Pogba Urges United To "Wake Up"

Paul Pogba says Manchester United need to "wake up" after three successive draws over the festive period.

The Reds have been held by Leicester City, Burnley and Southampton and the Frenchman, who captained the side against the Saints and had a late goal ruled out for offside, says the team needs to act with Chelsea moving into second place in the Premier League table as a consequence.

Pogba was clearly frustrated in his exclusive post-match interview with MUTV and aiming to ensure the team returns to winning ways against Everton on Monday.

"Of course we wanted to win today," he said. "We drew again. We didn't lose today but we have to wake up, bounce back and get back to winning. The three draws we have to win, something has to change and we have to change to win.

"We have to rest," he added. "It's only one day and then we have to play against Everton - that's football. Even if we were to play tomorrow, we'd want to win then as well, that’s not going to change. We forget about today, tomorrow’s another day and we have to go out there and win."

Pogba also bemoaned the loss of Romelu Lukaku, who picked up a nasty head injury in the first half.

"When we have Romelu, he makes it difficult for defenders and creates so much space as well," said Pogba. "He's a big miss for us but we have the team to fill the gap of Romelu."

Mourinho Reveals Ibrahimovic Lay-off

Jose Mourinho has revealed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be absent from first-team football for a month due to a knee problem.

The boss gave the news in TV interviews following United's goalless draw against Southampton, for which Ibrahimovic was absent from the matchday squad.

The Swede started the 2-2 draw against Burnley at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, but was replaced by Jesse Lingard at half-time. He had returned to competitive football against Newcastle on 18 November, after a seven-month lay-off due to a knee ligament injury sustained in a Europa League match against Anderlecht last season.

"It's a massive problem," said the manager. "He is a 37-year-old with a bad knee."

Ibrahimovic made his first start of the campaign in the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat away to Bristol City, and marked his return to the side by thundering in a second-half free-kick.

A first Premier League start followed against Burnley, but now the striker is set for another spell on the sidelines.

There was more bad news for Mourinho when Romelu Lukaku was taken off on a stretcher during the Southampton game, after a nasty aerial collision with Saints defender Wesley Hoedt.

United visit Goodison Park to play Everton on New Year's Day, and host Derby County in an Emirates FA Cup third-round tie on Friday 5 January.

Mourinho Reacts To Saints Draw

Jose Mourinho gave his thoughts on the 0-0 draw against Southampton in interviews with MUTV and BT Sport, plus at the press conference at Old Trafford.

The Reds were frustrated in our final game of 2017 with the boss particularly upset a first-half penalty was not awarded for a clear handball by Maya Yoshida, and he also revealed Zlatan Ibrahimovic is sidelined for a month.

NO PENALTY

"Craig Pawson is a fantastic referee, one of the most promising referees in Europe, and it was bad for him. It was one of the key points. The other key points were easy goals that we missed. Another key point was David De Gea's save on the Shane Long shot. But the clear, clear point, especially with a result at 0-0, is a clear penalty that was not given. I watched on the touchline and it looked to me very clear, but it's 50 metres distance, so I gave the referee the benefit of the doubt. I know my players and, when I see players like Juan Mata almost in hysterics claiming, I could understand immediately - no doubt. And then, at half-time, I watch it and it is a penalty like Marcus Rashford at Leicester was a penalty, like Ander Herrera against Manchester City was a penalty and it is unlucky because honestly I told you that and I repeat without a problem, that the three referee performances, Michael Oliver against City, Jon Moss against Leicester and Craig tonight were good referees with good performances, but unlucky decisions for us that punished us."

ZLATAN OUT

"Zlatan is one month out. I don't know about [Romelu] Lukaku. Of course, you miss your striker and your target man. You only have two attacking players on the bench, Rashford and [Anthony] Martial and you lose one of them immediately. I wanted a third change late in the game and I didn't have a third attacking player so that's difficult."

PLAYERS' PERFORMANCES

"I am happy with the players' attitudes and desires. I have no complaint about my players. I think the performance was a big-hearted performance with the players giving everything due to their limits. The majority of them, with the accumulation of matches, their performance was with very good quality on creation, where we have missed chances and half-chances with crosses and balls in the face of the goal. They are half-chances if you arrive on time."

Lukaku Taken Off On A Stretcher

Romelu Lukaku was taken off on a stretcher in the first half of Manchester United's clash with Southampton at Old Trafford.

Wesley Hoedt headed into the back of Lukaku's head during an aerial challenge and the Reds' top scorer lay flat out on the turf for some time, receiving extensive treatment. Marcus Rashford replaced the Belgian and there was genuine concern among the crowd for the centre-forward, whose injury prompted six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half.

The medical staff have been assessing the extent of the problem and hopefully it will not be too serious.

"That's football," Jose Mourinho told MUTV. "He was just unlucky. I think the Dutch central defender goes with him for the ball and it's unlucky for Romelu and unlucky for Hoedt. It was nothing aggressive and, hopefully, nothing important. But the first consequence of is he didn't play for the rest of the game."

United's next outing is away to Lukaku's former club, Everton, on New Year's Day, with Derby County to follow in the Emirates FA Cup on Friday, with the possibility the striker will miss both fixtures.

"I don’t know," Mourinho added about a timescale on the summer signing's return. "I know that normally bad, bad news arrives immediately. Bad news didn't arrive. I think that there’s a problem for the next two matches. For sure."

Premier League: Man. United 0 Southampton 0

Manchester United ended 2017 with a third successive draw after a frustrating stalemate with Southampton at Old Trafford.

The Reds had a number of opportunities to find the elusive breakthrough with Romelu Lukaku heading over and Ashley Young firing a second half free-kick wide, before Paul Pogba had a goal disallowed late on for offside. It wasn't meant to be for United, who made it a hat-trick of draws in the final fixtures of 2017.

Jose Mourinho made three changes from the draw with Burnley as Victor Lindelof, Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan returned to the starting XI in place of Marcos Rojo, Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Pre-match, Jose Mourinho insisted striker Lukaku was in need of a rest, but he looked sharp from the off and should have put United ahead after just four minutes. A pinpoint cross-field ball from Pogba found Juan Mata, whose expert cross was met by the towering Lukaku, but he headed over the crossbar when free inside the box.

Southampton should have punnished the Reds moments later as Sofiane Boufal's pull-back found the arriving James Ward-Prowse, but David De Gea came to United's rescue, saving expertly down low.

The game then saw a lengthy delay as Lukaku was taken off on a stretcher following a clash of heads with Wesley Hoedt. United's no.9 looked in some discomfort and received oxygen as he was replaced by Rashford.

Luke Shaw, against his former club, swung a dangerous ball in from the left which narrowly evaded Rashford, before Ward-Prowse tested De Gea at the other end with a dangerous in-swinging free-kick which the Spaniard did well to punch away. From the resulting corner, a blistering counter-attack saw Mata feed Rashford who slipped in Mkhitaryan, but the Armenian's cross evaded everyone.

United had a shout for a penalty as the ball struck Maya Yoshida on the forearm as he raced back to help snuff out Jesse Lingard, but referee Craig Pawson waved away the protests.

Hoedt then had a free header from another Saints corner, but he nodded wide before Rashford delayed on the ball at the other end and missed the opportunity to shoot, only for Mata to then fire straight at Alex McCarthy. The Reds would have gone in at the break in front if Lingard had not glanced Mkhitaryan's left-wing cross wide of the post.

Shane Long had failed to score in his last 34 matches for club and country coming into this one and he should have really put that record to bed five minutes into the second half, but De Gea saved brilliantly with his feet after the Irishman had latched onto Ward-Prowse's low cross.

Mkhitaryan had a curling effort saved down low before the Old Trafford came alive with the introduction of Anthony Martial, and it was the Frenchman's direct running that won a free-kick for the Reds which saw Ashley Young curl narrowly wide, via a deflection, from 25 yards.

Dusan Tadic headed Boufal's cross over before Martial caused panic at the other end, taking on three defenders, but again Rashford delayed his shot.

Southampton recently sold defender Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool for a world-record fee, but they were standing firm at the back nonetheless as the Reds fans became more and more frustrated.

The United faithful were on their feet seconds later as Pogba poked home Nemanja Matic's effort in the box, but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside, before Lingard had two-half chances late on, which he could not convert.

Failure to beat Leicester, Burnley and now Southampton has left United fans in less than a festive mood, but the Reds must now look to re-discover the winning formula in 2018, starting with a trip to face Everton in a couple of days' time.

THE LINE-UPS

United: De Gea; Young, Jones, Lindelof, Shaw; Matic, Pogba (c), Mata, Mkhitaryan (Martial 65); Lingard, Lukaku (Rashford 14).

Subs not used: Romero, Rojo, Blind, Tuanzebe, Herrera.

Booked: Lingard, Matic.

Southampton: McCarthy, Stephens, Yoshida (c), Hoedt, McQueen, Romeu, Højbjerg, Tadic (Lemina 81), Ward-Prowse, Boufal (Redmond 85), Long (Gabbiadini 79).

Subs not used: Forster, Pied, Bednarek, Davies.

Booked: Hojbjerg, Hoedt, Boufal, Ward-Prowse.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR UNITED?

The Reds now prepare for the customary New Year's Day fixture, this time to face Sam Allardyce's Everton at Goodison Park with kick-off at 17:30 GMT.

