Jose Mourinho was spotted whispering into the ear of Tomofei Kalachev after the final whistle of Manchester United ‘s 1-1 draw with Rostov in the Europa League – but it was all fun and games. The Red Devils were held in the first-leg tie as Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s opener in the 35th minute was cancelled out by Aleksandr Bukharov’s equaliser just after half-time.
Category: Chris Smalling
Ibrahimovic winner gives Manchester United EFL Cup glory against Southampton
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s late header secured Manchester United the first major trophy of the Jose Mourinho era, breaking Southampton hearts at the end of a thrilling EFL Cup final. Wembley bore witness to a superb encounter as expectant United faced a Saints side looking to win just the second major trophy in their history, the first having come 41 years ago when the sides met in the FA Cup final.
Manchester United secure Europa League progress against St Etienne at a cost
Manchester United secured Europa League progress at a cost, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan limping off shortly after opening the scoring against St Etienne to put his EFL Cup final hopes in jeopardy. Jose Mourinho named a surprisingly-strong line-up considering they arrived in France boasting a 3-0 lead for the last-32 return leg – a bold decision that backfired somewhat.
Rooney returns to Manchester United training
The club captain is closing in on a return to fitness as the Red Devils return to Europa League action ahead of Sunday’s EFL Cup final The United captain has been out with what manager Jose Mourinho described as “a small muscular injury”, missing the last-32 first leg against the Ligue 1 side as well as an FA Cup win at Blackburn Rovers. Mourinho had suggested Rooney would not be available to face Saint-Etienne as he had not trained with the first team, while he remains a doubt for the EFL Cup final against Southampton on Sunday.
Reunions abound as Man Utd tackle Saint-Etienne in Europa League
Just like the New England Patriots boss, Manchester United’s manager wasn’t smiling after his team beat AS Saint-Etinne in the first leg of their Round of 32 meeting in the UEFA Europa League. Manchester United will travel to Stade Geoffroy-Cuichard in Saint-Etinne, France on February 22 for the second leg of the Round of 32. The pair have spoken of their excitement prior to the game and another player rubbing his hands in anticipation is United’s Anthony Martial , who came through the ranks at Saint-Etienne’s arch rivals Lyon.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says some of his players are not mentally strong enough
United are stuck in sixth spot in the Premier League , with the title out of reach. And Mourinho, who is set for another big summer spending spree, conceded some of his squad have been in a comfort zone and are not natural winners like he is.
Premier League an ‘impossible mission’ for Mourinho and United
The Red Devils manager feels his team are too far behind Chelsea in the title race to challenge as they target silverware on three other fronts Fixture congestion, Manchester United’s cluster of cup runs and Chelsea’s hefty lead at the summit mean Jose Mourinho views the Premier League title as “an impossible mission”. United made it back-to-back 4-0 wins over Championship opponents in their defence of the FA Cup, with Marouane Fellaini, Chris Smalling, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Bastian Schweinsteiger on target in a routine victory against Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford on Sunday.
LVG’s Man Utd highlights
The former United manager appears to have called time on his coaching career , saying he is unlikely to take another job for family reasons. He has been out of work since leaving United last May, with his two-year spell ending with victory in the FA Cup final over Crystal Palace .
EXCLUSIVE: Everton to compete with Chelsea and Man City for Vi…
And Toffees boss Ronald Koeman believes he can win the scrap for his fellow Dutchman, who he managed at St. Mary’s before moving to Merseyside. JANUARY is a pretty risky time to do your transfer business – but some Premier League clubs haven’t been afraid to splash huge amounts of cash during the winter window.
Manchester United make huge last-minute U-turn over 38m January transfer target
The Benfica defender had looked certain to make the move to Old Trafford when the window opens next month, however Jose Mourinho has had a change of heart. BBC Sport are among those reporting that Mourinho has been so impressed with the form of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo in recent weeks that he feels a new big-money centre-back is unnecessary.