Jose: Pochettino Will Remain At Tottenham For 'Many Years'

Jose Mourinho expects Mauricio Pochettino to remain at Tottenham for "many years" despite speculation linking the Spurs manager with Real Madrid.

Pochettino has impressed since taking charge of Tottenham in 2014 and has successfully guided the north London club to consecutive top-four finishes in the last two campaigns.

Real Madrid have struggled this season and pressure is mounting on manager Zinedine Zidane, with his side currently 19 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Pochettino has been touted as a potential successor to Zidane at the Bernabeu but Mourinho expects the Argentine to remain with Spurs for the foreseeable future.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Wembley to face Tottenham on Wednesday, Mourinho said: "I look at Spurs' history and I don't see a small club at all. I see a big club with big expectations and dreams to achieve.

"I see him at Spurs for many years. I also see him leaving and having a very good career at other clubs."

Mourinho also ruled out the possibility of United making a late bid for Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and insists he is happy with his attacking talent following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal.

"I think in attack it's difficult for us to improve," said the Portuguese.

"Where are we going to get a better combination of players than we have? We cannot buy (Lionel) Messi, we cannot buy Cristiano - these are the best players of the last decade.

"Where can we get better players than Mata, (Anthony) Martial, (Jesse) Lingard, (Marcus) Rashford, Alexis, (Romelu) Lukaku? In attack we have an amazing group of players."

Credit: Skysports.com

Manchester United Still Most Popular Club Online In China

Manchester United continue to be the number one football club online in China, according to a report.

The Old Trafford club may not have won a Premier League title since 2013, but their star continues to shine brightly in the Far East.

The seventh annual Red Card report by Mailman has found Jose Mourinho's side are the best-performing club online in China for the second year in a row.

The Red Devils have long claimed to have more fans there than in any other country in the world, having first visited the region in 1975 and last touring there in 2016.

Anthony Martial has been named the third most popular player in China, behind only Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with United midfielder Paul Pogba and former captain Wayne Rooney completing the top five.

Phil Lynch, United's chief executive of media, said: "With over 107m followers, China is one of Manchester United's most important markets and we have a long history of innovation and fan engagement in the region.

"We are honoured to receive the Red Card award for the second consecutive year and we are excited about the ongoing opportunities to innovate and build our brand, allowing our fans in China to interact with the club and our products."

Real Madrid are considered the second best-performing side online after United, with Bayern Munich rounding off the top three in the assessment of more than 70 European teams.

Arsenal are ranked fourth overall - and were found to have initiated the top sponsor activation - and Liverpool came fifth.

Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea are also in the top 10, but the Red Card report continues to rank Bundesliga ahead of the Premier League as the number one European football league online in China.

Credit: Skysports.com

LA Galaxy Yet To Comment On Zlatan Ibrahimovic Move

LA Galaxy have declined to comment on reports linking Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a move to the MLS side.

The 36-year-old is out of contract at Manchester United at the end of the season and has made no secret of his desire to make his mark in the United States.

Some reports suggest the striker has already signed a deal with the LA Galaxy but Sky Sports News have spoken to the club and as yet they have nothing to say.

Jose Mourinho has said that he will not stand in Ibrahimovic's way if he wants to leave the club this month.

The United boss said: "Zlatan is in the last year of his contract. If that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club in another country, we are here to help and to create conditions for that to happen, not to make his life difficult."

Ibrahimovic has made just seven appearances for United this season, scoring once, and has not featured since Boxing Day after aggravating the knee ligament injury he suffered in the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht last season.

"The last thing that Zlatan told me was that he wants to recover totally and feel ready to help the team," Mourinho added.

"He is working hard to be fit. He is not injured, he is in a moment of trying to feel really ready for the demands of Premier League football."

Credit: Skysports.com

Roma In Talks To Sign Daley Blind

Roma are in negotiations with Manchester United over the signing of Daley Blind, according to Sky in Italy.

It is understood Blind would be happy to make the move to Italy after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford, but sources understand no agreement has so far been reached between the clubs.

Roma are looking for a replacement left-back after Emerson Palmieri joined Chelsea for on a four-and-a-half-year-deal for a £17.6m fee, plus £7m in add-ons.