Ferguson Backs Eric Harrison Award

Former Manchester United youth-team manager Eric Harrison has been awarded an MBE for his services to football in the New Year's Honours list, with Sir Alex Ferguson leading the tributes.

The 79-year-old helped develop the famous FA Youth Cup winning side of 1992 with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt all benefiting from Eric's expertise.

And now Eric has quite rightly been recognised for his services to football in the Queen's New Year's Honours list.

"When I got the news yesterday I was so delighted for him," Sir Alex told MUTV. "Not just for Manchester United, but he had a great spell at Everton and he was a good, steady professional footballer.

"If you wanted a teacher who gives you the right way, the right path forward, Eric was that man. He was fantastic in his time here. When I came to United at first, I decided I should go on with Eric because you know what happens when new managers come into the club, they bring their own staff.

"I just brought one with me and I was prepared to give the other staff their opportunity. I was really lucky in a sense because I got to know the work Eric was doing and it was a really great decision. It was fantastic, the Class of '92, and it was his highlight in terms of his coaching career. But all the young players who came through that year will look at the contribution he made and the character he built in these people. He made them good human beings.

"I got a text from one of his players at Everton, who said I will never forget Eric Harrison and that was a great thing to say from 30, 40 years ago. So he has made a great contribution and he deserves this honour. I know he is not doing well at the moment [with his health], but hopefully he picks up after receiving this award. He created a path for these boys through hard work, dedication and sacrifice and he was able to empower that education to them and knowledge of the best way to be a top footballer.

"Not all of them made it some - were unfortunate with injuries, like Ben Thornley and Chris Casper who would have gone on to have great careers, but the five who epitomised the work he did, was a testimony to the work he did."

The club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward added: “Everyone at Manchester United is delighted for Eric and his family. His contribution to the club and to the game as a whole was enormous during his long career and this award is fitting recognition of that.”

Matic Wins Prestigious Serbian Award

Nemanja Matic has taken life at Manchester United completely in his stride and his exploits for club and country throughout 2017 have led to him winning a special award in his homeland.

The Reds midfielder has claimed the 'Captain's Award' which has been run by Serbian daily newspaper Vecernje Novosti since 1970. The accolade recognises Serbia's Player of the Year and is voted for by the captains of the teams in the country's top league. And, for the third time in four years, (he also won it in 2014 and 2015), Matic has been named the star man.

"This award is for a famous newspaper in Serbia where all the captains from the First Division teams vote and they chose me as best player for 2017 which I'm very happy about," Matic told us. "I am very proud because when the captains vote, that means something. I’m happy and I say thanks to them. It’s a pleasure to be chosen."

Matic follows fellow countryman and former United skipper Nemanja Vidic in winning the prize. Indeed, Vidic is the record holder having won it six times. A huge admirer of the Reds' ex-captain, Matic actually ended up playing in Vidic's position in the 2-2 draw with Burnley on Boxing Day, when he was switched to centre-back at half-time. It's a position he admits he's never played in before despite performing brilliantly on the day.

"Obviously, I like to play in midfield but if I need to help the team and the coach wants me to play in any position, I will do it," he added. "Even goalkeeper, if we need it. I hope that never needs to happen [laughs], but, if it does, I am there to help. For me, it’s important to play, it doesn’t matter what position."

Hopes For 2018: Lindelof's Progress

Like all Reds, the main thing I’m hoping for in 2018 is to see Manchester United continue on an upward trajectory under Jose Mourinho, entertaining us all and competing for trophies.

But if I were to pick out a specific wish, it would be to see Victor Lindelof realise his potential in a United shirt. While there’s no denying he’s ensured a challenging start to his career here, the mild-mannered Swede has still proferred several examples of his enormous talent in the first half of the season.

His composed, Man-of-the-Match display against Brighton & Hove Albion in November felt like a turning point and he really looked the part in our subsequent wins at Watford and Arsenal. And there’s no shortage of support for the former Benfica man – witness the reaction around Old Trafford to that thunderous tackle he made on the Seagulls’ Anthony Knockaert, and how much we’ve all referred to it since. We’re desperate for him to do well.

But it’s going to take time. Let’s not forget that other esteemed defenders made inconspicuous starts to their United careers. Jaap Stam and Nemanja Vidic took six months to find their feet in England, while Patrice Evra famously endured a nightmare debut in the Manchester derby; those three alone went on to rack up over 800 combined appearances and silverware galore.

Mourinho clearly saw something in Lindelof – a three-time league champion with Benfica – when he signed him from the Portuguese outfit in the summer. And the boss has a history of making astute defensive captures – think of Ricardo Carvalho at Chelsea, Lucio at Inter Milan and Raphael Varane at Real Madrid.

In my view, Victor has looked most at home when playing in a back three but he’ll doubtless be working hard behind the scenes to ensure he can slot into whichever defensive system Mourinho deploys, and to ultimately become a first-choice defender for the club.

On the face of it, the 23-year-old has all the attributes to succeed in the English Premier League: poise, positional awareness, distribution with both feet and a steely edge. And if he can complete his adaptation in the coming months, I see no reason why he can’t go on to join that long list of cultured centre-backs to grace the Old Trafford turf.

The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com

Do United Need A Director Of Football?

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho would benefit from having a director of football at Old Trafford, Andy Townsend told The Debate.

Speaking on Friday, Mourinho claimed United are finding it difficult to compete with Europe's elite because they cannot match their spending power.

The comments come days after Mourinho said the club must spend more to keep up with Premier League leaders Manchester City, despite the fact that he has spent around £319m since taking charge in 2016.

While Townsend believes it's a sign that Pep Guardiola has got under the Portuguese's skin, the former Aston Villa striker stressed that Mourinho needs assistance with his own transfer dealings.

"I wonder how much Guardiola gets under his skin and into his mind. Jose has won so many personal battles with managers in this country, but it looks like this one he loses more often than that," Townsend said.

"If that's Arsene Wenger, he'd never come out saying 'They spend more money than I do', and he's at the biggest football club in the world.

"They should have a sporting director. They should definitely have one. For years they didn't because Sir Alex had David Gill, who was a clever football man, but Jose should have one.

"We have an issue with sporting directors in the country. Too many of them are passive, and don't want to make a decision, and there's no accountability, therefore managers don't want to trust them.

"But Jose should have everything at their disposal."

Meanwhile, former Scotland boss Gordon Strachan, who has also managed Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough, admitted that coaches often need to take a "step back" from transfer dealings at the club.

"Sometimes there's a bit of arrogance with football managers," Strachan said. "We go, 'No, I know the best players', but sometimes you have to step back and say, 'There's somebody than me at picking players. I'm a good coach, bring me the players.'

"They really just panicked, if you look at the gang he bought at that period, it was like £170m over a two-year period.

"In Germany, Italy and France, they all understand it, but we are a wee bit insecure in this country.

"Absolutely [it would have made me a better manager]. When I would first take over, I thought, 'I know how to coach, I know players', but the biggest failing, most managers will tell you, is buying the wrong players.

"You have to say, 'There are people better than me at doing this'. I only know now after all these years, I really should have listened to more people.

"A couple of players Gordon McQueen gave me at Middlesbrough, I said I wasn't so sure, but they were big successes, and I should have gone back and said 'You're right'."

Credit: Skysports.com

Mourinho: Money Makes A Difference

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United are finding it difficult to compete with teams such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain because they cannot match their spending power.

PSG shattered the world transfer record last summer to sign Neymar from Barcelona for £198m and followed that up by agreeing a deal with Monaco for Kylian Mbappe worth £166m.

Pep Guardiola has overhauled City's squad with 16 new signings since taking over in the summer of 2016, transforming them into one of the favourites for the Champions League alongside PSG in the process.

Mourinho has received ample backing in the market from United since succeeding Louis van Gaal, spending £75m rising to £90m on Romelu Lukaku and £93.25m on Paul Pogba, but he feels a more drastic overhaul is required.

"It is difficult [to compete] but it is possible," Mourinho, whose side face Southampton on Saturday, said. "Sometimes if you don't have that financial profile of club where there are no limits and the only thing that matters is to get the best, there is only one way which is patience, calm and time.

"I think next season we will get two or three more players. But we will lose two or three. [We are] not going to have a dramatic change or a dramatic improvement.

"When (Jurgen) Klopp arrived in Liverpool he trusted his quality as a good coach, which he is, but I think now he realises that is not enough to be a champion, to win the Champions League and to win trophies.

"So now you can see Liverpool with Naby Keita, who they have already bought for next summer, and with Virgil van Dijk, they realise they have to go to the same levels of the crazy market.

"Because if they offer £40m, Southampton don't sell them the player. Some clubs invest with limits, some go absolutely strong in the market.

"What Paris Saint-Germain did this summer with Neymar and Mbappe, they get two of probably the four best attacking players in the world. Two at the same time. And then players like Di Maria, Draxler, Pastore, Lucas Moura - they are second choices.

"So, money makes a difference."

Mourinho has spent £319.05m on seven players as United manager, while also adding Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer.

In comparison, Guardiola has spent an estimated £391.35m at City and Mourinho feels the Spaniard inherited a superior squad to begin with.

