Jose Discusses Derby Preparation

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed how the current international break will affect the preparation for his squad's next assignment - the eagerly-awaited clash with Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday 10 September.

The Reds are on a high after the valuable 1-0 away triumph at Hull City, secured with Marcus Rashford's injury-time winner, but as Mourinho admitted in an exclusive interview with MUTV, plans for the derby are bound to be affected by the international schedule.

"We keep eight outfield players and Sam Johnstone as the goalkeeper [for training]," reported Mourinho.

"We are going to lose the others and we don't know the way they train, the way they recover, the life they are going to have with their national teams.

"Some are coming back on the Monday before the Manchester City match but some are coming back on Friday. The day before Man City, we will still have Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo and Antonio Valencia arriving.

"It will be a complicated process but we know it is like this when we have these players. And I would love all of the players to go because it would mean that everybody is being selected for their national teams."

Mourinho also explained Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be given extra time off following his decision to retire from representing Sweden.

"I give the other guys, who are not selected for the national teams, two days off," he said. "And I give four days to Zlatan. At 34 years old, you need to rest."

Keane Completes Hull City Move

Will Keane is joining Hull City on a permanent basis after the striker agreed a switch to the KCOM Stadium.

The 23-year-old scored the first goal of the Jose Mourinho era at Old Trafford, in the pre-season friendly win at Wigan Athletic, but has been allowed to leave in order to obtain first-team football.

The spearhead of the 2011 FA Youth Cup-winning team, he battled back from a serious knee injury and featured against Sunderland and Shrewsbury Town last season, only to hurt his groin while hitting the woodwork in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at the Greenhous Meadow.

Will, whose twin brother Mike is impressing with Burnley, links up with former Reds assistant manager Mike Phelan and will be out to prove his worth in the Premier League after signing a three-year contract with the Tigers.

Everybody at United would like to wish him the very best of luck for the future.

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Sir Alex Ferguson Returns To Queen's Park For Kit Launch

Sir Alex Ferguson has returned to Queen's Park to help launch their 150th anniversary kit more than half-a-century after making his debut for the club.

The former Manchester United manager started out in football as a striker with the Scottish club and made a goalscoring debut as a 16-year-old against Stranraer in November 1958.

"I was delighted when Queen's Park got in touch and asked me to help their new strip," the 74-year-old told the League One club's Facebook page after being invited back to Hampden Park.

"Scotland colours are known across the world and it fantastic that the club's role as pioneers in the game is recognised in this way."

Ferguson played for three years for Queen's Park, scoring 15 goals in 31 league appearances before joining St Johnstone.

He also played for Dunfermline, Rangers, Falkirk and Ayr before starting out in management with East Stirlingshire in 1974 at the age of 32. 

The Scot took charge of United in 1986 and went on to becme Britain's most successful manager, winning 38 trophies and 13 league titles before retiring in 2013.

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Schweinsteiger: MLS An Option

Bastian Schweinsteiger's "absolute dream" is to play for Manchester United again, but he admits his future may lie in America.

Schweinsteiger, signed by Louis van Gaal last summer, has been frozen out of Jose Mourinho's first-team plans at Old Trafford.

He confirmed earlier this month he would not join another European club and with the transfer windows in both China and the MLS already closed, he looks set to stay until January at least.

"Of course, my absolute dream would be to play for Manchester United and help them reach the goals they have," the former Germany captain said.

"Of course, we have had talks and I have no problem with Jose Mourinho. We had a good chat and he told me his side of things and I also know what I want.

"We've got to wait and see how things go in September and October, but there is respect between us and that's important for me. I'm certainly not going to stop playing football."

Schweinsteiger, a World Cup winner with Germany who won the Champions League with former club Bayern Munich, has missed his chance to move to MLS but would consider crossing the Atlantic in the future.

He said: "The transfer window is closed in the USA so I'm not going there now. It's my dream still to play for Manchester United and if I get a fair chance, I believe in it.

"I played in the semi-finals of the European Championship as part of the world champions' team, and I believe in my ability and dream of helping United.

"I think up to my suspension last year, things were going well for me, then I had two unfortunate injuries.

"But as I said, it's my absolute dream and goal (to play for United again), but we've got to see what the situation is. The USA is certainly an option, should it come to that."

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Will Keane To Have Medical Ahead Of Hull City Move

Manchester United striker Will Keane is to have a medical ahead of a permanent transfer to Hull City, Sky sources understand.

Tigers boss Mike Phelan said last week that he wanted to add as many as six new players to his paper-thin squad before Wednesday's transfer deadline.

Phelan worked with Keane when he was on the coaching staff at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 23-year-old academy graduate has only made three appearances for United's senior team, two of those coming last season.

He has been out on loan with four different Sky Bet Championship sides - Wigan, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and, most recently, spending the first half of last season with Preston North End.

The England U21 international scored twice in 22 games at Deepdale before being recalled by then United boss Louis van Gaal.

Keane also scored the first goal of Jose Mourinho's reign when he netted in pre-season against Wigan.

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Why Blind Is Vital To United

Praise and attention has been directed at summer signings and emerging talents this season, yet ManUtd.com’s Mark Froggatt is keen to highlight the contribution of Daley Blind…

Daley Blind is not often the centre of attention at Manchester United. He rarely wins awards, he isn't showered in praise and his name is seldom splashed across the sporting headlines, yet the Dutchman remains an indispensable member of the team and Jose Mourinho’s plans.

It was Eric Bailly who collected a third Man of the Match award of the season at Hull City on Saturday and the Ivory Coast international deserved it, following an impressive and authoritative display in rain-soaked Hull. But his fellow centre-back could easily have taken home the prize.

Blind was also excellent at the KCOM Stadium where he maintained his fine start to the first campaign under Mourinho, keeping the hosts' striker Abel Hernandez at bay and playing a key role in what became a dramatic 1-0 win. He was later among MUTV's three nominees for the star-man poll and earned 21 per cent of votes cast by followers of @ManUtd on Twitter, while Bailly triumphed with 64 per cent.

Missing out on Saturday's Man of the Match award will not have given Daley a sleepless night, in fact he may not even have been aware of the result, but it feels worthwhile to highlight the Dutchman's influence on the result in a season that has so far been dominated by summer signings and emerging talents.

Blind’s intelligent performances at centre-back are perfectly complimenting the more combative approach of Bailly, forming a silk-and-steel partnership that is pivotal to United currently boasting the Premier League’s meanest defensive record with just one goal conceded from three matches played.

Theirs is a perfect blend. Blind uses street smarts as a weapon of choice when other players in his position lead with their imposing height or electric pace; he reads football like we read words, only much quicker and more intelligently. Bailly more commonly deploys his physical and athletic attributes, out-muscling and out-running the opposition. There’s something gloriously old-school about him; he’s an evolution of the classic Premier League defender.

Another interesting sub-plot to their relationship is the advisory role that Blind, 26, has adopted for his much younger team-mate, given that Bailly arrived at United in the summer with only 52 senior appearances to his name for previous clubs Villarreal and Espanyol. Daley tallied 56 outings in 2015/16 alone and you cannot underestimate the experience that he can share - even if the pair do not share a common language!

One imagines they’d be perfect at the old good cop, bad cop routine. Daley would offer a cup of coffee and a phone call home, using subtler methods of persuasion to glean a confession, while Eric might manhandle the accused and throw said coffee cup at the wall. In the end, they'd always get their man.

Indeed, this flourishing relationship at centre-back has caught many supporters by surprise, namely because Chris Smalling was so outstanding in the starting XI throughout last season and even came close to winning David De Gea’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award. But the England international’s suspension for the opening-day win at Bournemouth appears to have cost him his place, in the short-term at least, with the manager now reluctant to separate his two in-form defenders.

While very few predicted the successful partnership of Blind and Bailly, history shows it is comparable with the contrasting styles that have traditionally mixed so well at Old Trafford. They’re a little like Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister in the 1990s, Treble-winners Ronny Johnsen and Jaap Stam in 1999, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in the 2000s, or even Smalling and Blind last season. Each had different ingredients and qualities, but they came together to form a potent cocktail of defensive strength.

Blind’s importance to the team will be further highlighted after the international break when he is expected to start the Manchester derby, tasked with extinguishing the fire of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in what is surely English football's biggest contest this season. It will be another test of quality and one that examines the true strength of his alliance with Bailly, as well as his own place in the XI.

There's evidence to suggest our no.17 will rise to the challenge. After all, he's the man that disproved critics at Ajax who claimed his starting place was indebted to his famous father, Danny. He's the man who started 55 games at centre-back last season in spite of pundits claiming it wasn't his position, and the same man who has usurped Smalling this campaign amid media speculation that he might even depart.

Yes, the season is young and it remains to be seen whether he will finish it as Mourinho's first choice, yet Blind has proven to be an invaluable member of the squad. He deserves all the praise and recognition that comes his way.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

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Zlatan To Have More Time Off

Jose Mourinho has revealed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have more days off during the international break than the rest of his Manchester United squad.

The former Sweden captain will get four days rest during the international fortnight, while the rest of Mourinho's remaining squad will only get two days off.

Ibrahimovic, 34, has played every minute of each of United's three league games since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, registering a goal on his Premier League debut against Bournemouth and a brace a week later against Southampton.

Mourinho says there is nothing new about players in his squads having different amounts of time off.

