Mourinho Seeks To Beat Old Friend

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United are gaining real momentum from the winning sequence his team are currently enjoying, which he hopes to continue when facing an old friend on Saturday – Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka.   

The in-form Reds have picked up maximum points from the last five games in all competitions and are seeking a fifth successive Premier League victory when 15th-placed Boro come to Old Trafford.

But Mourinho thinks the impetus can be traced back several weeks before the victorious run began, during which United recorded successive draws against Arsenal, West Ham and Everton.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the New Year's Eve encounter, the boss said: "The momentum of playing well comes from long time ago. It's difficult for me to remember the last match where we didn't play well.

"We played well for many matches, even without getting the results that should be end-to-end with good performances.

"But the reality is that in the last four Premier League matches and five competitive matches we’ve managed to win and in this moment we need points, so let’s try for three more at home at Old Trafford for our fans. It's a good day to play football, the last day of the year, so let’s try."

Mourinho is confident the Reds can end the calendar year on a high, even if it comes at the expense of Karanka, his former assistant at Real Madrid.

As the pair prepare to face each other in the dugout for the first time, the United boss admitted it will be nice to enjoy a catch-up over a drink but the hospitality will be put to one side during the game, when both managers will be desperate to win.

Mourinho said: "He’s my friend, he’s a real friend. I always want him to win, he always wants me to win and this is the first time and the unique time where I want to win, he wants to win and that's football.

"Sometimes brothers against brothers probably happens – father against son, a father a manager and a son a player, and that has to be even more difficult. So for 90 minutes he wants to win, I want to win, and that’s it."

Mourinho hired Karanka as his number two while manager at the Bernabeu in 2010 and they spent three successful years together. 

When asked whether he expected Karanka to become a good manager, Mourinho told MUTV: "I think the people that work with me become ready at a certain stage. The point is whether they want to do it or they don’t want to do it.

"I always felt that Aitor would try it for a career; especially when I left Real Madrid, I thought that it would be the right moment for him to try.

"He did try and he did well, promotion with Middlesbrough, and obviously he fell in love with the football you play in this country and he’s very happy to stay. When people want to do it, they are ready."

Karanka, who is in his third season in charge at the Riverside Stadium, was equally complimentary of his former mentor when giving his own pre-match comments.

"I spent three amazing years with him at Madrid," the Spaniard said. "It will be nice to see him. At the end of the game, we will share a drink.

"This is one of the fixtures I was looking forward to most. I have a lot to thank Jose Mourinho for. I have to say thanks to him and to his staff so many times. I am in the Premier League because I learnt a lot with them.

"They gave me the last push to become a manager. We are really good friends and have a really good relationship."