"The club have invested a lot of money," Mourinho said. "The problem is not the money we have invested. The problem is the money the other clubs invest.

"It is a problem that others with better squads, with better stability, with more options - they keep on investing.

"When we are signing players in the past two years it is to replace people.

"If next summer we are going to sign a midfield player, it is to replace Michael Carrick. And Michael is a phenomenal player who this season has given us nothing at all. He is at the end of his career.

"So if next summer we buy a midfield player, it is not to improve our squad. It is to replace Carrick. To improve our squad in the midfield we would need to buy two."

United trail City by 15 points in the Premier League and Mourinho says the ever-increasing prices for players make the gap between the sides very difficult to close.

"That is very difficult," Mourinho admitted. "Do you think the club can spend £600m and let's buy six players of £100m? The club cannot do that and I cannot expect the club to do that so I am not being critical.

"You can see how the market is, especially with the top teams.

"Without taking any credit from Manchester City and Pep and his staff and the players - they obviously deserve lots of credit for what they are doing - but Pep arrived and he has the goalkeeper of England. He doesn't like him so he buys the goalkeeper of Barcelona. He doesn't like him so he buys another one.

"Can we buy six or seven players at the same time? No. So it is difficult."

When asked if he expects United to buy in January, Mourinho replied: "I don't think so."

Credit: Skuysports.com

Inter Milan Monitoring Mkhitaryan's Situation At Manchester United

Inter Milan are carefully following Henrikh Mkhitaryan's situation at Manchester United, according to Sky in Italy.

United boss Jose Mourinho confirmed in November that the Armenia international attacking midfielder had been dropped because he was unhappy with the player's performances.

He has not started a Premier League game for United since the defeat at Chelsea on November 5 but played the entire second half in the 2-2 draw with Burnley last time out.

Sky in Italy believe Mkhitaryan is one of a number of players Inter are looking at including Gerard Deulofeu at Barcelona and Javier Pastore at Paris Saint Germain.

Deulofeu, who has not played for the Spanish club since November and not started a La Liga game since October, is not considered part of Barca boss Ernesto Valverde's plans and is available for loan in January.

Inter director Piero Ausilio recenty said of Pastore. "We have to understand what Paris Saint-Germain want to do.

"I don't think anyone can argue with his quality. He is an important player, we are pleased that he sees Inter as a possibility, but it's premature to talk about anything else."

Credit: Skysports.com

Jose Reminds Klopp Of 'Quit' Threat

Jose Mourinho has responded to Virgil van Dijk's £75m move by reminding Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp of his threat to quit football if astronomical fees became commonplace.

The Reds made the first significant move of the winter transfer window after agreeing a deal with Southampton to make Van Dijk the world's most expensive defender.

He will arrive at Anfield 18 months after Klopp insisted he wanted to "do it differently" following Paul Pogba's then-world record £92.35m switch to Manchester United, with the German suggesting he did not want to be involved in the game if such amounts became the norm rather than the exception.

Asked about Van Dijk's move, Mourinho said: "I think the one to speak about it in a specific way has to be Jurgen.

"If I was one of you I would ask him about his comments about one year ago [when Pogba signed].

"Not speaking specifically about [the Van Dijk] case because in Liverpool they do what they want, and I am nobody to comment about what they do, but the reality is if they think the player is the right player for them, and they really want the player, they pay this amount or they don't have the player. That's the way the market is.

"When we compare now the amount of money that certain managers and clubs spend, not even 10 years, but three years ago, is to compare the impossible.

"Now you are going to say Virgil van Dijk is the most expensive defender in the history of football. Was he better than [Paolo] Maldini, [Giuseppe] Bergomi or [Rio] Ferdinand? You cannot say that.

"It's just the way the market is. You pay or you don't pay. If you pay, you pay a crazy amount of money but if you don't, you don't have the player. It's as simple as that.

"No criticism at all about what Liverpool did. It's just the way it is."

Credit: Skysports.com

Hopes For 2018: A Special Old Trafford Night

It just felt right having Manchester United's name in the draw for the Champions League knock-out stages again.

It's fair to say I've missed the Reds being on the top table in Europe's premier competition and taking on the continental elite for the biggest trophy. In Sir Alex Ferguson's time, we became so good in the tournament that we reached three finals in four years (2008, 2009 and 2011) and, perhaps, it was wrongly taken for granted.

Since the Scot retired, with the great injustice of Nani's sending off in a cracking tie with Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid finally fading, we did make the quarter-finals in 2014 but succumbed to Bayern Munich. The home leg, a 1-1 draw which featured a goal and a sending off for future Red Bastian Schweinsteiger, should have been a special occasion but I approached it with the view that it was going to be extremely difficult to overcome the German giants with the club clearly in a period of transition.

The 3-0 win over Olympiacos in the previous round may have been an amazing turnaround, and helped erase some of the memories of attending the disappointing first leg in Athens when we badly under performed, but, again, it was just lacking that certain something in terms of atmosphere for all of its undoubted drama.

For me, that missing ingredient is belief. In 2018, with games to come against round-of-16 opponents Sevilla, there are hopes that United can compete for the famous trophy once again. The Spanish side may have a formidable record in Europe, and have great experience of continental football, but so do United after last term's success in the Europa League.

Look at the results on the road in the knockout stages en route to Stockholm - 1-0, 1-1, 1-1 and 1-0 - ideal scorelines for two-legged ties, with a crucial away goal banked on each occasion. Jose knows how to play in Europe, he is fiercely driven to continue his love affair with the Champions League, and nobody will fancy trying to outwit the manager on this stage.

Furthermore, Old Trafford is made for those famous European nights and, if we can progress to the last eight or semi-finals, it will be something to truly relish for all supporters. It will have been five long years since that exit at the hands of Real in, at least in my view, the last genuinely titanic tussle in the Champions League at the Theatre of Dreams.

It will be fitting that Jose will be in our dug-out this time around and the crowd can be stirred to reach the heights of those unforgettable nights of the past, like the one in 2008 against Barcelona when we were instructed to 'Believe' but, sincerely, I think we already did.

With five English sides still in the competition, there could be a different feel to the latter stages, if we manage to get past Sevilla. But, personally, I would love to take on a Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich again under the lights at Old Trafford, and for United to prove that we belong in such company.

The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com

Mourinho's Team News Update For Saturday

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says he is unable to give Romelu Lukaku a rest, after praising the Belgian's application, as he discussed his striking options for the clash with Southampton.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's teatime encounter at Old Trafford, the boss suggested neither Lukaku nor Zlatan Ibrahimovic are fully fit, with the Swede still working his way back from a long-term lay-off, even though both started against Burnley on Boxing Day.

"No, I can't [give Lukaku a rest]," said Jose. "Now, I say 20 matches in the Premier League, 90 minutes [for Romelu]. I think for a striker, for any player, [it] is absolutely incredible. But if you are central defender, if you are a holding midfield player, if you are in certain kinds of positions where you can control your energy and positional play a little bit more, you can resist and survive.

"But, for a striker in the Premier League, to play 20 matches, 90 minutes, I have to be very grateful for his personality and for his character. He's been unlucky in our box in recent matches. He was in the picture, I'm not saying he was a direct influence, in some of the latest goals we conceded. It's a consequence of a player who really needs a little rest or just a consequence of the moment of the occasion. But the guy is fantastic for me and the team and gives absolutely everything and I have no criticisms."

In terms of fielding both centre-forwards again, Mourinho explained: "It can happen but, for it to happen, they both need to be in their best moment and they are not.

"One is not because the situation in this team didn't allow him to have any rest and is giving absolutely everything in every minute and we just managed to give him a little rest in cup matches and, even so, he was on the bench for emergency situations.

"The Champions League was about the same - we had to fight until the last match for qualification and the boy is tired. He's physically a monster but he's not a machine and I think he's feeling it. And Zlatan is a man with an incredible injury, an injury that a 20-year-old man or a 20-year-old young man would suffer [from]. Imagine a man who is 37 years old and so many miles in high-level football, so it's not easy. We did that [play the two together] against Burnley and we will do that in some more matches if we need to do it, but I think for both of them to play together, we really need them to be at their best level."

Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian, Anthony Martial and Antonio Valencia have all picked up knocks and the boss did tell MUTV he did not expect any injured players to return at the weekend. However, Marcos Rojo is still available despite initial fears he would be suspended after his early yellow card against Burnley. Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Eric Bailly are definitely all out.

Southampton are missing banned striker Charlie Austin and injured full-backs Ryan Bertrand and Cedric, while Virgil van Dijk is on his way to Liverpool.

Wenger Vs Sir Alex

Arsene Wenger equalled Sir Alex Ferguson's record of having taken charge of 810 Premier League games in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

He will go on to break the record when the Gunners visit West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Eve.

But how do the records of these two iconic managers compare?

WINS AND GOALS

Wenger has won 468 of his 810 matches, a very healthy win percentage of 58 per cent. However, that does not quite match up with the record of the former Manchester United manager.

Ferguson won 528 Premier League games in his career - a win percentage of 65 per cent - so Wenger will need to go on beyond his current contract to surpass that.

The Frenchman has already drawn 29 more games than Ferguson did and lost 31 more games than the Scot. His Arsenal side have conceded 78 more than Ferguson's United too and scored 103 fewer.

