came from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle United 3-2 at Old Trafford last Saturday, we decided to look into other memorable turnarounds that Mourinho has masterminded during his time at the club.

United only came from behind to win twice in Jose’s first season at the helm, in 2-1 victories at home to Middlesbrough in the league and away at Blackburn Rovers in the Emirates FA Cup – a mark of the formidable record the Reds boasted when scoring the first goal in games that season.

However, last season, United displayed impressive powers of recovery when falling behind, to win on six occasions across all competitions.

We’ve picked out five of the Reds’ greatest comebacks under Jose to look at in more detail…

5 December 2017 | Champions League | United 2 CSKA Moscow 1 | Old Trafford
Even after winning four of the previous five matches, the Reds came into last season’s final Champions League group game needing a positive result against CSKA Moscow to guarantee progression to the knockout phase. Despite making a bright start, United went behind to Alan Dzagoev’s goal on the stroke of half-time but turned it around admirably in the second half. Two goals in the space of just two minutes from Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford ensured Mourinho’s men qualified for the last 16 as winners of Group A.

25 February 2018 | Premier League | United 2 Chelsea 1 | Old Trafford
As the race to finish in the top four began to heat up, the Reds claimed an important come-from-behind victory over fellow challengers Chelsea at the Theatre of Dreams. Willian had given Antonio Conte’s side the lead on 31 minutes, but the Reds refused to buckle as Romelu Lukaku restored parity before half-time by scoring against his former club. Both sides had chances to win it in the second half but Mourinho’s substitutions reaped reward as one of his replacements, Jesse Lingard, headed home the decisive goal from a Lukaku cross with 15 minutes remaining.

5 March 2018 | Premier League | Crystal Palace 2 United 3 | Selhurst Park
One of the most memorable games during Jose’s tenure so far came on a Monday night in South London as, not only did it feature plenty of drama, but a winning goal which fans voted as our best strike of 2017/18. The Reds endured a difficult first half as Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace deservedly went 2-0 up through Andros Townsend’s deflected effort early on and a Patrick van Aanholt strike shortly after the break. United had to do it the hard way but goals from Chris Smalling and Lukaku levelled the scores as the Reds seized control. It looked as though both teams would have to settle for a draw as the game entered stoppage time but Nemanja Matic had other ideas. The Serbian unleashed a half-volley from 25 yards which flew past Wayne Hennessey and notched a memorable first goal for United to clinch all three points – much to the delight of our magnificent away following.

7 April 2018 | Premier League | Manchester City 2 United 3 | Etihad Stadium
The Reds breathtakingly wrecked neighbours City’s plans to wrap up the Premier League title on derby day by producing an astonishing comeback at the Etihad Stadium, which will live long in the memory. The Reds were seemingly dead and buried at half time as Pep Guardiola’s City, who had further chances to score, led 2-0 after goals from captain Vincent Kompany and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. The home supporters were prematurely readying themselves for a party at United’s expense but the old never-say-die spirit was revived in a spectacular second period that saw a double from Paul Pogba and a winner from Smalling delay City’s celebrations in a captivating contest.

21 April 2018 | Emirates FA Cup semi-final | United 2 Tottenham 1 | Wembley Stadium
The great comeback kings of 2018 were at it again as the Reds displayed more fighting spirit to see off Spurs and book a return to the home of English football in the form of an Emirates FA Cup final date against Chelsea. Spurs took the lead at their temporary home ground as Dele Alli converted Christian Eriksen’s cross in the 10th minute, but United didn’t lie down and roared back as Alexis Sanchez continued his impressive goalscoring record at Wembley by heading in an equaliser from Pogba’s inch-perfect cross. Jose's men continued to be in the ascendancy in the second half and completed the turnaround just after the hour mark through a composed finish from Ander Herrera.

www.manutd.com