"At 34 years old, you need to rest. You cannot play 70 matches a season. So I give the other guys, who are not selected for the national teams, two days - and I give four days to Zlatan," said Mourinho. 

"I give holidays a la carte. It depends on the situation. And he is playing every match, every minute. So four matches, he played 360 minutes - four days off for the big guy."

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Mata Blogs On Special Few Days

Each and every Monday during the season, Manchester United star Juan Mata pens a personal blog in which he reflects on his past week both on and off the pitch. In his latest effort, on Monday 29 August, the Spaniard discusses the Reds' 1-0 win at Hull City and the international break...

Hi everyone,

Today I’m writing from Spain, getting ready for the first training camp of the season with the national team this Monday. This time it’s going to be special because there have been major changes, as you know, including a new manager, and it’s the kick off for the Russia’s World Cup qualifiers. I notice there’s excitement in the football fans in my country ahead of this new stage and, of course, all of us are looking forward to do well and to enjoy again these few days with the team. I feel privileged to be called up and to be a part of the national team. Being here is always very exciting to me, it’s a special feeling.

The first of the two games is a friendly one, yet a top level game: against Belgium, a squad full of great players and also with a new (and Spanish) manager. This is a game that had to be cancelled in November last year but luckily we can play it now. It’s meant to be a tough test ahead of the first qualifying game against Liechtenstein in León, where I’m sure our fans will give us a warm welcome.

As you can imagine, we reach the international break with plenty of energy and optimism after the third win in the Premier League. Last Saturday we suffered a lot to beat Hull, but Marcus Rashford’s late winner did justice to our performance. We tried everything during the 90 minutes and it was very exciting to celebrate the victory at the end with the team-mates and the fans who were there supporting us. Winning in the added time always leaves a special taste; however, next time we will try to close the game earlier.

I hope you have a nice week. Hugs!

Juan

PS: I’d like to send a special hug to all of you who are reading this from Italy, a country that I have visited plenty of times and is now suffering in many towns and villages the consequences of a horrible earthquake.

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Jose's Methods Reaping Rewards

Marcus Rashford's last-gasp strike at the KCOM Stadium made it three Premier League wins from three for Jose Mourinho's Manchester United side, on the back of the Community Shield triumph over Leicester City. Here, we look at five reasons that illustrate why the Reds boss has already made a very positive mark in M16, with fascinating insights from the man himself...

Players open to change
The arrival of a new manager at any football club, while always exciting, can sometimes bring about uncertainty for players, no matter how well established, who have been used to working in a certain way. Mourinho however has nothing but praise for the way the Reds have adapted to both his arrival and his approach to the game. "Sometimes you arrive in a club and the players are not so open for the change so it’s more difficult, but the players were open and waiting to give everything," he explained to BT Sport at Hull. "I think we changed the team. We changed the dynamic. We changed the way we think of football and also the way we think of the competitions and the way we think day by day at the club."

Tactical tweaks
There are many ways to approach football matches but the United way, first established by the great Sir Matt Busby, has always been to attack. If the opposition score, we make sure we always score more, even if it finishes 6-5. That entertainment and thrill factor is what underpins everything about a great Manchester United side and while Mourinho has looked to follow the club's attacking traditions, he has also introduced a new way of playing at the other end, as he revealed after defeating the Tigers. "Defensively we don’t play man-to-man, we play zonal. I think the players are growing up a lot and feel much more comfortable that way and I’m really happy with the evolution of the team. We play different football," he continued. "When the ball goes to a full-back you see what we do this season and what we did before, it’s just an example. In many matches the full-backs are the first place to receive the build-up pass and then it’s the trigger. It’s then what you do with the trigger - you can play the ball back to the central defender or you can start trying to find lines to attack the last line - that’s what we’re trying to do."

Squad options aplenty
The boss has spoken of how he likes to have a particular sized squad and while he has explained that the current number of 23 outfield players is larger than he usually works with (26 in total with the three goalkeepers), he has also insisted that "he wants to keep every player". He adds: "I want to go into the Europa League with a good squad. Imagine I go into the Europa League and I change the four [current] defenders and I play [Matteo] Darmian, [Phil] Jones, [Chris] Smalling and [Marcos] Rojo and I rest the other four players. Or I rest Ibra [Zlatan Ibrahimovic], [Juan] Mata and [Anthony] Martial and I play [Marcus] Rashford, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and [Ashley] Young… I have a very good squad. I’m really happy with what I have in my hands and, I repeat, it’s a privilege for me to work with the boys." Asked whether the Reds plan to do any more transfer activity this summer, he declared: "No, no. No more business."

Trust is mutual
Just before they stepped onto the pitch, Sir Alex Ferguson would always have one last reminder for his players. "Go out and express yourselves," he would say. The former boss had unerring belief and total faith that his players could, and would, get the job done. Mourinho says that feeling of trust is a mutual one with the current squad. "I trust the guys a lot and I feel like they also trust me," he insisted. "I always believe in my players and we have a really good squad. I think we have bought well and we are going in a good direction. I don’t think we are going to be consistent, I think we are going to be a bit up and down in some moments but it’s part of the evolution of the team."

Jose is a winner
If you watched the celebrations of Rashford's 'Fergie-time' winner at Hull then you'll have seen a jubilant Mourinho on the sidelines as the ball hit the net, but in the midst of jumping for joy he was already in mid-turn to face the equally giddy United bench to shout immediately to Chris Smalling to get stripped off and ready to protect United's lead in the final two minutes of injury time. Because ultimately it's about winning and, as his CV tells you, the Reds boss knows all about that great habit. "Our objective is only one – to be champions," he said simply when asked about his ambitions for the season. "You have to play to win every game. If we don’t win, we don’t win, but the mentality is there and the boys are giving everything." So too is Jose Mourinho and long may it continue.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

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Rooney: Rashford's Time Will Come

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is excited by Marcus Rashford’s burgeoning talent but insists it’s important to give the young striker time to fulfil his potential.

Rashford came off the bench to score a dramatic injury-time winner in Saturday’s Premier League game at Hull City, ensuring a third straight win for the Reds at the start of 2016/17.

It was the 18-year-old’s ninth goal in 20 appearances since he first burst onto the scene in February and Rooney expects him to contribute plenty more in the coming weeks and months.

The skipper told reporters: "Marcus is a fantastic player, one of the brightest talents in European football. We know that and we saw it last season.

"He's a young lad and it's important not to get too carried away. Sometimes it's hard to do that because he's such a talented player but, as players and team-mates, we need to try to guide him through it and let him focus on the football.

"I'm sure his chance will come. He did brilliantly when he came on and got his goal. He's an important player for us."

Rashford's meteoric rise last season culminated in a senior England call-up for Euro 2016, and he has been named in the Three Lions’ Under-21 squad for the forthcoming Euro qualifier against Norway. Jose Mourinho feels Rashford will benefit more from playing with the Under-21s and Rooney agrees.

"It's a huge honour for him to play for England," Rooney said. "It was a big moment for him to go to the Euros and it's still important for his development to go and play with the Under-21s.

"It's important that he gets games because he hasn't played that much. I think it will be good for him. He knows that and he understands that and his time will come and he will get his chance for Manchester United and England."

With Zlatan Ibrahmovic starting up front for United, Rashford’s two appearances so far this term have been as a substitute. For Rooney, that’s just one example of the strength in depth at Mourinho’s disposal.

"I think that's the big difference this year," Rooney added. "We've got players on the bench who were starting every game last season and some players haven't even travelled.

"We've got a big squad and a lot of quality, and whichever players the manager wants to use will have to step in and do a job."

Valencia Reacts To Herrera Praise

Antonio Valencia has reacted humbly to Ander Herrera’s claim that he is the "best right-back in the world", although the Manchester United star admitted it was nice to hear such praise.

The Ecuadorian has started the season in excellent form and has undoubtedly been one of the Reds’ top performers, notching several assists from his position on the flank while defending strongly.

Herrera interestingly told us that he personally regards Valencia as the world’s best alongside Dani Alves, the former Barcelona star and current Juventus defender. While that claim raised a few eyebrows in the media, it correctly acknowledged Antonio’s outstanding displays under Jose Mourinho.

"Well, I’m grateful for Ander’s kind words but what I try and do is to simply work hard every day in training," Valencia modestly told MUTV. "I want to put a shift in for United, the team that I love. I always want to give everything for this team. I’m not interested in personal glory like that, not at all! Of course it’s really nice of Ander to have said that, but what I’m all about is just working hard."

Valencia’s excellent form has coincided with Mourinho’s appointment at United and the former Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year admits the manager has injected a new confidence into the squad, as well as instilling a winning mentality that will hopefully inspire trophy-winning success this term.

"I think he’s given a really positive boost of confidence to the side and that can be seen out there on the field," Antonio told us. "Everyone is feeling confident, everyone wants the ball and that’s a very good sign. Everyone is running hard, showing good movement and reading our moves and build-up play, and that’s important too. On his advice, well, it’s the same for all the team: always go out to win and always have the winning mentality of champions. Let’s hope we can carry on in the same style.

"You can see from the games played that we’ve scored a few goals already so you can appreciate things are going well on that score. We’re getting forward and creating lots of opportunities on goal. We’ve also brought in more quality players, which has improved us too."