With 56 more Premier League games to play before the end of next season, Wenger could well break that goalscoring record.

POINTS AND TROPHIES

Ferguson's points record is a little further away. The former United boss won 1,752 Premier League points in his career. Wenger is on 1,601, a record of 1.98 points per game compared to Ferguson's tally of 2.16 points per game.

That small difference was crucial - Wenger has won three Premier League titles to Ferguson's amazing haul of 13.

AWARDS

Wenger has also won three manager of the year awards during his Premier League career, putting him joint-second on the list of winners alongside his old rival Jose Mourinho.

But Wenger cannot come close to the 11 manager of the year awards picked up by Ferguson between 1994 and 2013. That is one record unlikely to ever be beaten.

Credit: Skysports.com

Early Team News: United v Southampton

Marcos Rojo is available to face Southampton on Saturday, despite the Manchester United defender receiving a fifth yellow card of the Premier League season on Boxing Day.

The Argentina international was rather harshly cautioned by referee Martin Atkinson in just the second minute of the Boxing Day draw against Burnley at Old Trafford – our 20th league match.

Many supporters initially believed that had triggered a ban for Rojo, but Premier League rules state that “Matchweek 19 marks the halfway point of the 2017/18 season and is the final round of matches when receiving a fifth booking of the campaign can result in a one-match ban.”

This stroke of good luck – or good timing, more accurately – is a boost for Jose Mourinho with Eric Bailly already out for several months after undergoing surgery on an injury he suffered with Ivory Coast.

Fellow centre-back Chris Smalling also missed our last match due to injury, after seemingly hurting his groin in the latter stages of Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Matteo Darmian and Anthony Martial are fit for selection, after both players were omitted from the 18-man squad that was named to face Burnley.

Right-back and regular captain Antonio Valencia is presumably still missing with the hamstring problem that he sustained in the recent victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

Central midfielders Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick are not expected to return over the Christmas period, as the manager explained earlier this month.

WHAT ABOUT SOUTHAMPTON?

Virgil van Dijk is one player who will definitely not face United following Wednesday evening’s announcement that he is set to join Liverpool, reportedly for an eye-watering fee of £75million.

Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino also fears that striker Charlie Austin is set to be sidelined for some weeks with a hamstring injury that he suffered against Huddersfield Town last Saturday.

The visitors are without a Premier League win since beating Everton on 26 November and, since then, they have gone seven matches without a victory. They suffered a painful 5-2 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last time out, on Boxing Day, when Harry Kane scored a hat-trick for Spurs.

Wilkins: Mourinho 'A Wonderful Deflector'

Ray Wilkins says Jose Mourinho is "a wonderful deflector of situations" after the Manchester United manager claimed he needs more money to spend.

Mourinho blamed United's lack of spending for them falling further behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race, despite the club outlaying around £319m since the Portuguese took charge in 2016.

Wilkins believes Mourinho's comments are an attempt to deflect attention away from his players after a second successive 2-2 draw but says some of the performances are below the required standard.

"Jose doesn't like to criticise his players," Wilkins told Sky Sports News. "Now he's had a slight dig at the club for the fact that he hasn't spent enough money. He's not actually said who he needs and where he wants them to play.

"He's a wonderful deflector of situations. I love him to pieces and think the Premier League is a healthier place with him in it, but all of a sudden it's about Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy costing £50m.


"They've all spent roughly the same amount of money but when I look at the goals Manchester United conceded against Burnley, they are making bad errors at bad periods in games."

Wilkins expects Manchester City to extend their lead at the top of the table to 15 points when they travel to Newcastle on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Premier League, and says United's players must shoulder some of the blame.

"[Mourinho] is extremely disappointed with the way results are going," said the former Manchester United midfielder.

"He would expect to be just a couple of points behind City at this stage of the season. Unfortunately, they're not and he's spent a hell of a lot of money as well.

"But it's about time some of the players started stepping up a touch. It's a very special place to play football and some of them aren't reaching the heights he expects them to be at.

"How wisely has that money been spent? I would say very wisely. Romelu Lukaku is a goal machine in the Premier League, Paul Pogba is one of the best midfielders on the planet when he is at his peak. Nemanja Matic is one of the best holding midfielders and David De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world.

"They've got the quality within that group. It's about time some of those players started performing."

Credit: Skysports.com

Fellaini Complains Of Unjust Treatment In England

Marouane Fellaini feels he has been unfairly treated during his time in English football and has become something of a marked man.

Despite his reputation as a physically-imposing midfielder, Fellaini has been sent off just three times during his time in England, although he was forced to serve a three-match ban for elbowing Robert Huth in 2016 after the Leicester defender pulled his hair.

His last red card came in the Manchester derby in April after referee Martin Atkinson penalised the Belgian midfielder for a headbutt on Sergio Aguero.

In a wide-ranging interview with Belgian magazine Humo, Fellaini said he often feels like it is one rule for him and a different rule for other players.

"They have labelled me an aggressive player, a murderer," the Manchester United midfielder said.

"Look, I'm fanatical. The team that wants it the hardest wins but there have been times when I came out as the villain.

"What should I do if they pull me by the hair? It sounds like a joke, but it really hurts.

"Last season I was suspended after the derby against City for a headbutt against Aguero. He stepped towards me and then dropped dead. But, no, I get the red.

"Players often try to provoke me but do you know how many yellow cards I collected last season? Four, in 45 matches. I've never destroyed someone's career."

Fellaini, whose season has been interrupted by a knee injury, fears his World Cup hopes could have been jeopardised by what he labelled as an 'attack' on him by Southampton's Shane Long in United's 1-0 win over Southampton in September.

He said: "Do you see how insanely good luck I had? He could have broken my leg. Without the tape around my ankle, it was definitely broken and I would have been out for six months.

"If I did that, I'd be suspended for three games, maybe five. I swear to you. He got a yellow, apologised, and that was it."

Credit: Skysports.com

McTominay: My Advice For Angel Gomes

Scott McTominay has offered his advice for Angel Gomes as the talented teen looks to follow in the midfielder's footsteps by becoming an established member of the first-team squad.

Gomes, who has been at Manchester United since the age of six, signed his first professional contract with the club earlier this month – something he described as “amazing” – while Head of Academy Nicky Butt believes the 17-year-old starlet has “a very bright future” ahead of him.

McTominay was delighted to hear the exciting attacking midfielder has put pen to paper. Reacting to the news in a recent interview with MUTV, he recalled: “I remember when Angel was 13 years old, and even nine or 10 years old, and he had unbelievable potential.

“It’s really nice to see that he’s signed his professional contract. I just want to say congratulations to Angel and all of his family because he does deserve that. He’s one of the most hard-working lads that you can meet so I’m really pleased for him and, hopefully, he can kick on now and come to the first team and keep going the way he’s going.”

Gomes has represented the club at every level, with the exception of the Reserves, and felt honoured to make his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in United's final Premier League game of last season against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford – becoming the club’s youngest player since Duncan Edwards in 1953.

McTominay - who, like Gomes, has been with United from a young age and made his senior debut at last season – knows what it’s like to progress through the ranks. He feels that Under-18s coach Kieran McKenna can continue to aid his development as he strives towards getting more chances to impress.

“Ultimately, it’s about working hard and listening to his coaches," Scott told us. "He’s got a really good coach in Kieran, who pays really good attention to detail and that’s one of the most important things at that age when you’re learning – you can become such a better player, so that’s one of the main things for him.

“He just needs to be himself and, every game that he plays in, if he comes up with the Under-23s, to try to dominate those games. Hopefully, he can do that and kick on and become a really top class player.”

Gomes is not only a star for his club but for country too, after helping England’s Under-17s to a historic World Cup triumph earlier this year – an achievement which McTominay feels can only help him.

“He’s had a taste of success in the World Cup and obviously that’s the most prestigious award to win in the Under-17 age group," the midfielder added. "He was captain, so he’s very highly thought of both here at Manchester United and with England, and I really hope that Angel can continue that.”

Hopes For 2018: Trophies Are All That Matter

In our 'Hopes for 2018' series, a host of club reporters look forward to the New Year...

My hopes for 2018? Simple really - trophies! Now I know that for some people, football is all about playing “the right way” and picking up the odd memorable result along the way.

For me, it’s about actually winning things. Surely, that’s what we play football for? The times you tend to remember the most are the days when your captain lifts a trophy heigh above his head - moments that are woven into the fabric of the club.

And if winning silverware is your thing, then we’ve got just the right man in charge. Jose Mourinho is a serial collector of winners' medals - 25 at the last count since 2003. When you reflect on the stand-out moments of any season, it’s surely the finals that leap out at you. 2017 saw two major trophies head to the Old Trafford cabinet.

Who could possibly forget the pure elation of seeing Zlatan Ibrahimovic rise to plant that header past Fraser Forster and clinch the League Cup for Manchester United? That crazy, rollercoaster ride of a game at Wembley summed up why these occasions are the ones that matter most when you reflect on seasons past. And then that magical, emotional night in Stockholm when United eased past Ajax to complete the full set of major trophies and apply a little soothing balm to a city that was hurting.

So, greedily, I want more of those moments. What adventures await us in the Champions League in 2018? Jose is a master at getting through these two-legged ties - could United make it to Kiev? And then of course, there’s the mighty FA Cup - Arsenal have stolen our crown as the most successful team in the competition’s history - let’s reclaim that record. Two trophies in 2017 - more please this year!

