Manchester United manager José Mourinho said he was pleased with his side’s doggedness after grinding out a win against Southampton at St Mary’s.
Romelu Lukaku’s goal gave the Reds all three points on a warm afternoon in the south coast, with Mauricio Pellegrino’s side unable to find an equaliser despite putting United under increasing pressure in the second half.
And in his post-match interview with MUTV, Mourinho gave high praise to his defensive players, saying that he was happy to come away with ‘three fantastic points, the same points as when we win 4-0’.
He added:
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.
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.
He also praised Eric Bailly and Phil Jones for solid performances at the heart of defence, while also explaining the decision to bring on Chris Smalling to shore up the defence when Southampton brought on Manolo Gabbiadini midway through the second half:
[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.
In the post-match press conference, Mourinho was also asked about why he was sent off in stoppage time, with footage showing that the United manager had encroached from his technical area in second-half stoppage time. He simply responded:
I don’t know [why I was sent off]. I don’t know. Craig [Pawson] told me to leave and I left. I don’t know. He told me to leave, I left.