Blind has struggled to nail down a starting place in the United team and is seen as a squad player by Jose Mourinho who has picked Ashley Young, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo ahead of him.

It is understood that United want to recoup the £13m fee they paid for the Dutch defender, who joined the club from Ajax in 2014.

Credit: Skysports.com

United Extend Mata Contract Until 2019

Manchester United have triggered a clause to extend Juan Mata’s contract by one year, tying the Spaniard to the club until June 2019. Jose Mourinho has spoken of Mata’s importance on multiple occasions during recent weeks and did so again on Monday, in a press conference ahead of the match against Tottenham Hotspur.

After confirming that the club had extended the midfielder’s contract, Mourinho said: “Mata is very important. When I arrived one-and-a-half years ago, [they said], ‘Mata is in trouble, in trouble, in trouble’, and now he's getting an extension of one more year. An important player for me; important player for the club; important player for the other players."

In an exclusive interview with MUTV on Tuesday afternoon, Mata then revealed he is delighted to be staying on and hopes there are “many more years to come”.

“I still feel very happy and very proud to be part of this club," said the Reds' no.8. "I think everyone that belongs to Manchester United should feel privileged, and that’s how I feel.

“I’m happy with everyone at the club and, obviously, with the manager and my team-mates. Once you are part of this club, your football career is not the same; it changes, because this is one of the biggest clubs in football history. Every day I try to tell myself how lucky and how privileged I am, try to take advantage of every single training session, and try to see how important it is to be a Manchester United player.”

Mata joined United from Chelsea in January 2014, and has thus far made 172 appearances for the Reds, scoring 39 goals. A firm fan favourite, the diminutive Spanish international has won the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League during his time at Old Trafford, and is fondly remembered for two superb, match-winning goals in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in March 2015.

“At eight, ten, twelve years old, I never imagined that I would play for such a club," Juan told us on Tuesday. "I remember the big players – Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, Ferdinand, Vidic – and it felt so far from where I was playing, but now I’m here it’s a special feeling.

“We have had so many new players during my four years, but now we know each other and understand each other better. We are creating a kind of stability that I believe is needed to build and to create a positive consistency in terms of getting results and getting trophies.”

Next for Mata and his team-mates is a trip to Wembley to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, as United look for a sixth straight win in all competitions.

Mourinho: Alexis Can Only Help Rashford

Jose Mourinho believes the arrival of Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United can only help Marcus Rashford to take the next step towards superstardom.

Rashford forged a positive connection with the Chilean forward during the 4-0 Emirates FA Cup win at Yeovil Town last Friday night, when the pair linked up for the no.19's opening goal at Huish Park.

Speaking ahead of United’s trip to Wembley Stadium to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening, the boss said he feels the presence of players like Alexis can only be a positive thing for Rashford.

"The kid is having a hell of an experience at every level so there is an amazing future waiting for him, and being surrounded by these players can only help him," Jose told reporters at the Aon Training Complex.

"Marcus's story is quite interesting because he started playing with Mr Van Gaal when the team was really in trouble to have options, and then the monster that kills the little kids arrives but he plays every game."

Rashford is the only player to feature in all 36 of United’s competitive fixtures so far this season, with 20 starts and 16 substitute appearances under his belt. “The story of Marcus not getting any minutes and matches is really old because he's a very important player for us," the boss stated. "He plays every game – starting or coming from the bench as a striker, as a left winger, as a right winger."

Rashford's goal at Yeovil took him to double figures for the season, making him the fourth United player to achieve that feat in 2017/18 after Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial.

Picked out by a well-weighted pass from Alexis inside the penalty area, Rashford initially lost control of the ball, but was able to take advantage of confusion within the Yeovil defence and fire home the decisive opening goal in the 41st minute.

Alexis also set up United’s second, which was finished by Ander Herrera, and combined well with Rashford and the rest of his colleagues throughout, before departing on 72 minutes after a pleasing debut.

Who Are United's Key Men Against Spurs?

Jose Mourinho has been busy preparing his Manchester United squad for tonight’s anticipated Premier League match against a Tottenham Hotspur team that he has plenty of respect for.