The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com

Q&A: Rojo On Fitness, Christmas And 2018

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo spoke to United Review the week before Christmas, to reflect on his return to fitness, festive food choices and his hopes for 2018...

How does it feel to be back playing after such a long injury lay-off?
I am really happy to be back playing again regularly. It was a long time out so I’m extra happy to be back. All you want to do is to be working hard to so you can be in the squad, in the team to help your team-mates to compete. It’s really tough when you are out for a long time, so it’s great to be back.

Are you improving with each game and getting closer to your level before the injury?
In terms of physical fitness I’m getting there and that’s what you aim for. When you have been out for a long time it’s difficult to be competing 100 per cent at this level because it’s such a demanding level and a demanding style of football and league, but with each game I am noticing that physically I’m getting better. And the most important thing is I am finishing games well, I am feeling good at the end of matches. The actual match fitness takes a little bit longer but again, game by game, I am improving on that level and physically things are going really well.

This is your fourth Christmas playing in English football - how tough a period is it for a player and what’s the best thing about it?
I suppose it’s a bit tough when you know you are going to be out at work when you want to be spending time with your family at home enjoying Christmas, but there is something extra special about playing matches at this time. As soon as you get on the field there is an extra buzz about the place and something extra in the atmosphere. You can tell that the fans are living the whole experience in a different way than just a middle of the season game. The atmosphere is great during the fixtures over the Christmas period and that’s what we all love.

Have you sampled Christmas dinner British style?! What would you go for in Argentina?
Yes I have tried Christmas dinner a few times here in the canteen and really enjoyed it. Our idea of a roast is slightly different in Argentina – it’s the summer this time of the year so you’re having Christmas in a summer atmosphere. We also have roast meat all year in Argentina so it’s a barbecue for Christmas and we tend to celebrate on the 24th in the evening more, that’s when we eat our main meal.

We’ve got Southampton at home and Everton away next – so not very much travelling involved. Is that a good thing?
It helps tremendously, above all for our recovery periods because travelling really tires you out, so I think the fact that we have got two at home and one pretty close by over that period means we can get some rest and hopefully go into those games feeling as fresh as possible.

How much are you looking forward to 2018 with trophies to play for with United and of course the World Cup with your country?
You are right, in the distance we have the World Cup in Russia and that is obviously very important to me as an individual trying to take part in that. But between now and then we have some massive games here with United and I think it’s really important we win our games between now and the end of the year and also that we start strongly in the new year. We want to make 2018 a successful year and hopefully we will be holding some trophies at the end of the season.

*This interview first appeared in United Review on 26 December 2017.

Hopes For 2018: United's Young Guns Go For It

There are many things I’m looking forward to in 2018 - from the knockout stages of the Champions League to the World Cup in Russia. But I’m going to focus my look ahead to the New Year by focusing on the youthful talent we already have in the first-team squad and the prospects who are still coming through the ranks at Manchester United. In particular, I'm picking out five players who are all under the age of 23.

Marcus Rashford continues to get better and better so he will, no doubt, have a huge year. He could even light up the World Cup finals in the summer if England can perform. He’s one of the few English players who can beat a defender one-on-one and should definitely start for Gareth Southgate’s team, in my opinion.

Like Marcus, Anthony Martial has all the potential in the world and we’re seeing him produce top performances more consistently this season. He’s almost certain to go to the World Cup with France, but has stiff competition for a start in a squad blessed with an unbelievable array of forward talent! You ask any of our players about Anthony and they’ll all say the same thing - he could be one of the great players at this club if he realises his potential.

2017 has been a breakthrough year for Scott McTominay and I hope his progression continues in 2018. A couple of years ago, when he stood at just 5 feet 6 inches tall, first-team football looked a long way off for Scott. Since then, a growth spurt, fantastic coaching and a brilliant work ethic have ensured he now looks ready to compete for a place in our first team. Importantly, he remains humble and is hungry to play many more games for the Reds.

Back in 2016, Axel Tuanzebe played just 10 minutes of a pre-season friendly at Wigan. But Jose Mourinho saw enough in that time to publicly say that Axel had a bright future with United. He faces intense competition for a place in the side at the moment, with so many international defenders ahead of him, but I think we’ll see more and more of him in 2018. Like Scott, he’s a humble guy and completely dedicated to his profession, so he is definitely one to watch.

So too is a young man who put pen-to-paper on a new contract with the Reds in 2017, Angel Gomes. What a year it was for Angel! He became the youngest debutant since Duncan Edwards when appearing as a late substitute against Crystal Palace in May and he then captained England to glory at the Under-17 World Cup in India.

I sat down with him when he signed his new contract in December as he outlined his hopes and dreams for 2018 and beyond. You could see how thrilled he was, especially being a United fan from Salford, to continue his football education at the world’s biggest football club. I hope Angel has a great end to this season and gets the chance to join the squad for the summer tour.

There are so many more young players I could pick out, like Tahith Chong who’s tearing it up for the Under-18s and Mason Greenwood who, despite being an Under-16 player, has often starred at the higher level already. But you never know in football how young players develop, so who knows who’ll be the ones to watch in 2019!

The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Skysports.com

Pogba Could Be United's Future Captain

Paul Pogba is being tipped to be a future club captain at Manchester United, having worn the armband in the back-to-back Christmas matches against Leicester City and Burnley.

The Frenchman had previously skippered the Reds for the Champions League double header against Basel earlier in the season, but the 2-2 draw at King Power Stadium on Saturday 23 December was the first time he had the honour of leading the team out in a Premier League fixture.

Speaking after that game, Mourinho insisted the 24-year-old has the "conditions" to eventually be given the role currently held by Michael Carrick.

"The decision is that in the Champions League we made Paul captain a couple of times when Michael, [Antonio] Valencia, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] and [Chris] Smalling were not playing," said the manager.

"Against Leicester we felt that it could be an extra motivation for him and that was it, there was no special decision. But maybe, because he's a young guy and made in the club academy, he has the conditions to be captain in the future."

If Mourinho's prediction proves to be correct, then Pogba would become the seventh graduate of United's youth system to be appointed club captain since the war. The previous six* were Stan Pearson (1953-54), Roger Byrne (1955-58), Bill Foulkes (1958-59), Dennis Viollet (1959-60), Sir Bobby Charlton (1967-73) and
Gary Neville (2005-11).

*According to mufcinfo.com

Fellaini Hints At Manchester United Exit

Marouane Fellaini is mulling over his future at Manchester United but believes Jose Mourinho will respect his decision if he decides to leave.

The 30-year-old midfielder is out of contract at the end of the campaign and agreeing a new deal appears to be proving difficult.

Asked whether he will still be at Old Trafford in a few months' time, Fellaini told Belgian website HUMO: "Honestly, I do not know.

"I have something in my head but I cannot tell you. This is my tenth season in England. Except for the very first at Manchester, I only knew good times.

"I'm still here. If Manchester did not want me anymore, they would have said that for a long time. They made a proposal, probably one will follow.

"Whether I will accept it I do not know. You cannot arrange something like that in a jiffy."

Fellaini can begin talks with other clubs when the January transfer window opens in January and he could leave for nothing when his current contract expires in May.

The Belgian international has discussed the situation with Jose Mourinho and he does not expect the lack of clarity over his future to affect his relationship with the Manchester United manager.

He went on: "We talked about it. The coach is someone who respects the decisions of his players."

Fellaini has played nine league games this season and has scored three goals but he has been struggling with a knee injury he picked up playing for Belgium in a World Cup Qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina three months ago.

He added: "The inner ligaments were hit. A month later I played against Chelsea and three weeks after that, against Brighton, I felt pain again. I decided not to take risks.

"It is not an easy period, but good. That's how it goes in football."

Credit: Skysports.com

Fans' Positivity Will Aid United

Something pretty inspirational happened at half-time during Manchester United's Boxing Day clash with Burnley.

The interval whistle was met with a few grumbles and moans but they were quickly drowned out by vocal support from the Stretford End as the players made their way to the tunnel. It was a show of faith from the match-going public that ignored the reality of the 2-0 scoreline in the Clarets' favour.

It contrasted starkly with the general mood on social media, when browsing through Twitter during the break, and showed the part that the fans at the stadium can play in influencing the atmosphere and lifting the side. Speaking with the players, it is clear they value the backing and anybody witnessing the game in person can appreciate the impact a dose of positivity from the crowd always has.

Let's be honest, it was easy to be a United fan throughout the Sir Alex Ferguson era when celebrating was often our main function as we enjoyed goals, victories and trophies. Supporting a team covers a broader set of scenarios, including getting behind the players when they're trailing at home to a side they're expected to beat.

When the Reds came out for the second half against Burnley, they were cheered and the noise continued as United started on the front foot. The energy restored, there was an urgency only checked by the blatant timewasting of Nick Pope, with the Clarets' keeper doing little to endear himself to the home crowd.

Lingard's beautiful flick raised the roof and, even if the visitors defended stoutly to have the away end preparing to salute a famous triumph, the Old Trafford public never lost hope and did not turn on the United team. The reward was Jesse's second goal, which at least avoided a rare home defeat - the last team other than Manchester City to leave M16 with the three points did so back in January 2016. That team was Southampton, our next opponents at home on Saturday.