A major part of Valencia’s quality at right-back is his enthusiasm for attacking and unleashing crosses into the area, which have already provided several assists for Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season. The presence of the towering striker has changed the way United are playing when going forward.

"Now we have someone in the box who we can aim for," Antonio admitted. "In addition, we know exactly who he is and that he’s made a great impression at whatever club he’s played at. Now he’s started off on the right foot here at United and we’re all here to help him when we can.

"We know that we can play the ball up to him because we know that he holds the ball up well, and that he can also find and bring in other midfielders in wide positions. You know that it’s always a sound option when you give the ball to him."

Real Madrid Also Wanted Pogba

Agent Mino Raiola has revealed Real Madrid and a host other clubs were competing for the signature of Paul Pogba

Pogba eventually joined Manchester United for a record-breaking transfer fee of £89m - only four years after he left the club as a free agent.

"Zidane wanted him at Real Madrid, but five or six other clubs were after him too," said Raiola in an interview with Telefoot.

"Manchester United now are stronger thanks to Pogba, but Real Madrid are not."

Pogba's return to Old Trafford brought an end to one of the summer's longest transfer sagas.

The 23-year-old was subject to transfer speculation at Euro 2016, where he was part of the France squad that suffered a 1-0 to defeat to Portugal in the final of the tournament.

"I never spoke to Pogba about the transfer market when he was taking part in Euro 2016, then he went on vacation because he was very disappointed by the final," Raoila added.

"So I went to meet him in Miami to get him up to speed. He explained to us what he wanted. Manchester is his home."

Raiola also revealed that Jose Mourinho has been an admirer of Pogba for a while, and even tried to bring the French midfielder to Stamford Bridge last summer.

"Mourinho already wanted to bring him to Chelsea last summer, but it was not the right time."

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Rashford Takes His Chance Again

Marcus Rashford seized his opportunity to impress Jose Mourinho with a match-winning strike at Hull City. But can he earn a starting spot ahead of Manchester United's selection of star names?

Jose Mourinho described Marcus Rashford as "amazing" earlier this week but his 92nd-minute winner at Hull felt like an important reminder of the teenager's brilliance, following a summer of big-name arrivals and huge spending at Manchester United.

While Zlatan Ibrahimovic and record-breaker Paul Pogba have dominated headlines and taken the attention, Rashford has been forced to remain patient on the United bench so far this term.

He was an unused substitute against Bournemouth and Southampton, looking on as Ibrahimovic scored three in two and Pogba ran the show on his second Old Trafford debut.  

But, with United failing to find a way through a stubborn Hull defence on Saturday night and with just 19 minutes remaining, Mourinho turned to the 18-year-old to make the difference. He did just that.

After first drawing a fine save from goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic with a low shot at the bottom corner, Rashford teed up Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a blocked effort and fizzed a pass across the six-yard box which Ibrahimovic kicked himself for not converting. Rashford injected impetus and incisiveness into United's performance. 

With the clock ticking into injury-time Rashford's moment came. As Wayne Rooney skipped past Ahmed Elmohamady, the striker darted into the six-yard box and slotted in his captain's pass.

It looked a simple finish but the awareness to take up the perfect position to tuck home Rooney's cross was impressive and reflected the natural goal-scoring knack the youngster demonstrated at the end of last season.  

Indeed, Rashford has made a habit of seizing his opportunities.

From scoring twice on his Manchester United debut in the Europa League and adding a double against Arsenal three days later on his Premier League bow, to hitting the decisive strike in a Manchester derby and finding the net on his England debut, Rashford has a special ability to make the most of his moments.

Mourinho made it clear this week that Rashford is number two to Ibrahimovic in the pecking order "at the moment". But will the Portuguese be forced into finding a role for the teenager in his team for the blockbuster Manchester derby on September 10?

After the win at Hull City, Mourinho said Rashford and Ibrahimovic could play together. However, it would be a surprise to see the manager field two up front, a tactic he rarely favours. 

A place in one of the wider attacking berths would seem a more obvious solution. But Mourinho is swamped with options in that department. He pointed out in his pre-match press conference he has Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata, Ashley Young and Memphis Depay all vying for those roles, with captain Rooney seemingly set at No 10 behind Ibrahimovic.

Perhaps the Europa League tie with Feyenoord is a more realistic target for Rashford, in terms of a first start of the season. Thirty-five-year-old Ibrahimovic is likely to be rested for that midweek exertion, presenting Rashford with an opening.    

But he now has six goals in 12 Premier League appearances and showed again on Saturday why he is such a threat to defences, despite his relative inexperience. He's a fearsome weapon to have on the bench. 

Saturday wasn't the first time Rashford's been the hero for United. It won't be the last. The challenge for Mourinho is to manage his development and playing time to find ways to profit from his game-changing ability.

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Mourinho: Rashford Has Big Part To Play

Jose Mourinho hinted Marcus Rashford has a big role to play for Manchester United this season after his late winner at Hull City.

In typical United fashion, the 18-year-old struck two minutes into stoppage time, 20 minutes after replacing Juan Mata, to break the Tigers' resolve and extend Mourinho's winning start at as manager.

Rashford's lively cameo was his first Premier League outing under Mourinho, and the Portuguese coach was impressed with the teenager as he replicated the bold play that had previously helped turn the tide in United's Community Shield victory over Leicester on August 7.

"In the two matches when we have needed a winner, against Leicester and today, he has done the job," Mourinho said.

"He's playing well at 18 but our number one striker is such a good player. We play now with a second man behind Zlatan (Ibrahimovic)," Mourinho continued. "We can start some matches with a player in front of Zlatan.

"The kid is going to play lots of matches, for sure."

Rashford scored five goals in 11 league appearances in a stunning breakthrough season for United last term.

He followed that up with a surprise inclusion in England's World Cup squad after scoring on his international debut against Australia.

"It's not the winner that has made me change my mind (about the role Rashford will play this season)," Mourinho added. "He can play, he can be on the bench."

The win takes United up to second in the Premier League on nine points, level with Mourinho's former club Chelsea.

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Power Of Belief

Jose Mourinho says he doesn't want to be top of the table in August. He wants that position in May.

The Manchester United boss has been clear since taking over the job - he is here to achieve success and it is impossible to under-estimate the impact that such a positive attitude can have. It spreads and there is a feeling within the club that this team can achieve things.

When watching Mourinho's Chelsea win games through sheer desire at times, it was psychologically damaging when the Reds were in direct competition for trophies. The same feeling will have travelled across the globe among supporters of clubs harbouring title hopes this term when Marcus Rashford profited from Wayne Rooney's excellent work in injury time at the KCOM Stadium.

As the rain hammered down and a storm broke out behind the stand opposite me in the press box, there seemed to be real calm about the Reds. With the clock ticking, there was no panic, only wave after wave of attack as the Reds camped in the Hull half and started looking more threatening than the black rainclouds that had engulfed the arena close to kick-off.

Eldin Jakupovic hadn't been really extended but there was a purpose about United's play, even from the early stages with Zlatan Ibrahimovic providing positivity in everything he did. The same could be said about Henrik Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford when they came off the bench - two wonderful substitutions by Mourinho designed to take the three points.

When Paul Pogba curled just wide from a promising position, it seemed like United would have to settle for a point and probably entering the Manchester derby in City's slipstream - presuming the Blues beat West Ham on Sunday. Yet I still believed, I'm sure the away fans who kept on chanting and supporting their favourites, did as well.

As long as there was time left on the clock, United could win it. Rooney's magic created the opening and, when Rashford scored, the glee was obvious. Around me, Hull's fans showed their utter dejection at losing after such a brave effort but the truth is they were battered into submission at the death.

I now know the manager has said the same - he believed the goal would arrive. What I also liked about his MUTV interview was the fact he said: "I know when we score late, people will speak about a bit of luck." Note the syntax - when, not if. We grabbed a crucial late goal and we will win again.

I sense United fans have faith in the boss and the team. It is still very early days to judge but the will is there and, on a horrible night in Humberside, this will feel like a huge step in the right direction. Such victories feel worthy of more than a mere three points, they are psychologically devastating.

We approach the international break, counting down the days to the Manchester derby on 10 September. The atmosphere will be electric and the focus intense. But the belief in the red corner will be that we can deliver on the big day.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Mnautd.com

Mourinho Confirms Back Injury For Fellaini

Jose Mourinho has confirmed Marouane Fellaini suffered a back injury during Manchester United's 1-0 victory at Hull City.

The midfielder, who was one of the nominees in @ManUtd's Man of the Match poll, produced another solid display in the middle of the park alongside Paul Pogba.

Mourinho told BT Sport afterwards that "Marouane is a special guy for us in our defensive work" and later revealed in his press conference that the Belgian midfielder had picked up a problem.

"He has an injury in his back. It's not good," the boss confirmed.

Fellaini has been named in Belgium's squad for the international break but is set to be assessed by medical staff before the matches against Spain and Cyprus.

Rashford's Remarkable Story Continues

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford continued his incredible year on Saturday, coming on as a second-half substitute to score a 93rd-minute winner in the Reds' 1-0 victory at Hull City.

Since breaking into the first team in February with two debut strikes against Midtjylland in the Europa League, Rashford’s lively performances have helped him to become a big hit with United fans and his last-gasp goal at the KCOM Stadium has only enhanced his reputation further.