The boss feels Spurs are among the best teams in Europe and Wednesday night’s result at Wembley Stadium could have a significant impact on the season. Thankfully, the squad is in good health and he has plenty of options available to him. Here, our reporters pick our six potential key men…

ALEXIS SANCHEZ
Adam Marshall: “There was just something about his debut in the FA Cup fourth-round win at Yeovil Town that promised so much. In a word, it was exciting. The chance to witness the Chilean potentially linking up with Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard for the first time is one that must have most Reds salivating. Spurs are formidable opponents and pride themselves on having a resolute defence, but any breakaway raid with Alexis at the heart of it, as he showed for Ander Herrera’s strike at Huish Park, is one that will strike fear into the Londoners. I wouldn’t put it past him to score on his league debut with United – against a side who are Arsenal’s fiercest rivals and at a stadium where he usually performs so well.”

ANTHONY MARTIAL
Steve Bartram: “After swerving the win at Yeovil, Anthony is fresh, on song and has form for both fixture and venue. He left the bench to score the winner against Spurs at Old Trafford back in October, and his superb January form – three goals in three starts – take him into Wednesday’s game on a high. History is also on Martial’s side at Wembley, with four wins from his four previous trips. He can look back on a last minute winner against Everton in the 2016 FA Cup semi-final, plus winner’s medals from the final, last season’s Community Shield and League Cup final.”

ROMELU LUKAKU
Mark Froggatt: “With 18 goals in all competitions this season, the Belgian striker is comfortably our top scorer and he has built a promising run of form by scoring three times in his last four appearances. Always a powerful presence, his all-round play has impressed fans in recent weeks, particularly when bringing other team-mates into the attack and that’s an attribute that is often overlooked. The arrival of the warrior-like Alexis could inspire Lukaku’s best performances yet and, crucially, he was rested at Yeovil, only coming on for the final exchanges and grabbing a late goal with an accomplished finish. He is fresh and raring to go against a Tottenham side that could be missing Hugo Lloris and Toby Alderweireld.”

PAUL POGBA
Joe Ganley: "Amid all the hullabaloo surrounding the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, Reds could be forgiven for forgetting that United already possess at least one very serviceable talisman: Paul Pogba. After a quiet Christmas, the Frenchman bounded into 2018 full of sparkle, gaining Man-of-the-Match awards against both Everton and Stoke. The midfielder assisted four of United’s five goals across those two matches, and will need to be at somewhere approaching his best if United are to gain the upper hand against Dembele, Dier, Wanyama and whoever else might staff Tottenham’s always-aggressive midfield unit. Pogba invariably adds a unique creative flair, but his strength and willingness to hustle will be equally vital tonight."

CHRIS SMALLING
Adam Higgins: "United have been solid defensively in recent weeks, keeping six successive clean sheets in all competitions, but that impressive record is likely to face a stern test against an attack-minded Spurs side packed full of quality. Our no.12 will have his hands full keeping his England colleague Harry Kane quiet, with the striker in red-hot form having struck 34 goals for club and country already this season, including six in his last four outings. This particular duel could prove decisive in the final outcome, but Smalling has proved on many occasions he is up to the task of dealing with world-class attackers and, after being rested for the win at Yeovil, he’ll be relishing the challenge that awaits."

JESSE LINGARD
James Tuck: "One of the success stories of the season so far, the livewire attacker made it nine goals in his last 13 outings after he replaced Alexis for the latter stages of the victory at Huish Park. Jesse has staked a more than credible claim for the Reds' coveted central playmaker role in recent weeks, with some increasingly mature and complete performances, and I feel he's another Red who will only benefit from the introduction of Alexis to the team. Add into the mix his enviable record at Wembley – he's scored in his last three appearances there – and you have all the ingredients for another telling contribution from our in-form no.14 tonight."

Sanchez's Amazing Wembley Record

It's fair to say Alexis Sanchez enjoys playing at Wembley Stadium.

The Chilean is set to make his Premier League debut for Manchester United in tonight's match against Tottenham Hotspur, fresh from an impressive Reds bow at Yeovil Town in the Emirates FA Cup last Friday, when he set up goals for Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera in a 4-0 win over the League Two club.