With City clear at the top of the table, there is bound to be disappointment and frustration and nobody will be more dissatisfied with a current standing of second place than Jose Mourinho, who has made a career out of winning.

Sitting at his post-match press conference, he was clear in pointing out that big clubs are not automatically guaranteed success, citing the Milan sides and Real Madrid as examples this season in Serie A and La Liga respectively. "There are many big clubs and I know what a big club is," he stated. "One thing is a big club, another thing is a big football team. Two different things."

United are still a work in progress under Jose. "We are in the second year of trying to rebuild a football team," he stressed but, in the meantime, he has already delivered the Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League in his only full season in charge so far. Despite the shock Carabao Cup defeat to Bristol City, there is still all to play for in 2018 and it is reassuring to know the Old Trafford fans will be with the team all the way.

There is just something special about watching United attacking the Stretford End with purpose, channeling all the energy of the crowd. Even when working from the press box, that spectacle never loses its thrill. I was as disappointed as anyone with the dropped points in the previous game away to Leicester City, a result that threatened to ruin many a Red's Christmas, so at least this time it was United scoring the injury-time goal to pick up a point on Boxing Day.

Two entertaining back-to-back 2-2 draws are not enough for Manchester United, they never have been, even for those fans who claim they put exciting football ahead of results. But those seeking only good scorelines seemingly to sneer at rivals online are probably missing the point and not doing justice to their role of following the Reds. Just as the travelling army of fans were superb at the King Power Stadium, the show of support on Boxing Day was empowering.

Apologies, readers, if my positivity at this apparently oh-so-difficult time upsets you but I, for one, believe it can help the Reds face the challenges that the New Year will bring.

The opinions in this article are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com

United - Burnley Talking Points

Jesse Lingard stepped off the bench to snatch a Boxing Day point for Manchester United at home to Burnley.

The visitors looked on course for a surprise victory at Old Trafford after going into the break 2-0 up but were unable to resist United's second-half fightback.

Here, we take a look at the talking points from the contest…

Lingard to the rescue

Lingard has forged a reputation as a player who scores important goals for Manchester United and the in-form England winger turned the match at Old Trafford after coming on as a substitute at half-time.

With United 2-0 down to this season's surprise package Burnley, they were in need of inspiration. Lingard provided that with a flamboyant flick from Ashley Young's low cross to pull one back for the hosts on 53 minutes and he was in the right place at the right time to rocket a half-volley into the bottom corner to equalise in injury time.

In his 45 minutes on the field, he hit the target more times than any other United player (3). While there was a missed sitter before his first, with five goals and two assists in his last seven Premier League games, don't expect Lingard to be left on the bench for Saturday's clash with Southampton.

More points dropped by United

But despite the euphoric celebrations from the home support when Lingard hit the net in stoppage time to spark a late surge for a winner, Jose Mourinho and his players will leave Old Trafford on Boxing Day frustrated at dropping another two points against a side they were expected to beat.

It was another 2-2 draw and another last-minute equaliser but after dominating against both Leicester on Saturday, before Harry Maguire's late intervention at the King Power Stadium, and Burnley on Tuesday, United will feel they should be four points closer to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's men could now extend their advantage to a huge 15 points if they win at Newcastle on Wednesday.

After criticising his team's defensive organisation at Leicester, when injured Chris Smalling was unable to stop Maguire, Mourinho will have despaired when he saw his team concede from another set piece just three minutes into this contest. This time it was Romelu Lukaku culpable, miscuing a headed clearance to allow Ashley Barnes to score from close range.

The Belgian then got an attacking header all wrong when he attempted to level things up on the hour mark. Had Lukaku directed Marcus Rashford's cross at goal rather than right back at him, United would have been strong favourites to go on and win. Instead, they are left ruing another draw which could see their city rivals disappear even further into the distance.

Afterwards, Mourinho pointed to injuries. To missed chances and fortuitous opposition goals. To huge spending from Manchester City on full-backs. It will be intriguing to see if he attempts to redress the balance in the January transfer window.

Brave Burnley bounce back

While there were many 'what if' moments for United, Burnley will feel they deserved to at least take something away from Old Trafford after a brave and battling display.

Sean Dyche's men could have been three up at the break, with Scott Arfield clipping the bar in between Barnes' opener and Steven Defour's superb free-kick, but the second half was an exercise in resilience. In the final 45 minutes, Burnley had 24.6 per cent possession, didn't take a single shot and completed just 62 passes as United piled on the pressure.

While they were unable to hold out, the bigger picture sees Burnley move on to 33 points. That's just four points shy of the Champions League places and, significantly, just seven fewer than they managed in the entirety of last season.

After a humbling home defeat to Tottenham last time out, Burnley responded well on Boxing Day, taking their sixth point off the Big Six away from home this season.

Dyche had post-match complaints about the build-up to United's equaliser and Marcos Rojo's treatment of Sam Vokes in the box but conceded the Clarets had to be satisfied with another impressive performance and "a good point on the table."

Credit: Skysports.com

Jose: We Haven't Spent Enough

Jose Mourinho claimed Manchester United will need to spend more money and says Manchester City "buy full-backs for the price of strikers".

United could fall 15 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City if their rivals win at Newcastle on Wednesday following a 2-2 draw with Burnley at Old Trafford.

It might even have been worse for Mourinho's men had Jesse Lingard not come off the bench to score twice, including a stoppage-time equaliser, after the visitors had opened up a 2-0 lead.

Responding to a question that such a gap might be unacceptable for a club of United's stature, Mourinho said in his press conference: "One thing is a big club and another thing is a big football team. They are two different things.

"We are in the second year of trying to rebuild a football team that is not one of the best teams in the world. Manchester City buy full-backs for the price of strikers. When you speak about big football clubs, you are speaking about the history of the club."

When it was pointed out United have spent heavily - roughly £286m - since Mourinho took charge in 2016, the Portuguese replied: "OK, (but) it is not enough. The price for the big clubs is different than for the other clubs.

"The big historical clubs, they are normally punished in the market because of their history."

Mourinho was then asked if he intended to spend big in the January transfer window but left the room before answering.

Prior to that, he bemoaned his side's defending. United conceded within three minutes to Ashley Barnes after failing to clear a free-kick into the box.

After being unhappy with the goals conceded in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Leicester, he said such defending should be described with a word beginning with S. He left the actual word to the imagination of those present.

He said: "Another 's' goal. I don't need to say the other letters of the word. That is what we are having now, lots of 's' goals against so that has an impact on the game."

Credit: Skysports.com

Lingard Reveals Mourinho's Message

Manchester United's Boxing Day goalscorer Jesse Lingard feels his perseverance paid off as his side came from 2-0 down to earn a point against Burnley, after Jose Mourinho told him to never give up at the break.

The Reds started poorly, and were a goal down inside three minutes, before conceding another one to Steven Defour's magnificent free-kick. Facing only a second home defeat of the campaign, Mourinho's men responded and at 0-2, substitute Lingard was denied what looked like a certain goal when hitting the bar from a couple of yards out, with Burnley keeper Nick Pope fortunate to make a key intervention with his face.

Undeterred, Lingard flicked home from another cross by Ashley Young to give his side hope and the in-form midfielder plundered an equaliser in stoppage time to deny the Clarets a famous victory.

"The first one [chance], it just kind of hit me and, nine times out of 10, that would have gone in," he told MUTV. "But it hit the keeper's face, bounced on to the crossbar and bounced out. But after that, we stayed positive and had plenty of players in the box to score goals and I'm glad that we did.

"It was coming behind me [from Young's cross, for the first goal] and it was just instinctive to do that. As soon as that went in, the crowd went up and it gave us that extra buzz to go and get another goal. It dropped to me very quickly [in injury time] and, like you said, it was instinctive again to shoot straight away. If we had played for another five or 10 minutes, we would have won the game."

The manager passed on his half-time instructions to Lingard, who is fast becoming a key figure and now has nine goals for the season in all competitions, with five of them coming in this month alone.

"[The message] was always believe," revealed the England international. "Never give up. We knew we had another 45 minutes to play so we had to be patient, keep moving the ball, moving Burnley about, and eventually we created two clear-cut chances which we scored from.

"This role, further inside, allows me to be closer to the striker, to get in the box, create more things and obviously have more shots at goal. I thought we could nick it towards the end but obviously time ran out and now we look forward to the next game [against Southampton]."

Mourinho's Verdict On Boxing Day Draw

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho gave his verdict on the 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Burnley, when speaking to MUTV and other media at Old Trafford.

Half-time substitute Jesse Lingard scored a brace, the second in stoppage time, to rescue a point after Sean Dyche's side led 2-0 at the break through goals from Ashley Barnes and Steven Defour.

CONCEDING BAD GOALS

"The problem with the first-half performance is another 's' goal - you are intelligent and don't need me to tell the whole world the other letters in the word. What we are having now is lots of really very bad goals against us, so that obviously has an impact in the game. At 2-0, it makes things more difficult at half-time, I need my players to believe in them[selves] and I need them to believe in me; to accept the risk and not be afraid to lose three or four. To not be afraid of what was possible - what didn't happen but it could happen, that there is a negative reaction from the supporters."

