Jose Lifts Lid On Derby Preparations

Jose Mourinho lifted the lid on his sleeping pattern, team talks and what he expects from Manchester City in an exclusive pre-Manchester derby interview with Fenners on Soccer PM.

Second entertain first in the Premier League as part two of Derby Day live on Nissan Super Sunday, as Manchester United and Manchester City renew their age-old rivalry at Old Trafford.

The pressure may well be on United ahead of kick-off as they try to bridge the eight-point gap that separates them from their neighbours at the top of the table.

But Mourinho was coolness personified as he sat down with Fenners, insisting he would not lose any sleep, or change his approach for Sunday's meeting with City.

Here's the full transcript from when Fenners met Mourinho...

FENNERS: Jose the 175th Manchester derby. Everyone is excited about it. Have you already told the players who is playing yet and named your team?

MOURINHO: No.

FENNERS: When will you do that?

MOURINHO: Sunday morning. We work on principles. We work on plans. But every player has to be ready because we have so many problems and absences it's important to keep confidence levels. We are working hard on that.

FENNERS: It is a huge game. Can you treat this like any other game or do you have to approach it in a different way?

MOURINHO: No, exactly the same. We analyse the opponents. We try to understand the opponents' strength and weaknesses. We define our game plan in a theoretical way and work that on the pitch, but you have to reproduce that on the match day. Football is very unpredictable and sometimes you think the game plan will take you in a certain direction and then the unpredictability of football gives a completely different match. You must have maturity to be ready for that.

FENNERS: How do you sleep before a big game?

MOURINHO: Very well. I don't sleep after but I sleep very well before. After the adrenalin of 90 minutes and my memory giving me flashes of what happened - what went right, what went wrong, could we compete in a better way, how amazing it was, it's a time of reflection and even if I try to rest because most of the time you have a couple of days before another match, and I should be thinking about the next match, I don't sleep so well. But the night before the match doesn't matter. I sleep like an angel!

FENNERS: How about your team talk? Does it vary for a game like this?

MOURINHO: No, it is the same process. We have different meetings because we don't think it's the best thing for the players because they may lose their focus or concentration. Instead of one 30-minute meeting I do three 10-minute meetings. We split it during the days and try to make it like a routine.

We analyse our opponent, figure out the game plan during the days before and try to make it as it is, a match is a match. If you prepare in a specific way for an opponent and you don't do the same two days later for another one, what are the players going to do? So when you want the players to be focused all of the time, respect every opponent and see every point as an important point you have to follow the same process.

FENNERS: I don't expect you to give me any team news, but if Ashley Young starts, will he be on free-kicks?

MOURINHO: Ashley Young would normally start. Without Paul (Pogba) on the pitch I would say he has a chance to take free-kicks.

FENNERS: He surprised a few people with his one (at Watford) didn't he?

MOURINHO: The quality didn't surprise me a lot because in training he is one of the guys that enjoy the individual practice and he's quite successful. In the match he didn't surprise me because it's a position you'd consider to be a hot spot for Paul, and Ashley had the permission from Paul.

FENNERS: Is it a must-win game?

MOURINHO: It's a game, every game is a must-win game.

FENNERS: Super Sunday is a huge day for Sky Sports. Jamie Carragher is one of the pundits, Gary Neville is one of the pundits. Noel Gallagher is one of the pundits on the day. Did you know about that?

MOURINHO: No.

FENNERS: What do you think about that?

MOURINHO: Noel is a big Man City fan, that's not a problem at all, of course. I think if somebody invited me to be a pundit of the Eurovision Song Contest I wouldn't go! I wouldn't risk myself. But if Noel wants to do that he's a brave man.

FENNERS: I texted him to let him know that I was coming to have a chat with you today and he asked me if I would ask you a question. He said: "Will you drop David de Gea, please?"

MOURINHO: I will not drop David but second goalkeeper is phenomenal. He is the goalkeeper of Argentina, played a World Cup final, played a Europa League final, so there's no problem at all. But David was phenomenal the last match and obviously in the moment is our number one.

FENNERS: Football is unpredictable but what sort of game are you expecting on Sunday?

MOURINHO: I expect a tough game for both teams. I expect a tough game for the third team (the officials) and I obviously wish them luck and I wish the players go onto the pitch to help them and not to create them problems. I expect the players to have fair play. I expect the players to not lose the balance just because of a little win. I would like the three teams to be really happy with their performances at the end of the match. But obviously we are going to try to win and I am pretty sure Manchester City are going to try and do the same.

Credit: Skysports.com