Jose Reflects On Final US Game

Before Manchester United headed home after a memorable stay in the United States for Tour 2017, presented by Aon, Jose Mourinho spoke to MUTV and to reporters at a post-match press conference. Here's what the manager had to say about the slender 1-0 defeat to Barcelona at FedEx Field...

REFLECTIONS ON THE MATCH

"It's very important to lose a match in pre-season. You don't like to lose but I think it's very important. I think it would be very bad for us to leave the US without a defeat, playing against teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, it would be very bad to go home with just victories. So the defeat is good. But I think in the game we did some very good things and we did bad things. The very good things are to keep and the bad things are to improve."

POSITIVES IN DEFEAT

"I think for the crowd it was good. I think in pre-season it is important also to play for that. When you come to the US and you have a stadium with a few thousand, very enthusiastic fans, this is what they want. They want Messi, Neymar, Pogba, the best players to show what they are and I think that happened. The first half was 1-0 but it could have been 2-2, 3-3 or 4-0. In the second half there were lots of changes but both teams were playing for a result, despite it being a friendly when the result is not the most important thing. We tried to equalise, they kept the ball and possession, and defended well. Even in the second half the match was positive."

KEPT GOING IN THE SECOND HALF

"The attitude was good and in the second half we defended much better. I know that one thing is to defend against Messi, Suarez and Neymar, another thing is to defend against three good players but not three of the best players in the world. But we were much more confident, we pushed the line up, Jones and Bailly they pressed really high, we brought the game to their side. We arrived into dangerous positions and we could have scored."

A GOOD MEASURE OF OUR LEVEL

"The level of my team? If you want to compare with Real Madrid or Barcelona, it is easy to compare the level of the players and quality of the team. But we don't play in the same competition as them unless we meet in Europe, so we prefer not to compare ourselves with them. We prefer to compare with teams in the Premier League and we are much more adapted to that very hard competition. It has a different style, a different kind of player. In this moment the best players are in these two clubs and you have to accept that as a reality. But for us to play against both in pre-season without pressure or being worried about a result, just trying to play the best we can, was very good for us. Both played with their best team. Barcelona did. Only Pique was on the bench. Real Madrid, only Ronaldo and Ramos didn't play. So it is very, very good for us to measure against them."

LINDELOF AND SMALLING AS A PAIR

"I think we will understand the reason in a couple of days. [Eric] Bailly is suspended for the first two matches in Europe as you know, and in the next couple of days you will have the understanding of why I am playing [Victor] Lindelof and [Chris] Smalling."

POGBA AT SAME LEVEL AS REAL AND BARCA STARS

"With Messi and Neymar, there is only one [of each]. There are not two. Suarez, Iniesta, Pique, Ronaldo, Bale, Modric, Toni Kroos, there is only one of them. So they can only play for one club and not two. We cannot have them. They belong to the clubs. You can be working very hard tactically to improve your team, to improve your players, but some players are special and against that nature there is nothing you can do. In the real matches you try to compensate the difference in quality with a certain tactical organisation, and with that you can win. In football it is possible for a team to be better than the sum of the parts. But the parts are amazing. Their relationship with the ball is amazing. You can argue about the occupation of space, tactics and compact blocks, but the player's relationship with the ball is still the most important thing. Even as an opponent on the bench like I am, it is beautiful to see the guys' relationship with the ball. Today, one of my players, Paul Pogba, showed the level. He showed that he belongs at that level."

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS MOVING FROM MID-SEASON TO SUMMER

"I have to read the changes and understand the changes. If that [the date change] is the change then it is perfect for us, because it is hard in the middle of the season to lose players like we do. With so many African players in the best competitions in Europe, it is not good for the players, clubs or competitions. If we can have it in the European break then it is a fantastic change."

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON PRE-SEASON PROGRESS

"I am very happy. No injuries because Mata and Herrera in this moment, I don't think we are talking about injuries. They will be back to training I think next Saturday, no problem to be back to training, so no injuries, a fantastic atmosphere, a fantastic working ethic, great organisation. So now we just need to land safely in Manchester and this part of the pre-season was perfect."