HALF-TIME SUBSTITUTIONS

"Yeah, it was just tactical. [We changed to] only one central defender as we know that Burnley don't have normally the ball as they just play direct so we played one against one with Phil Jones. It is a risk and Jones accepted that and Nemanja Matic was there just to bring the ball from a totally free position, bringing lots of balls into midfield. Then, instead of more positional players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, I decided to go with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata with all three trying to play in these areas behind Lukaku. You can say we had some success and I still think there were so many balls in such important areas with lots of crosses, good and low crosses, but we didn't attack all these balls well. Also, normally, we were not lucky with rebounds so I'm happy with the effort, happy with the personality and happy with the feeling that we didn't lose but, of course, we lost two points."

AFTER THE BREAK

"In the second half, it was impossible to concede a goal - impossible - because they didn't cross the midfield line, they didn't have two or three passes in a row. So, the second half was really ours - totally ours - but we still only scored two goals. I'm very happy with their character and part of that was also the way they played and tried to break down a very organised wall. I keep saying that to defend well is a quality and they defended very well. So also credit to Burnley to concede only two goals against such strong pressure."

NO CRITICISM OF THE PLAYERS

"The boys are doing what they can and they are doing fine. I say, in the last two matches, we had 15 chances to score and we conceded three goals and an amazing free-kick so the boys do what they can. They are trying hard, with problems as we have injuries, but we have the boys fighting hard. I'm not happy with the result and I wasn't happy with the result against Leicester of course, but I'm happy with my players. No criticism to my players."

NOT HAPPY DESPITE LATE LEVELLER

"Obviously, it's a bad result for us. We are never happy with a draw - especially in a match where we are so dominant, but that's the reality."

Premier League: Man. United 2 Burnley 2

Jesse Lingard was United's saviour on Boxing Day, as the half-time substitute scored twice to cancel out a shock advantage gleaned for Burnley by Ashley Barnes's second-minute opener and Steven Defour's free-kick.

Lingard pulled the first goal back with a clever backheeled finish from a low Ashley Young cross in the 53rd minute but the Reds were made to wait until injury time for his point-saving second strike, a low finish arrowed into the net after the Clarets failed to clear a corner.

There has always been a fierce rivalry between United and Burnley and games have invariably been feisty occasions. This latest encounter against one of Lancashire’s most famous clubs got off to an explosive start when the Clarets took the lead in only the third minute.

Marcos Rojo received a yellow card after stopping Jeff Hendrick in his tracks and when Johann Berg Gudmundsson swung the resulting free-kick into David De Gea’s penalty area, United’s defence failed to clear and Ashley Barnes gleefully hooked the ball home.

It was dream start for the visitors and for the next few minutes they matched United in every facet of game as the Reds took a little time to get into their stride. However, Juan Mata, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba all raised the home fans' hopes of an equaliser as the chances started to stack up in front of the East Stand.

This was unquestionably a full-blooded North-West clash that was generating one of the noisiest atmospheres of the season inside Old Trafford. On the balance of play, United certainly looked the most likely to score next, but in the 36th minute, Burnley shocked the majority of the crowd when they scored again to double their lead.

The second goal came as a result of another free-kick just outside United’s box at the Stretford End, a set piece which was clinically despatched past De Gea by Burnley’s Belgian international Steven Defour.

Romelu Lukaku almost halved the deficit in the moments before the half-time whistle was sounded, but his blistering drive was narrowly wide of the post.

Mourinho freshened up his team up at the interval, introducing Lingard for Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Rojo. Both the incoming players took up midfield places with Nemanja Matic dropping back into defence to replace the Reds' Argentinian centre-back.

United’s supporters were in good voice and urging their favourites to push forward and in the 53rd minute they really had something to shout about when Burnley’s defence was finally breached. The Reds were certainly looking determined and when Young’s cross from the right found Lingard, the half-time arrival deftly back-heeled his side back into the game.

Jose Mourinho's men, who’d enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and attacking prominence throughout the game, were now hunting for the equaliser against a Burnley team fighting hard to preserve their lead.
The pressure on the visitors' defence was almost continuous, but credit to the Clarets, they were battling hard to keep a grip on their one-goal lead.

Nick Pope, in the Burnley net, was probably involved more than any other player on the field as the Reds hammered away in search of a second vital goal. The clock seemed to be ticking ever quicker and the Burnley supporters, who had been in good voice for most of the afternoon, were a little quieter and perhaps holding their breath and keeping their fingers crossed.

The ninety-minute mark was reached and the fourth official held up his illuminated board to indicate that there would be five extra minutes. Old Trafford roared its approval in the hope that a second home defeat of the season could still be averted.

Two minutes into added time, and with some fans already making for the exits, United finally saved the day when Lingard grabbed his second goal of the match to give his side what was looking like an increasing unlikely share of the spoils.

This was perfect Boxing Day fayre and an indication of the ferocity of the contest can be assessed from the fact that there were ten yellow cards, seven of them for Burnley players, shown by referee Martin Atkinson.
He’ll certainly have a heavy load of paperwork to deal with on the back of his afternoon’s work in the middle.

THE LINE-UPS

United: De Gea; Young, Jones, Rojo (Mkhitaryan, 46), Shaw; Matic, Pogba; Mata, Ibrahimovic (Lingard, 46), Rashford; Lukaku.

Substitutes not used: Romero, Blind, Lindelof, Tuanzebe, Herrera.

Booked: Rojo, Shaw, Mkhitaryan.

Burnley: Pope; Bardsley, Long, Mee, Taylor; Arfield, Cork, Hendrick, Defour (Vokes, 66), Gudmundsson; Barnes (Walters, 80).

Substitutes not used: Lindegaard, Marney, Lowton, Westwood, Wells.

Booked: Barnes, Taylor, Bardsley, Pope, Gudmundsson, Cork, Vokes.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR UNITED?

After playing both Leicester City and Burnley in a period of less than 72 hours, the gap until the Reds' home meeting with Southampton will seem comparatively refreshing. Mauricio Pellegrino will bring his beleaguered Saints side to Old Trafford for Saturday's 17:30 GMT kick-off, on the back of a heavy 5-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.

Dyche: Jose Knows How To Win

Sean Dyche has backed Jose Mourinho's footballing philosophy, describing the Manchester United manager as someone who finds "different ways of winning".

Burnley will travel to Old Trafford on Boxing Day to face Mourinho's side, who suffered a surprise quarter-final exit at the hands of Championship side Bristol City in the Carabao Cup last Wednesday.

Dyche has overseen an impressive first half of the Premier League campaign at Turf Moor but is under no illusions about the challenge his side face.

"They still look like a high-quality group of players to me," Dyche said. "I was there recently when they had to dig in and get a win against a Brighton side that played very well.

"That is the mark of a good sign (when) it is not quite their day or the other team are playing well - they still come out with a (positive) result.

"The main thing I like about Jose Mourinho and the work he does with his players is they find different ways of winning.

"Man Utd, as much as the questions are coming in about their indifference, are still a very strong side. They are a very strong unit, very strong in talent and they certainly have a manager who understands the division."

Despite highlighting the qualities United have, Dyche was keen to stress the importance of visiting Old Trafford in a confident mood and with the "freedom" to express their own game style.

"I don't think we are going there anything other than expecting a tough game," Dyche said. "We just go there thinking about ourselves, understanding the opposition and have that clear mind to take on the game.

"I think we have done that well over a season - new players or those who haven't had as much experience this season (have come in) with the freedom to play.

"The tactical format that we work from allows that freedom because the players know their jobs and that has been shown recently with clean sheets and some good results.

"Of course (we are now) going up against some of the better teams and individuals. We will see how we go with it. We certainly want to perform first - that is one of the main things."

Mourinho won the Europa League and League Cup in his first campaign at Old Trafford last season and Dyche, whose side will face United's rivals Manchester City in January, sees some similarities between the Portuguese boss and former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I think he has a clear mind and will stick to what he thinks is right. You have got to admire that - as an opposition manager you do," he added.

"Different ways of winning is a thing Man Utd have done for many years. Sir Alex's side could beat you in all sorts of ways.

"They could be glorious with their football, they could defend well, grind it out, win it on a set piece or on the counter. They (Man Utd) are still onto something. They are a really strong group of players. They are still a fine side.

"It is just at the moment Man City are getting the plaudits, rightly so, because they are playing really good football.

"They have got arguably one of the best squads in Europe - if not the world - and they are glueing it together and making it a team ethic. I don't think that plays Man Utd down."

Credit: Skysports.com

Jose: Burnley Are In Fight For European Qualification

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says Burnley are among the contenders for European qualification.

Burnley are three points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool on 32 points after 19 Premier League games, despite securing only 40 points in total last season.

Sean Dyche's side have already taken points off some of the top six, including an impressive 3-2 away win against Chelsea on the opening day of the season, and they will be looking to do the same at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Mourinho admits he has been impressed by Burnley's performances this term and believes they are likely to be among the clubs challenging for the top six at the end of the season.

"It's great [Burnley's form]. If survival was the objective, I think the objective is in the pocket, it's totally under control," said Mourinho in an exclusive Christmas Day interview with Sky Sports News.