After scoring eight times in 18 appearances last season, Rashford may have felt unfortunate to have been kept out of the starting line-up so far, but he will have done his cause no harm by making a decisive impact on Saturday's game.

Coming on in the 71st minute, Rashford provided an injection of energy from the second he crossed the white line. Desperate to make a contribution and help United break the deadlock, the Englishman used his fresh legs to full effect, stretching an already overworked Hull defence.

The young substitute could have found the net earlier than stoppage time, ending a dangerous run with a shot that would have nestled in the bottom right-hand corner, had Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic not got down quickly to turn it away.

Then in the dying embers of the match, he timed his run perfectly to latch onto the end of a low driven cross from captain Wayne Rooney, securing all three points for the Reds just two minutes from time. The goal caused the whole United bench to jump to their feet in delight, as Rashford headed towards the away fans in celebration. 

Speaking to MUTV afterwards, the matchwinner heralded the result as a real team performance: “It’s amazing to score in the last minute like that but the team grafted for 94 or 95 minutes so we deserved it.

“Every last-minute winner, no matter who it is against, who the opponents are, what stage of the game it’s at, what stage of the season it’s in, it’s an important goal so I was very happy.

“I had seen the situation develop with Rooney’s amazing run so I had to get myself in the box so all the team's hard work paid off.”

United manager Jose Mourinho was full of praise for the young striker, telling BT Sport in a post-match interview: “Marcus is working extremely well and both times when the team was in trouble and needed one goal, in the Community Shield with the score at 1-1 and today when the score was 0-0, he came on and gave a special contribution.”

Mourinho added in his post-match press conference: “Marcus gave us diversity in our football because he’s different to Rooney, he’s different to Zlatan. I’m really happy with him.”

Shaw: The Best I Have Ever Felt

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw says he "loved it" when Marcus Rashford’s injury-time goal sealed the Reds' 1-0 Premier League win over Hull City and cued ecstatic celebrations at the KCOM Stadium.

Speaking to MUTV after the match, Shaw shared his excitement and emotions, declaring he hadn’t previously experienced such a high during a match.

"I loved it," he said. "I think, emotion-wise, that was the best I’ve felt ever on a pitch. I’m just so happy that we could get the three points, not just for us but for the fans. They were unbelievable today.

"It was an unreal feeling and even a few of the lads in there [the dressing room] said it was like taking them back to the old days when they sometimes used to get those smash and grab wins. I loved it and hopefully there’s more to come."

Shaw explained why the interactions with the United supporters made the last-minute success even sweeter for him.

"To have the fans celebrating with us made it even more special," he said. "As players we could see how much the result meant to the fans, and the fans could see how much it meant to us and the whole club."
Although the Reds had numerous chances to score, including three created by Shaw, the attacking full-back admits he wasn’t always confident that his team could win the game.

"At some point during the match I thought maybe we’re not going to manage to break them down. But we didn’t stop and we had chance after chance. We had chances flying over the bar and chances going wide.
Luckily Marcus ended up in the right place at the right time and won us the game."

The 21-year-old expressed his delight at the managerial decisions which he believes were game changers and helped Jose Mourinho’s men to gain the victory.

"They changed the dynamic of the play," explained Shaw, referring to the introduction of Rashford and Henrikh Mkhitaryan midway through the second half.

"They completely changed the whole game. Credit to the manager there for bringing on the subs."

When asked about the matchwinner Rashford, Shaw said: "He’s such a young talent who’s got a long career ahead of him. I hope he can keep producing performances like that in every game."

As for Shaw himself, the talented defender is not letting his time out with a broken leg last season faze him this year and he is already looking forward to United's next match after the international fixtures.

"We want to win every game and this game is over now," he said. "We’ve got to focus on the international break but obviously we have the big game against Manchester City when we come back.

"We know matches like that can help us win championships."

Match Reaction: Boss Always Believed

Jose Mourinho spoke to BT Sport after Manchester United’s dramatic and deserved victory over Hull City. Here’s what he had to say afterwards…

“I always believed the goal would arrive”
I know when we score late people will speak about a bit of luck but the reality is we deserved it, especially in the second half. We were so dominant, so intense in our rhythm and our attacking wave and I always believed the goal would arrive. I have to say that Hull City did an amazing job and defended with everything. They couldn’t counterattack because I think we played very well defensively and every time we lost the ball we were really strong. But I think they did fantastically well, congratulations to them and if I was the chairman I would give the job immediately to Mike Phelan. In the eyes of everyone, the players are giving everything and for him. They couldn’t do more than what they did and congratulations to Mike and the Hull boys.

“A special contribution”
A big smile and a big hug is enough! Marcus [Rashford] is working extremely well and both times when the team was in trouble and needed one goal, Community Shield with the result 1-1 and today when the score was 0-0 he came on and gave a special contribution. Everybody is speaking about him and Ibra [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] – they can play together as they showed today. I think with more work he can play coming from one of the sides but I think the kid is a striker and when we play with him and Ibra together we give different problems to the opposition. Sometimes Ibra drops back because he already likes to play with the ball at his feet and Marcus is fast and has appetite to attack the last line. We tried everything.

“The fans had that feeling”
I was thinking about a last change with Marouane [Fellaini] coming out but I was a bit afraid with them at set-pieces. It can happen when you dominate, dominate and dominate and there can be a set-piece in the last minute and you can lose the game. Marouane is a special guy for us in our defensive work and I think everyone played well and gave everything. The spirit is amazing. You only win these matches if you want to win a lot. If you are in a comfortable situation and you think a point is not bad or you think let’s see what’s going to happen, you don’t win, but the boys until the last minute believed. Of course I feel sorry for Hull but my guys deserved it and the way the fans supported them, especially in the second half, the fans had that feeling too and knew we were doing everything.

“Our objective is to be champions”
We started to think about what this game could be even before the game started. We knew the way they defended. We knew that [Tom] Huddlestone would play in a line of three and we knew they would be very organised. Tactically you can change things, bring situations to the game, try to create problems for your opponent, but it’s the mental side of it that can make a difference. We speak about this all the time. Our objective is only one – to be champions. If at the end of the season we finish second, third or fourth it’s because someone is better than us, if you finish fifth or sixth it’s because we were not good enough. You have to play to win every game. If we don’t win, we don’t win, but the mentality is there and the boys are giving everything . It’s amazing when I look to my side and I see the people on the bench suffering with us and then jumping for the goal. It’s a privilege for me to work with these guys.

Premier League: Hull City 0 Man. United 1

Manchester United signed off for the international break with another victory to keep up a 100 per cent record in the Premier League so far, and it came in dramatic fashion as Marcus Rashford came off the bench to net a deserved winner for the Reds.

It was a match United totally dominated, but it took until injury time for the breakthrough to arrive when some superb and dogged play from Wayne Rooney on the left flank teed up Rashford to slot home.
Mourinho kept faith with the same starting eleven who had impressively beaten Southampton 2-0 eight days earlier, and the seven substitutes were also unchanged. The Reds faced a Hull side who, despite being tipped for relegation having not signed any new players over the summer, sat level on points at kick-off with United after two wins from two.

The man who had done most of the damage for Mourinho’s men in the opening couple of matches of the season was Zlatan Ibrahimovic and it was the Swede who had the first chance of the game on 10 minutes when he flashed a header just over from Anthony Martial’s cross.

In possession United were dominant, but further clear-cut opportunities were few and far between. A speculative Paul Pogba effort and Juan Mata free-kick were both on target but neither troubled goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic. The Hull stopper was, however, grateful to his captain Curtis Davies, who blocked Rooney’s shot on the line on 37 minutes after some lovely build-up play from Mata.

The Tigers spent much of the first period in their own half and only had some respite when Robert Snodgrass twice went close in quick succession, first with a free-kick and then with an effort at the far post which was well defended by Luke Shaw, while Abel Hernandez struck a decent effort at David De Gea just before the break.

Just before Hernandez's shot it looked like Ibrahimovic had given the Reds the lead when he latched onto Rooney’s free-kick, but his clever back-heeled effort from an awkward angle found the side-netting much to the striker’s frustration.
HALF-TIME STATS
Possession: Hull: 37% United 63%
Shots on goal: Hull 5 United 11
Shots on target: Hull 2 United 3
Corners: Hull 0 United 1
The pattern of the first half continued after the break but with the scores still locked at 0-0 when the clock ticked on to the hour-mark, Mourinho felt a change was needed as Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaced Martial in attack.

The Armenian set about making an impact and some incisive passes, good movement and a brilliant burst forward from his own half certainly lifted the Reds, but the dogged Tigers side continued to stand firm and almost stole the lead when Tom Huddlestone’s shot took a huge deflection off the impressive Eric Bailly, but thankfully it dropped wide.

A further attacking threat arrived in the form of Rashford for the final 19 minutes and after Rooney and Pogba had both blasted efforts off target, the 18-year-old drew a brilliant save from Jakupovic after a superb run and shot.

Hull almost conceded two own goals as United kept up the pressure. A Pogba curler two minutes from time also looked to be heading in, but it dropped the wrong side of the post.
It looked like the Reds would be forced to settle for a point, until some brilliance from Rooney down the left led to Rashford firing in from three yards much to the delight of everyone in red. It was classic United and another memorable moment in the already exciting short career of Marcus Rashford.