Alexis played his first game at the national stadium five years ago and has since shown that he can rise to the big occasion, as he now boasts a formidable record of seven goals and an assist in six appearances.

In November 2013, the forward had a memorable first experience when scoring both goals in Chile's 2-0 win over England, heading the opener before doubling his tally with a cool finish after a defensive mistake.

He also bagged a brace on his first club outing at Wembley, with Arsenal, to seal a 2-1 victory over Reading in an FA Cup semi-final in April 2015, firing home from close range before striking an extra-time winner.

The following month, Alexis scored one of the great FA Cup final goals during the Gunners’ 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa. After setting up Theo Walcott’s first-half opener, he found the net shortly after the break with a dipping thunderbolt from 25 yards and became only the second Chilean to score in the showpiece finale.

The 29-year-old also came up with the goods at the business end of Arsenal’s successful FA Cup campaign last season, by scoring another extra-time winner in the semi-finals, lashing home a loose ball inside the box to help defeat Manchester City 2-1 in April.

Alexis then capped off his best-ever goal-scoring campaign by netting Arsenal’s fastest FA Cup final goal, when opening the scoring after just 229 seconds in their eventual 2-1 victory over Chelsea a month later. It was his 30th goal of a phenomenal season on a personal level.

The only game in which Alexis has failed to score at Wembley was Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Man City in the 2014 Community Shield, and he notably missed the Gunners’ win over Chelsea on penalties this season.

ALEXIS WILL HANDLE THE BOO BOYS

As our new no.7 prepares to pull on a United shirt at Wembley, he is likely to receive a hostile reception from Tottenham fans as an ex-Arsenal player. But, speaking in his pre-match press conference, Jose Mourinho said the Chilean will be unfazed by the welcome he receives from Spurs supporters.

“I think he doesn't care,” the boss told reporters at the Aon Training Complex. “I think he's probably going to get that kind of reception everywhere – the previous rivalry between Spurs and Arsenal doesn't matter. I think he’ll get a little bit of that everywhere.

“He’s that kind of player – with all of his experience, I think he's used to it. Even in South America, I don’t think it’s easy for a Chilean to go and play in Brazil, Argentina or Paraguay, so I think these guys grew up with a certain level of experiences that I don’t think is a problem for him at all.”

Beckham: Ibrahimovic Would Boost The MLS

David Beckham admits he would love to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing in the MLS, even if that means him leaving Manchester United.

It was confirmed on Monday that Beckham has been granted permission to launch an MLS franchise in Miami, the same day United boss Mourinho admitted he would not stand in Ibrahimovic's way if he wanted to leave Old Trafford.

Beckham is convinced a move from the Premier League to America would benefit the Swede, citing the example of how he improved as a player after moving from Real Madrid to join LA Galaxy.

"It's hard to talk about a player who is part of a club I love but all players get linked, at some point, with other teams and Zlatan is such a world-class player," Beckham told Sky Sports News.

"If talented players like him come into this league, it can only add to the strength and success of what this league can achieve.

"I was playing for Real Madrid when I had the chance to move to the MLS, which wasn't as established as it is now, so that was a big move for me.

"It's something that changed me as a player, changed me as a person and gave me a challenge that I needed and I loved every minute of it.

"If Zlatan, or other players like that, come into the league, it can only add to level this league can get to."

Beckham also admitted he was surprised to see Alexis Sanchez join Manchester United from Arsenal, where he has been handed the iconic No 7 shirt.

"It's astonishing that move happened," he added.

"To see him in a Manchester United shirt, to see him in the No 7 shirt, a shirt worn by some great players over the years - Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, George Best, Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I think having him in the team can only strengthen us."

Credit: Skysports.com

Mourinho Will allow Ibrahimovic To Leave Manchester United This Month

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United will not stand in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's way if he wants to leave the club this month.

Reports are linking the Swedish striker with a move to the MLS and Mourinho revealed United will allow the 36-year-old to leave if that is his wish.