"If the objective is to finish top ten, they will do it. If the objective is to fight for European positions, they are there so they have the right to fight, so it'll be a difficult opponent.

"If you compare what they are doing with the initial objectives, it's a very good season."

Burnley have the fourth-best defence in the league, behind Manchester City, United and Chelsea, conceding only 15 goals and Mourinho expects his side to face a tough task if they are to break down the Clarets defence.

"I think the record of goals conceded speaks for itself," he added.

"They conceded three in the last one but before that they were really amazing so they defend very very well.

"Everybody knows the way they play, if you expect them to play creative beautiful football, they don't do that.

"But if you talk about direct objective, pragmatic and play with their strength, I think they are very very good.

"They've worked with the same manager for a few years now, I think the identification between the players, the style of play, the manager, the manager's ideas is very good, so what they do they do well."

Credit: Skysports.com

Neville: Man. United's Defence Lacked Leadership In Leicester Draw

Gary Neville did not hold back in his assessment of Manchester United's defending after they let a lead slip at Leicester, hitting out at their "disorganisation" and "lack of leadership".

Jose Mourinho labelled his United side "childish" after they conceded a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Leicester - and Neville was in agreement with the United boss.

United had chances at 2-1 to make their position more comfortable against a team that had 10-men before Maguire stole a point at the death.

With United pressed into their own penalty area, Marc Albrighton whipped a crossed into the danger zone, David de Gea stayed rooted to his line, and when an injured Chris Smalling could not get across, Maguire was on hand to steer the ball home.

Neville was left stunned with the lack of communication between the players in the dying stages.

He said on The Gary Neville Podcast: "Smalling has got to flag up as an experienced defender that he's struggling, get someone else into the centre.

"It didn't happen for two or three minutes.

"Then Phil Jones recognised it had happened and tried to reorganise - as I saw it, Ander Herrera refused to go to right-back and told Henrik Mkhitaryan to go back there. All over a sudden Smalling sits down on the floor and then goes off the pitch and then comes back on at centre-back. He ends up picking up Harry Maguire.

"You can't believe the disorganisation and lack of leadership shown by Manchester United at the end of that game in a game they should have won. Jose will be furious when he watches that back."

United are now 13 points behind leaders Manchester City, who eased past Bournemouth 4-0 earlier on Saturday.

City are arguably playing some of the most exciting football to watch in Premier League history, but Neville thinks they have a long way to go to prove they are capable of greatness.

"I can't put City anywhere in terms of great teams as they haven't won a league yet," he said.

"When they win a league, you'll say it's a great achievement. But to be one of the great teams in English football history, you have to win multiple leagues - you have to win two or three.

"You think about Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich team or his Barcelona team, where he won multiple European cups - they are great teams.

"The Chelsea team under Jose Mourinho, the United team under Sir Alex and the Liverpool teams over the years - they are all great sides. I can't say a team that wins the league once is truly great side - however, they are achieving great things.

"We've never seen anything like it. But, let's just calm ourselves, and respect the bigger picture. I think they have to win more than one league championship and a European cup before they become a great side."

Credit: Skysports.com

Henry Baffled By Manchester United's Late Defending

Thierry Henry was left baffled by Manchester United's deep defending, which led to them conceding a late equaliser at 10-man Leicester.

Harry Maguire netted a 94th-minute equaliser as United were punished for their wastefulness in a 2-2 draw.

With United pressed into their own penalty area, Marc Albrighton whipped a crossed into the danger zone, David de Gea stayed rooted to his line, and when an injured Chris Smalling could not get across, Maguire was on hand to steer the ball home.

Henry said: "If you allow a team to put pressure on you and to drop in when you're playing against 10-men, then you're going to concede one. What are you doing? Move out of your box!

"Marc Albrighton has space to cross the ball and you can question David de Gea again.

"Manchester United got away with it at West Brom - but not tonight."

Credit: Skysports.com

Did Mourinho 'Cross The Line' With 'Childish' Manchester United Comments?

Did Jose Mourinho cross the line by labelling his Manchester United side "childish" after their 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Saturday? That was debated on The Sunday Supplement.

United conceded a stoppage-time equaliser at the King Power to slip 13 points behind rivals Man City at the top of the Premier League at the halfway stage of the season.

Mourinho said afterwards his side were "childish" and missed "joke chances". So what did a panel of Sunday Supplement legends think about his comments? Read on to find out some contrasting views...

Patrick Barclay

"The comments were surprising because that's not his style, as we all know it's the fault of the Premier League fixture compiler if United drop points, nothing to do with the players. It's the fixtures arranged against them, or referees against them, or broadcasters...

"But he is kind of crossing the line if he starts ridiculing players in public. When you use words like childish, it's dangerous. I think it's unnecessary because, he recently talked about diversity of class within Mancunian football politics, this was a chance to show a bit.

"Manchester City are an exceptional team so Manchester United will feel that more than anybody and they cannot celebrate it the way we can. It was a really bad lapse and it's not going to help and it's going to endanger Manchester United's chances of getting second place."

Steve Curry

"It's the kind of thing Fergie [Sir Alex Ferguson] would never have done. He kept it in the dressing, he would explode and the players would be on the end of it, but he didn't criticise them too much in public. That is Jose's style, he believes that will generate them to play better, I don't think it does.

"There is criticism and then there is criticism, and if it's constructive and in the press then that's fine, but using words like childish is crazy to me and that will turn players against him."

Harry Harris

"I disagree. We are in an era where people are far too sensitive about choice of words from managers or players or the media. These players are paid £300,000 a week and the manager is entitled to say whatever he thinks about them and they have to suffer it. They were childish and amateurish in the way they played.

"Manchester United, if you wind the clock back, were not unanimous in wanting Mourinho and there were sections who would have gone for Pep Guardiola, who is probably much better for Manchester United.

"When Guardiola went to City I think United were in panic mood and had to get someone to counter what was going to be a revolution at City and they brought in Mourinho. Now they have to suffer the consequences of a manager who is unpredictable. And what he did there we did not expect, but he is trying to wind up those players.

"First of all, the players are not good enough. There are too many young players who are emerging and will become good and they had a bad injury to a very old centre forward. But generally speaking he has not got what he expected from Paul Pogba, he is not the type of player you saw at Juventus.

"No matter how much they spend, £90m on a player… now you could spend £200m on Harry Kane - that is the kind of player Manchester United have looked at and the kind of player they need.

"He is sending is a message to the owners of the club that you have got to get that cheque book out in a big way. If Man Utd want to do well, they need better players. Look at how much they have spent, but you compare that to how much Man City have spent….

"Ferguson did far worse than call his players childish, inside the dressing room. But the game has moved on and that was his way of dealing with players. Ferguson ruled every aspect of Man Utd, all the signings and sales, and that does not happen at major football clubs anymore, it is a past era."

Credit: Skysports.com

Zlatan Makes Special Deliveries

Children from Manchester United Foundation partner schools and projects received a Christmas surprise they will never forget earlier this month – an unexpected visit from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

As part of the Foundation’s mission to spread festive cheer across Greater Manchester, deserving participants were nominated by their Foundation coaches for a Christmas surprise as the Reds’ iconic no.10 delivered gifts and made dreams come true.

Pupils from Manchester Enterprise Academy Central in Fallowfield, Manchester Enterprise Academy in Wythenshawe, Manchester Creative and Media Academy in Blackley, Middleton Technology School and Loreto High School in Chorlton were all invited to the Aon Training Complex, along with a player from the Foundation’s Girls’ Regional Talent Club. As far as the youngsters were aware, it was for a leadership and training session with some Foundation coaches, as well as some young pupils from the club’s partner primary schools.

The session started as planned, only for it to be interrupted when Zlatan entered the Academy indoor training arena, bearing gifts for all. The presents included hoodies and scarves for the older children and teddies, stationery sets and gloves for the younger participants. All the children also received a signed shirt, a FIFA 18 video game and a baseball cap, all donated by United’s official club partners Uber, EA Sports and New Era respectively.

One delighted participant was Shia from St. Alphonsus RC Primary School in Stretford, one of the club’s partner primary schools. A participant in the Foundation’s disability awareness programme, Shia has made incredible progress from sessions with the club, with his confidence and self-esteem noticeably improving. A passionate United supporter, Shia said meeting one of his heroes is something he’ll never forget.

“I can’t believe I’m at the first-team training ground, and I’ve met Zlatan and he gave me FIFA 18 – I just can’t believe it!” he said. “I’m only nine years old and this happening to me is the best day of my life!”

Manchester Creative and Media Academy pupil Kelly also received a shock when Zlatan walked through the door. Nominated for her hard work and dedication at school, Kelly is also a ball assistant at Old Trafford, but has never met a player face-to-face.

“It was a massive surprise, I didn’t expect it at all,” said Kelly. “I love being a ball girl, and I’m used to seeing the players on the pitch, but Zlatan is my favourite player and I’ve never got to meet him properly before, so it was exciting – I’m still shaking!”

Speaking about the visit, Foundation primary schools manager Jennifer Mildenhall said: “This is so inspirational to these children. The schools that we work in are fantastic with the pupils, but being able to offer them something extra will make it such a special Christmas for them.”

This event is among a number to have taken place in the build-up to Christmas, with many Foundation participants and United supporters receiving festive surprises ahead of the big day.