FULL-TIME STATS
Possession: Hull 38% United 62%
Shots: Hull 8 United 29
Shots on target: 2 United 9
Corners: Hull 1 United 6
TEAMS
Hull City: Jakupovic, Robertson, Davies, Meyler, Huddlestone, Hernandez (Maguire 83), Snodgrass (Maloney 48), Clucas, Livermore, Diomande, Elmohamady. Subs not used: Kuciak, Bowen, Olley, Clackstone, Hinchliffe.
Booked: Huddlestone, Meyler.
United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw, Fellaini, Pogba, Mata (Rashford 71), Rooney (Smalling 90), Martial (Mkhitaryan 60), Ibrahimovic. Subs not used: Romero, Herrera, Schneiderlin, Young.
Booked: Fellaini, Rooney, Rashford.

Pereira Joins Granada On Loan

Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira will spend the season on loan with Granada in La Liga after the two clubs agreed on a season-long transfer.

The 20-year-old Brazilian, who made 13 appearances during Louis van Gaal's time in charge of United, trained with his new team-mates in Spain on Friday.

Pereira scored in Jose Mourinho's opening pre-season friendly at Wigan Athletic with a superb drive but the Portuguese manager feels his development will be better served by getting more regular playing time elsewhere.

"I love Andreas Pereira as a player and I would love to have him in my squad," said Mourinho at Friday's press conference. "But he will go to Granada."

Pereira becomes the fifth United player to be loaned out by Mourinho, following in the footsteps of Guillermo Varela (Eintracht Frankfurt), Adnan Januzaj (Sunderland), James Wilson (Derby) and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Wolves).

Credit: Skysports.com

Bailly Made The Right call

New Manchester United defender Eric Bailly is enjoying the process of adapting to the Premier League as he prepares to face Hull City this weekend.

The Reds' summer signing from Villarreal has been excellent in the opening weeks of the campaign and is already a favourite among the supporters.

After earning two man-of-the-match awards, against Leicester City in the Community Shield and at Bournemouth, the Ivory Coast international is delighted with his decision to join United.

"The man-of-the-match awards are something I hadn’t thought about but I got them through the hard work I have put in," he told MUTV. "I hope to see more of that in the weeks ahead of us.

"I chose United firstly because it’s one of the greatest clubs in the world and also because I was drawn by the big personalities at the club who showed they wanted to have me here. I had to take that moment without thinking about it. It was a no brainer."

Hull will aim to unsettle the African star on Saturday with Abel Hernandez and Adama Diomande his potential rivals in the Tigers' attack at the KCOM Stadium.

"Most opponents in the Premier League are good players," he continued. "I haven’t really got a preference [for who I come across]. I’ve got to adapt to whoever is opposite me and have to be attentive.

There is not a great deal of difference between the strikers at this level. Anybody who is a striker in the Premier League is a good striker."

Martial Meeting Mourinho's Expectations

Manchester United may have dominated the back pages this month but one player yet to grab any of the headlines for himself is Anthony Martial - one of last season’s standout performers.

Critics are sometimes quick to cite the so-called 'second-season syndrome' if an eye-catching first campaign isn't immediately followed up but United boss Jose Mourinho does not see any symptoms in the Frenchman and feels his no.11 has started the new term in fine fettle.

“When a team is not playing particularly great and is at an average level, then someone comes to the top. Last season, no Martial meant no three points,” said Mourinho, when asked about Anthony at his pre-match press conference.
“This season we've had no Martial goals and three victories. The team is okay; other players are scoring goals. I think he is performing more than okay and I wouldn't expect more than that at this stage.”

Mourinho also stressed that anyone wishing to judge the French forward should remember his shortened preparation period following Euro 2016. Despite this, Martial has still posed a threat down the left flank and the boss clearly has no concerns about the man signed from Monaco a year ago.

"He’s had no pre-season and was the last person apart from Pogba to join the squad," Mourinho pointed out. “Some guys take more time but I think he is doing fine and he will have a normal season, which for a guy of his quality is a good season. I think he will do well this year.”

Staying with the subject of attacking players, the manager was again asked by the media about Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has yet to make his full debut for the club.

“I know that Mickey is a super player, who I know for sure is going to succeed,” Jose commented. “I am not in a hurry to say that he plays in every game from the beginning just to show everyone how good he is.

“It is difficult to leave him out at the moment admittedly, but if Juan Mata is on the bench then you are telling me that I want to kick him out. If I don't play Anthony Martial it is because he is in crisis, if it's Ashley Young then it's because I don't like him and if I don't play Memphis Depay then it's because he's on his way out too!
“The reality is that we have a very good squad and every weekend we are going to be here [discussing the players who are not in the team]."

Pereira To Seal Loan Move To Granada

Manchester United midfield prospect Andreas Pereira is set for a loan switch to Granada in La Liga after the two clubs agreed on a season-long transfer.

The Brazil Under-23 international is poised to spend the campaign in Spain with Paco Jemez's side and should gain the first-team experience required in one of Europe's top divisions.

After making 13 appearances during Louis van Gaal's time in charge, the 20-year-old scored in Jose Mourinho's opening pre-season friendly at Wigan Athletic with a superb drive.

"I love Andreas Pereira as a player and I would love to have him in my squad," said Mourinho at Friday's press conference. "But he will go to Granada."

Granada already have a number of players currently on loan, including Jeremie Bogie and Victorien Angban from Chelsea and Arsenal's Jon Toral.

Mourinho Expects Quiet Week On Transfers

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is expecting a “very quiet” final few days of the summer transfer window and reiterated he is happy with the squad he has assembled.

The boss has brought in four new players – Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba – while several others have departed, either on loan or permanently.

The window closes on 31 August and Mourinho said at his pre-match press conference on Friday: "I have 23 players in the squad and in principle there is nobody leaving and nobody is coming.

"Twenty-three players is more than enough and, if you have a problem or an opportunity, then I have a few young players in the Academy that I will be more than happy to give an acceleration in their process.

"I like Cameron Borthwick-Jackson very much but he will go to Wolverhampton to play [on loan] because I have Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind to play left-back. These are the kind of decisions every club makes.

"I think we are going to have a very quiet week, not surrounded by helicopters waiting for someone to arrive or leave – I am more than happy with the squad I have."

United have been handed a testing draw in the Europa League group stage, with Fenerbahce and Feyenoord joined by lesser-known Ukrainian outfit Zorya Luhansk. Mourinho believes the standard of United’s opponents will keep his players on their toes, even if he chooses to rotate his squad.

"This Europa League is good because if I change the team and give a few players the chance to play against a team without expression, when everyone thinks we will win comfortably, even the players can start to think that although it is a gift, it's not the gift they want," he said.

"Fenerbahce is Champions League [standard], as is Feyenoord. It is a big match to play in Istanbul as it is in Rotterdam, so it is a good draw for our squad."

Guide To United In Europa League Group A

Manchester United were drawn in Group A of the Europa League on Friday afternoon alongside Fenerbahce, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk. 

The Reds were the first club pulled out of the bowl at the glitzy UEFA event in Monaco and Jose Mourinho's men were later pitted against Robin van Persie's current team Fenerbahce, as well as the Dutchman's former employers Feyenoord and little-known Ukrainian side Zorya. Here are the 12 groups in full:  

GROUP A: Manchester United, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, Zorya Luhansk.
GROUP B: Olympiacos, APOEL, Young Boys, FC Astana.
GROUP C: Anderlecht, Saint-Etienne, FSV Mainz, Gabala SC.
GROUP D: Zenit St. Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dundalk FC.
GROUP E: Viktoria Plzen, AS Roma, Austria Wien, FC Astra Giurgiu
GROUP F: Athletic Club, KRC Genk, SK Rapid Wien, US Sassuolo Calcio
GROUP G: AFC Ajax, Standard de Liege, Celta de Vigo, Panathinaikos FC
GROUP H: Shakhtar Donetsk, SC Braga, KAA Gent, Konyaspor.
GROUP I: FC Schalke, FC Salzburg, FC Krasnodar, OGC Nice.
GROUP J: Fiorentina, PAOK FC, Slovan Liberec, Qarabag FK.
GROUP K: Internazionale, AC Sparta Praha, Southampton, Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC
GROUP L: Villarreal, FC Steaua Bucharest, FC Zurich, Osmanlispor A.S.

WHAT DOES MOURINHO THINK?
"There are groups in the Champions League that are very similar, so it is a good for that," Jose explained at his press conference on Friday afternoon. "We know that it will be a difficult group, but I think that is a good thing. If you have teams without expression then even the fans may not enjoy nights at Old Trafford. It is good for the fans and for the players because it will help motivation. It is also good for a competition that doesn't have the same glamour as the Champions League. Having a team like Man United in the competition, playing matches against teams like Feyenoord and Fenerbahce - I do not have a vision about the Ukrainian team and their quality - is good for us."

OPPOSITION FOCUS
Fenerbahçe finished second in the Turkish league last season and qualified for the group stage via a 5-0 aggregate victory over Grasshoppers in the qualifying round. Van Persie is their star striker, after joining them from United last summer, and the Dutchman will no doubt be excited to face the Reds. 
Feyenoord, another of Robin’s former clubs, finished third in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2015/16 and some 21 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven. The Rotterdam-based club are managed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, whose squad includes ex-Liverpool players Dirk Kuyt and Brad Jones. 

Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk are among the smallest clubs in the competition and one United have never faced before. They finished fourth in their division last season, 22 points behind championship winners Dynamo Kiev, and they have been managed by Yuriy Vernydub since November 2011. 

WHEN ARE THE GAMES?
15 September – Feyenoord v Manchester United (KO 18:00 BST)
29 September – Manchester United v FC Zorya Luhansk (KO 20:05 BST)
20 October – Manchester United v Fenerbahce SK (KO 20:05 BST)
03 November – Fenerbahce SK v Manchester United (KO 18:00 GMT)
24 November – Manchester United v Feyenoord (KO 20:05 GMT)
08 December – FC Zorya Luhansk v Manchester United (KO 18:00 GMT)

DISTANCES INVOLVED
Fenerbahce: The estimated 1,675-mile flight to Instanbul takes around three hours and 40 minutes.
Feyenoord: Flying from Manchester to Rotterdam includes one hour of travel across 297 miles.
Luhansk: A flight to the Ukrainian city will be around four hours, covering around 1,822 miles.

Mourinho Hits Back At Bayern

Jose Mourinho says it will be "very difficult" for Bastian Schweinsteiger to feature for Manchester United and says he is "surprised" Bayern Munich have not attempted to sign him.

The 32-year old former Germany captain has been frozen out of the first-team picture at Old Trafford by Mourinho and made to train with reserves.

Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he could "hardly believe" Mourinho's treatment of Schweinsteiger and believes it will turn players off joining the club in future.

Responding to those comments, Mourinho said on Friday: "I thought after I read some quotes from people at Bayern Munich that they would run to Manchester to bring him (Schweinsteiger) back, but no, that did not happen.

"I am quite surprised that Mr Rummennigge is not here now to take him back."

Schweinsteiger said earlier this week he will not sign for another European club and will be ready if United need him.

However, Mourinho does not envision that scenario happening given his wealth of options in midfield and the Portuguese even suggested he would promote young players ahead of Schweinsteiger should injuries strike.

When asked about Schweinsteiger's chances of forcing his way into contention, Mourinho said: "I think it's very difficult to happen. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm saying it's very difficult.

"We have a decision completely made about (Paul) Pogba, (Ander) Herrera, (Morgan) Schneiderlin, (Marouane) Fellaini and Michael Carrick (Schweinsteiger's fellow central midfielders).

"We have five players for two positions. It's very difficult that an opportunity will arrive.

"I have 23 players in the squad and in principle nobody is leaving, because I don't want anyone to leave.

"No-one is coming and 23 players are more than enough. If we have any kind of problem or any kind opportunity, I have a few young players in the academy that I will be more than happy to give an acceleration in that process and to bring them up now and again."

That leaves Schweinsteiger, who has two years remaining on his contract at United, in an unenviable position but Mourinho says he is not concerned about the situation.

Mourinho said: "I cannot answer for him. It's his life. It's his career. He has a contract with Man United and has the right to make that decision to stay.

"That's not a problem for us. Football is made of decisions. I did that all my career. Not just me, everyone does. Some players react in a different way and have other kind of decisions.

"Bastian is not speaking a lot. He gave this last statement, which he is completely free to do in an objective and polite way like he did. There are no problems at all."

Credit: Skysports.com

Fortune Sad For Schweinsteiger

Former Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune has said he is saddened Bastian Schweinsteiger is no longer part of Jose Mourinho's plans.

Schweinsteiger has not featured for United since Mourinho took charge at Old Trafford and the former Germany captain is currently training with United's under-23 squad.

Fortune said: "I'm very surprised. He's had a few injuries. Probably the style of play United are going to play this season under Mourinho doesn't suit him.

"He's probably a player who sits in front of the back four and slows things down with his experience.

"Mourinho has come in, made his decision and unfortunately he is suffering because of that."

The ex-Manchester United and Spurs man spoke highly of the World Cup winner, calling him "a fantastic professional".

"Players I have spoken to at Man United, they speak very highly of him," Fortune added.

"It's sad he's not part of Mourinho's plans".

Schweinsteiger released a statement earlier this week on Twitter stating "MUFC will be my last club in Europe" - but it is unclear what his next move will be.

Mourinho has invested heavily in the United midfield this window with the additions of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Bourussia Dortmund and Paul Pogba from Juventus for a world record fee of £89m.

Credit: Skysports.com

Rooney: We Are Adapting Well

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney says the players are adapting to Jose Mourinho's methods and aiming to implement the manager's game plan in Saturday's Premier League clash at Hull City.

Rooney spoke to MUTV ahead of the game at the KCOM Stadium where two clubs with maximum points so far this season will go head to head prior to the international break.

"Of course, everyone is different," said the skipper. "All managers have different ways of preparing for games, different ways of training, different ways of how they want you to play the game.

"We, as players, have to adapt to what the manager wants us to do in our preparations throughout the week and, on matchdays, we try to take the game plan of the manager onto the pitch.

"It's what we've tried to do and, fortunately, we've started the season well. We've prepared well this week so we're hoping that continues. Of course, in every game you play, you want to do well and try to do your best to help the team win.

"The signings we've made this season have been really good signings," he continued. "They've settled in really quickly and you've seen the impact they've had on the pitch already. I hope they continue and the players who have been here a while now can continue to do well. If we can do that, I'm sure we can have a very good season."

Saturday's hosts Hull are currently under the stewardship of Mike Phelan, who is in caretaker charge, but the ex-Red is in the frame to get the job permanently after guiding the Tigers to successive victories against Leicester City and Swansea City in the league and Exeter City in the EFL Cup.

"He obviously worked with Sir Alex Ferguson for a long time and played under him," added Rooney. "Hull have started off great this season and I'm sure if he gets the opportunity to manage full time, he'll do a good job."

Who Can United Face In Europe?

Jose Mourinho will discover who his Manchester United team will face in the Europa League group stage this season when the draw commences in Monaco at 12:00 BST on Friday.

The Reds have been named in pot one among the top seeds in the competition after finishing fifth in the Premier League last campaign and due to the club’s high UEFA club coefficient rating.

The total of 48 teams will be split into 12 groups of four on Friday afternoon with one team taken from each pot of seeds. Teams from the same country cannot meet until the round of 16, which means United will not be drawn against English rivals and recent opponents Southampton.

United’s first Europa League group match of the season will be played on Thursday 15 September, which is three days before Mourinho’s men travel to Watford's Vicarage Road.

POT ONE
Schalke, Zenit St. Petersburg, Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Club, Olympiacos, Villarreal, Ajax, Internazionale, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, Viktoria Plzen.

POT TWO
AZ Alkmaar, Braga, Salzburg, Roma, Fenerbahce, Sparta Prague, PAOK, Steaua Bucharest, Genk, APOEL, Standard Liege, Saint-Etienne.

POT THREE
Gent, Young Boys, Krasnodar, Rapid Vienna, Slovan Liberec, Celta Vigo, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Feyenoord, Austria Vienna, Mainz, FC Zurich, Southampton.

POT FOUR
Panathinaikos, Sassuolo, Qarabag, Astana, Nice, Zorya Luhansk, Astra Giurgiu, Konyaspor, Osmanlispor, Qabala, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Dundalk.

What Do Manchester United Need Before The Transfer Deadline?

It's been a busy summer for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United in the transfer market, but will there be more new arrivals before the deadline?

The Red Devils have taken maximum points from their first two Premier League games of the campaign, with world-record signing Paul Pogba starring in their 2-0 victory over Southampton on Friday.

Here, we look at what United have done in the transfer market so far, and what could happen before the 11.30pm deadline on August 31.

Ins

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG, free), Eric Bailly (Villarreal, £30m), Henrik Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund, £26.3m), Paul Pogba (Juventus, £93.25m)

Major outs

Victor Valdes (released), Nick Powell (released), Guillermo Varela (E Frankfurt, loan), Paddy McNair (Sunderland, £2.75m), Donald Love (Sunderland, £2.75m), Adnan Januzaj (Sunderland, loan), James Wilson (Derby County, loan)

What do they need?
Mourinho can have few complaints about Manchester United's summer transfer business, with the signings of Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly significantly strengthening a squad that now looks well stocked in most departments.

But could there now be more to come? Chris Smalling's injury has exposed a lack of depth in central defence, with reports suggesting Mourinho could target an experienced signing in that area. Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera's good form have reduced the need for a midfield addition.

Who are the targets?

Newspaper reports say Southampton's Jose Fonte is the man Mourinho wants to reinforce his central defence. The 32-year-old impressed impressed as Portugal won Euro 2016, and he shares the same agent as Manchester United's manager in Jorge Mendes.

United are one of a host of clubs to have been linked with Brazilian starlet Gabriel Barbosa. The 19-year-old striker impressed for his country at the Olympic Games, and Premier League champions Leicester are also reported suitors. Most of the recent rumours around United, though, have concerned outgoings rather than incomings.

What has Mourinho said?

The Manchester United manager has given little away with regards to transfers. "The market is open until August 31," he said ahead of last Friday's game against Southampton.

"I keep saying I am very happy with the players I have. I don't speak."

What's the pundit view?

Matt Le Tissier: "I'd be surprised if they did anything else. There's been talk of them going for Jose Fonte and you could understand them adding a body in there with Daley Blind having to fill in again, but you wouldn't expect him to start if everybody is fit.

