Manchester United beat Burnley 2-0 this afternoon after a positive, attacking display from the team. United played in a similar way against Tottenham Hotspur, although failed to score a goal from our 23 chances, compared to the three goals Spurs scored from their nine attempts.
It was a different story at Turf Moor though, with Romelu Lukaku scoring both goals and United maintaining the 2-0 lead despite playing with 10 men for the final 20 minutes.
Jose Mourinho applauded the Stretford End following the Spurs defeat and did the same after the win over Burnley, and after the game thanked the fans again.
I keep saying for me it [the support] is not important, it’s nice, of course it’s nice, but it’s not important, because they support the team. I think the team also brought the fans into the game with the way the team played from the beginning with the fantastic football and with a great spirit. We knew that this was a must-win game for us and the fans played with us but I think they started playing with us since the end of the game against Tottenham. That was the crucial moment, that the best feeling was given to the team when the team most needed it. This week was a very good week and was one when we didn’t feel in any moment that we were coming from a defeat. The spirit was high exactly because of that reaction at Old Trafford [from the fans].
Mourinho spoke of his happiness with the performance after the game, singling out a few players for special praise.
Everything [pleased me]. The first 10 minutes were the mirror of the game. So fast, so creative, even I can say so beautiful, but we lost three chances in the first 10 minutes and I think that was the mirror of the game. We managed to score two goals which was enough to win, but it shouldn’t just be two, it should be three, four, five, six. We should have scored before we scored the goals and we should have scored the penalty that would kill the game and also the best chances after the penalty. Even with 10 men, the team was really strong in every aspect of the game.
The pace with the ball and the organisation without the ball [was very good]. Also the tactical approach, the concentration of a crucial triangle – Fellaini, Lindelof and Smalling – the creativity in midfield and then the intensity moving the ball. And in the last 10/15 minutes even when we played at less speed and at less intensity for the counter-attack I thought the performance was very good.
They had very few chances because the organisation was really good and we managed to stop their danger for the majority of the time. There were good individual performances no doubt about it and without those you cannot win matches. Individual mistakes lose you matches and today we didn’t have those [in defence]. We had some in the face of Joe Hart and that’s why the result was only 2-0.
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