"It would also be a real blow if Southampton were to lose the man who has guided us up from League One, a player who is as big as any to the club."

Credit: Skysports.com

Disability Players Meet United Stars

Manchester United first-team stars took time out in the sun to surprise participants from the Foundation’s disability programme.

Players from Manchester United Foundation’s Ability Counts programme, for young people with physical or neurological disabilities, were delighted to be invited to the Aon Training Complex for what they thought was a skills session with their coaches.

Little did they know Manchester United first-teamers Anthony Martial, Marouane Fellaini, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo, Sergio Romero and Sam Johnstone would be joining them to offer training tips and take part in drills.

Chris, 16, has been attending Ability Counts for six years and plays for the Manchester United deaf team. He couldn’t believe his luck to have a kick-about with his hero, Martial: “I was so excited to come here, see the training ground and have the chance to meet the players,” Chris said. “It was great to play with Martial; he’s very fast and skilful! My dream is to be a professional footballer so I’ve really enjoyed today.”

Dylan, 14, also enjoyed his time with the players: “I spoke to Martial about football; he seems like a nice guy on and off the pitch,” he said. “I also had a kick-about with Fellaini; I’m really happy I was able to do that. I can’t wait to go back to school and tell everyone about today; everyone will be so jealous!”

Ability Counts offers young people with disabilities the opportunity to play or coach football on a weekly basis, with the Manchester United Foundation programme growing into one of the largest in the Premier League. Teams train at the legendary Cliff Training Ground and the focus is on players with sensory, physical and neurological impairments or disabilities, with sign communicators present at all sessions.

Ability Counts coach Danny Boylan commented on the impact the programme and opportunities like today has on the participants: “To be able to come to the first-team training ground and meet their heroes; you could hear the gasps as they met Anthony Martial, Marcos Rojo and all these players they’ve watched on television for years. Now they’ve been able to pass and receive the ball with them and have a laugh and joke.

“Ability Counts offers a level playing field to play football and forget about the things that might hold them back whether it be physically or physiologically. For me, it’s the best thing in the world to see young people taking these opportunities that they wouldn’t normally have and it’s all thanks to the work of the Foundation.”

Credit: Manutd.com

EFL Cup 3rd Round Draw: Man. United Drawn Against Northampton Town

Manchester United have been drawn away to Northampton Town in the third round of the EFL Cup.

Jose Mourinho's men will take on the League One side at Sixfields Stadium on either Tuesday 20 September or Wednesday 21 September following the draw.

The Reds have played the Cobblers on four previous occasions. The first meetings took place in the 1965/66 season in Division One. A 1-1 draw at Northampton was followed by a 6-2 win for United at Old Trafford, inspired by a Bobby Charlton hat-trick.

The other two matches between the sides came in the FA Cup, most famously in 1970 when George Best scored six times in an 8-2 fifth-round victory, and most recently in 2004 when the Reds recorded a 3-0 away win in round four.

Northampton currently sit 15th in League One on four points after drawing their opening four league games, while extra-time and penalties were needed to see off Barnsley and West Brom respectively in order to book their place in the third round of the League Cup.

An announcement regarding the confirmed date and kick-off time for United's match against the Cobblers will be made in due course.

Full third round draw
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Leeds v Blackburn Rovers
QPR v Sunderland
West Ham v Accrington Stanley
Southampton V Crystal Palace
Swansea City v Manchester City
Fulham v Bristol City
Bournemouth v Preston North End
Tottenham v Gillingham
Everton v Norwich City
Derby County v Liverpool
Northampton v Manchester United
Brighton v Reading
Newcastle v Wolves
Stoke City v Hull City
Leicester v Chelsea

Herrera Excited By Europa League Draw

Manchester United have never won the Europa League and Ander Herrera dreams of making history by lifting the trophy this season, preferably after facing his former team Athletic Club.

The group-stage draw takes place at 12:00 BST on Friday and the Reds are expected to be seeded in pot one, alongside Herrera's former La Liga outfit. Speaking to MUTV, the Spaniard offered his view of the competition this season and looked forward to discovering which teams Jose Mourinho's men would face.

"I think it is a very enjoyable competition and we want to fight for every competition we have this season," Herrera told MUTV. "The Europa League has become more important every season - I think UEFA has worked very well on that. I think we are the biggest club in the draw and we have to respect our history. We want to fight for that title and we are very excited to see the draw.

"The players want as many games as possible so we have the chance to play every Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. It is very important for us. Everyone is going to be important. We can play against big teams as well. I have the chance to play against my former team and I think it is a very good competition.

"Last season another English club [Liverpool] lost the final against Sevilla. Then when you win the competition you have the chance to play in the Super Cup so everything is positive. There will be time for everyone in the squad and hopefully we can get as far as possible in the competition."

Although it seems unlikely that United will be drawn against Athletic Club in the group stage, after the teams finished fifth in their respective leagues, Herrera remains optimistic that he could face his former employers in the latter stages of the competition. Ander agrees that would be a special fixture for him.

"Of course it would be! I spent three fantastic years there," he said. "When I left my home in Zaragoza, I was there for 12 years, I arrived to Bilbao and everything that I expected was even better. It was a fantastic club with fantastic people working there. I really felt at home very quickly and my family is from Bilbao as well. So of course if we face Athletic then that will be a very special game for me."

The 48 clubs in Friday’s draw will be split into 12 groups of four and Herrera is intrigued to learn his opposition. Quizzed specifically about his preferences, whether he would like the easiest possible draw or an early challenge, the Spaniard admitted he thinks more about geography than difficulty.

"Honestly, I want the closest possible opponents," the 27-year-old joked. "When you travel for long trips sometimes you get more tired. I think there are some clubs from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and I think they are the farthest. When I see the draw I would like the opponent to be as close as possible.

"But after that I don’t mind. If you want to win the competition you have to play against the best teams so it doesn’t matter if it is in the group or later on."

Schweinsteiger: I Won't Leave Manchester United For Another European Club

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger says he will not sign for another European club and is ready to play for new boss Jose Mourinho.

The 32-year-old former Germany captain has been frozen out of the first-team picture since Mourinho's arrival in the summer, and has been training with the reserves.

With eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League win to his name, he left Bayern Munich for United last summer and made 13 Premier League starts under Louis van Gaal during an injury-hit 2015/16 season.

But he insists that if United do want to offload him, he will not move to another European club.

He tweeted: "MUFC will be my last club in Europe.

"I respect other clubs. But Manchester United was the only one which could make me leave Bayern Munich.

"I will be ready, if the team needs me. This is all I can say about my current situation. I want to thank the fans for the amazing support over the last few weeks."

Schweinsteiger does not have many options if he does want to leave United and move outside Europe - the transfer window in the MLS closed on August 3, and the Chinese Premier League window closed on July 15.

The summer signings of Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have led to him slipping down the pecking order.

Mourinho's treatment of the German prompted Dejan Stefanovic of world players' union FIFPro to say earlier this month that the Portuguese boss should be jailed for "bullying".

Credit: Skysports.com

Shaw & Valencia Are Key To United's Title's Bid

ManUtd.com's Ryan Grant blogs on the importance of Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia to the Reds' title challenge...

It's amazing how much can change in a year, especially in football.

Last August, almost a year ago to the day, I sat and watched as United brushed aside Club Brugge to all but secure a place in the Champions League group stages. A star performer on the night was Luke Shaw, who was beaming as he walked through the mixed zone to speak to us after the game. And who could blame him? No sooner was the defender out of his teens than out of the tunnel at Old Trafford for his first experience of club football's premier competition. That evening, Shaw was as impressive off the pitch as he had been on it, and spoke at length about taking in that famous music before kick-off, something we've all dreamed of growing up.

Fast forward 12 months, and very few people would have predicted that the match would remain his only taste of a European home game to date.

Luke's horrific leg break during our visit to PSV Eindhoven exactly four weeks after the meeting with Brugge was nothing short of devastating; and while no United fan needs reminding of the details of that incident, or the sour taste that lingered as a result for a long while afterwards, watching Shaw pick up where he left off elicits emotions at the other end of the spectrum.

He may have had to wait in the wings following his injury, but the 21-year-old has returned seamlessly to the left flank since the pre-season run-out against Wigan, producing the kind of astute defensive displays in the early part of this campaign that first saw him catch the eye at Southampton. Coincidently, it was against his former club last Friday that Luke's comeback really came to the fore. A trademark marauding run into the box earned United a penalty and set the tone for another win, one which has got people wondering just how much this side can achieve. It's a cliché, but seeing Shaw back at his blistering best, it feels like we have a new signing.

Victory over the Saints capped an undoubtedly positive week, at the end of which another of United's stand-out defenders, Antonio Valencia, was hailed as "the best right-back in the world" by team-mate Ander Herrera. Now into his eighth year as a Red, it's fair to say the Ecuador international has taken a different path to Shaw, but the sentiment surrounding his resurgence feels very much the same.

Of course, it's easy to get carried away while the season is still young, but Valencia has already done much to suggest that he will flourish under Jose Mourinho. Four assists in pre-season - including one for Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late winner in the Community Shield - are just a few of several indicators that Antonio has rediscovered the attacking flare to compliment his defensive capabilities. It seems to me that the message from Mourinho has been clear - get at defenders, take a risk and get the ball into the box. With the likes of Ibrahimovic, Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini in the side, it's a recipe for goals, and one which Valencia has wasted little time in serving up.

What the manager will seek now though is consistency, and there's every reason to suggest he will get it. For many fans, Valencia has been a silent hero during his time at United - he's a player that rarely puts a foot wrong, and appears to have added an extra dimension to his game again in recent months.

Everywhere he's been Mourinho has built on the foundations of a settled defence, often featuring players with the flank qualities we've seen from Shaw and Valencia of late. There has been a lot of talk about United returning to the summit of English football this season, and if the pair can continue their fine form with a long run in the side, there's no reason why the 2016/17 campaign couldn't be a 'special one' at Old Trafford.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com

How Zlatan Can Equal A 91-year Record

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has enjoyed a stunning start to life at Manchester United and the striker can equal a 91-year-old record if he finds the net at Hull City on Saturday.

The summer signing has scored in each of his three competitive outings for the club - against Leicester City, Bournemouth and Southampton - and tops the goals chart with four to his name.

Ibrahimovic is the ninth man to achieve the feat of netting in his opening three United matches and the first to do so since Ian Storey-Moore in the early 1970s. Storey-Moore was on the mark against Huddersfield, Crystal Palace and Coventry City in March and April of 1972, following his arrival from Nottingham Forest.

Alex Dawson's efforts all came inside a week in April 1957, with Eddie Lewis and Ted Buckle the other men to score in their first three appearances for the club in the post-War era.

However, the man who currently holds the record for scoring in four successive matches is Jimmy Hanson, a local lad bought from Stalybridge Celtic who ironically scored on his debut against this weekend's opponents Hull in November 1924. The striker followed it up with goals in 1-1 draws against Blackpool and Derby County, but the game against the 10-man Rams had repercussions for his career.

The clash was dubbed 'the Battle of Old Trafford' and the 20-year-old's equaliser had arrived from close range after skipper Frank Barson barged goalkeeper Olney over from a corner. It was decided, for all Hanson's exploits in front of goal, that he was not ready for the rough and tumble of Division Two football as he had struggled against the aggressive County defenders.

While other youngsters have famously been eased into the fray ever since, it seems, in retrospect, pretty extraordinary that he was effectively put in cold storage while United continued a promotion-winning campaign that ended with second spot being secured ahead of adversaries Derby.

Hanson's long-awaited reappearance - and fourth appearance - finally came at Villa Park the following September and he did not disappoint, notching during a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. His run of goals came to an end in the Manchester derby five days later, but he did make it five in six games by striking in a 6-1 thumping of Burnley.

So history beckons for Ibrahimovic this weekend, if the Swedish number nine can breach the Tigers' defence at the KCOM Stadium and rewrite the record books. Good luck, Zlatan!

Scored in first three appearances:
Bob Donaldson - 1892/93
George Millar - 1894/95
Jimmy Hanson - 1924/25
Jack Ball - 1929/30
Ted Buckle - 1946/47
Eddie Lewis - 1952/53
Alex Dawson - 1956/57
Ian Storey-Moore - 1971/72
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 2016/17

Scored in first four appearances:
Jimmy Hanson - 1924/25 & 1925/26

Credit: Manutd.com

Rooney 'Would Be Great' In MLS

Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson says Wayne Rooney would be a "great signing" for the MLS.

England's record goalscorer still has three years left on the five-year Manchester United contract he signed in February 2014 for a reported salary of £300,000 a week.

As one of the biggest stars in English football for the past decade, Rooney would have plenty of interest should he decide to move away from Manchester and follow fellow countrymen such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to the United States.

Paulson, however, wants to move away from MLS clubs recruiting foreign stars after their prime and feels Rooney would have a similar level of success to Italian striker Sebastian Giovinco, who was the league's Most Valuable Player last season at the age of 27.

"I would argue he still has some good soccer ahead of him," Paulson told the Daily Mirror. "I think he would be a great signing for MLS - 100 percent MLS would be attractive for him.

"Keeping in mind that is a very talented footballer, who has quality soccer ahead of him, you are not talking about a 34 or 35 year old."

Giovinco, who joined Toronto from Juventus in January 2015, is the second highest-paid player in the MLS - after Kaka - on $7.1m (£5.39m) a season and Paulson said there is funding to recruit players of the stature of Rooney.

"I get excited about the impact he would have in the MLS more than a guy who is coming in later in his career," Paulson said.

"The MLS is offering significant money. There were conversations with some guys who are as big a name as Rooney recently.

"Orlando City had some high-profile discussions with some players - guys in his age range. There are some big-dollar numbers that have been put out."

Credit: Skysports.com

Carrick Reflects On 10-Year Anniversary

Tuesday marks a decade since midfielder Michael Carrick made his competitive debut for Manchester United, coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

Talking to United Review, the official matchday programme, Carrick has been reflecting on his 10 years at the club and about his time as United player so far.

“When I signed, I came here just hoping to try to force my way into the team”, said Carrick, referring to his arrival from Tottenham Hotspur before the start of the 2006/07 season.

“Ten years later, to be here and have had a decent time, winning some good things, it’s a bit strange how quickly it has all gone, but hopefully there is still more to come.”

Described by many as a modest player, Carrick is certainly humble in referring to his achievements at United as “decent” – with the Englishman having won five Premier League titles, a League Cup, a UEFA Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup and, in May for the first time, an FA Cup.

The victory at Wembley against Crystal Palace completed Carrick’s collection of all the domestic honours, something truly remarkable and that few have achieved.

“The FA Cup was massive and a big relief more than anything to me. To finally get it after trying for so long to get my hands on it and win it was quite emotional really on the day.”

And our Players' Player of the Year in 2012-13 says winning silverware again has only increased his appetite. “To get your hands on it and taste it again makes you feel you want to win more and more,” he stated.

Ibra Is New King Of Old Trafford

ManUtd.com’s Mark Froggatt blogs on Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his talismanic start in red…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic may only be 54 days and three matches into his Manchester United career, yet the Swedish striker already has the club under his charismatic spell.

Supporters have immediately taken to the man from Malmo and early comparisons with the similarly talismanic Eric Cantona are gaining credence with every outing. The night is still young, of course, but it feels like Old Trafford has a new king who rules with swagger, confidence and moments of brilliance.

Fans of Cantona and Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, will dispute that rather grandiose statement and there is admittedly no doubting that Ibrahimovic is inferior to both at this stage in his Reds career. But monarchy is ultimately about succession and the anointment of new rulers. Now is Zlatan's time.

My first encounter with the Swede arrived on 1 July, when his free transfer to United was confirmed. It began with a loud voice bellowing down the stairs at the Aon Training Complex, reverberating around the reception area to alert us reporters waiting patiently in the media room downstairs. It was the unmistakeable baritone of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, superstar striker, reporting for his interview.

"OK, I’m ready, let’s do it," he boomed in that recognisable Scandinavian accent as all six feet and four inches of him bounded into our lives, with a broad smile and steely eyes. For some unrealised reason, that opening statement stuck with me, perhaps as I was admittedly excited to meet the big man, but those words feel more pertinent almost three months later in light of his goal-laden start to life at United.

Ibra was evidently "ready" that day, but not just for mere media duties. He was braced for the bigger picture – English football, a new opportunity and the biggest challenge of his storied career. It was Zlatan’s time (no hashtag!) to shine and he’s since grasped it with both hands, scoring the goal that clinched the FA Community Shield at Wembley and three more strikes in his first two Premier League appearances.

His match-winning brace against Southampton also displayed his particular importance to the new United and highlighted his popularity among the Old Trafford hardcore, after his face was splashed across the covers of fanzines sold outside while his name rang out in a chant that is spreading like wildfire. Beneath the Friday night lights, Zlatan emerged as United's leading man at the Theatre of Dreams.

The fans aren’t the only ones who have been seduced by the new number nine, of course. The players have welcomed his personality and character as well, embracing his arrival and recognising a galvanising figure who could yet usher in a return to title success. It has worked both ways, too, with Zlatan admitting on Friday that he is enjoying his mentor role with United’s wide-eyed youngsters, 12 years after entering a Juventus dressing room littered with World Cup winners, European champions and Italian legends.

Ibrahimovic opened up on his new role while talking to this writer and Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News in Friday’s 'mixed zone', the area where the press can interview players. It was noteworthy because he had coincidentally appeared alongside 22-year-old Eric Bailly, his fellow summer signing whose English is limited at this moment. But instead of continuing to the players’ car park, the Ivorian chose to wait for 10 minutes as his new friend spoke to reporters, ironically about looking after his younger team-mates. Later, I realised this may have been an apprentice watching a master at work.

Luke Shaw, our 21-year-old left-back, has also talked enthusiastically about the Ibra effect and how story time has become a regular dressing room feature at United.

"He’s funny," Shaw told our own Gemma Thompson. "He’s one of the nicest guys as well and he has a lot of stories that we like to hear; the way he tells them is so funny! We get on really well with him. It’s not like he’s just sat with the youngsters, we all sit together and, honestly, listening to his stories is so good!"

With the supporters won over, and the players seemingly under his spell, Zlatan’s next task is to transform such infatuation into permanent adoration at the club and that certainly won’t be as swift a process.

But even if his debut season at United does not yield silverware, leaving his mission temporarily unfulfilled, at least it won’t be dull. Let’s just sit back, watch and enjoy the show. All hail king Ibra.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com