Mourinho said: "He told me nothing about it. The first time I read or heard something about that was from the media. He never mentioned that to me so I don't know.

"Zlatan is in the last year of his contract. If that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club in another country, we are here to help and to create conditions for that to happen, not to make his life difficult."

Ibrahimovic has made just seven appearances for United this season, scoring once, and has not featured since Boxing Day after aggravating the knee ligament injury he suffered in the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht last season.

"The last thing that Zlatan told me was that he wants to recover totally and feel ready to help the team," Mourinho added.

"He is working hard to be fit. He is not injured, he is in a moment of trying to feel really ready for the demands of Premier League football."

Marouane Fellaini is one of two other United players - the other being Michael Carrick - who are definitely out of contract in the summer. The club have options to extend the contracts of Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Ashley Young for the 2018/19 season.

Carrick is set to retire and join United's coaching staff and Ibrahimovic looks very unlikely to be at Old Trafford next season but Mourinho is still hopeful of keeping Fellaini.

"He is a very important player for me. He is a great professional that is giving everything he can to help the team. There is a desire from myself, the board and the player to stay together," Mourinho said.

"That is our objective. Are we going to reach other things? Are we going to agree? I don't know.

"What I do know is myself, the board and the player - we would like to have a happy end.

"I am happy with his contribution. He is being a great professional for us and I know he wants to stay with us - that is very important.

"He knows that I want him and the club wants him - this is also important for him - but then there is also a paper to sign and you only sign a paper when you are happy with what is written in the paper. So let's see if that is possible."

Credit: Skysports.com

Beckham 'Astonished' At Alexis Sanchez's Move To Manchester United

David Beckham admits he was "astonished" to see Alexis Sanchez move from Arsenal to Manchester United this January.

Sanchez secured a free transfer to Old Trafford earlier this month as part of a swap deal, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan heading the other way to North London.

Beckham admits he did not expect the deal to go through but has backed the Chilean to excel at his former club.

The former England captain, speaking at the launch of his Major League Soccer franchise in Miami, said: "I still can't believe it's happened, to be honest.

"When he's been part of a club as big as Arsenal and then he moves a few hours away up north to the biggest club, it's astonishing to see.

"We all wish him luck. I'm a Manchester United fan so I am excited about having someone of his talent wearing a Manchester United shirt - so it's exciting times for us."

Beckham also expressed his support for current boss Jose Mourinho, who recently signed a contract extension committing himself to United until 2020.

"Of course he's the right fit for Manchester United," Beckham said. "We're talking about Jose Mourinho. He's one of the best managers in the game.

"Manchester United has had success over the last 25 years because we have had stability that has run throughout our club.

"Sir Alex Ferguson - the amount of time he was manager of the team - that's why we were successful because we had stability that ran through the club and that's what we need going forward.

"Everyone is going to have their own opinion of [Mourinho] as a manager, him as a person, him as an individual. But is he the right person to lead Manchester United? Yes, of course he is."

Credit: Skysports.com

Mata: Being Part Of United Is Very Special

Each and every Monday during the season, Manchester United star Juan Mata pens a personal blog. In his latest entry, the Spanish maestro looks back on an impressive January so far and expresses how honoured he feels to be a United player...

Hi everyone,

With January coming to an end, we can say that we’re keeping the same level and the smile that we had when 2018 started: five wins in five games and no goals conceded yet. Obviously we are happy, aware that we are entering the decisive spell of the season, and I can tell you that we feel strong and encouraged to fight for as much success as possible.

Our victory in Yeovil last Friday brings us to the next round of the FA Cup, a competition we are very excited about. The final score might say it was an easy win, but it wasn’t: Yeovil Town made things difficult for us and they were a very good opponent.

For Alexis Sánchez that game meant his debut as a Red Devil. His arrival is great news because a player of his level always raises the competition within the team and our competitiveness. He’s a great player and I’m sure that he will help us a lot. Precisely this week marked the fourth anniversary of my arrival at Old Trafford and my first game with the club. When you become a Manchester United player, nothing will ever be the same. Being part of this club is something very special and I can assure you that I keep enjoying every single game like I did with my debut against Cardiff. I'll never stop thanking you for your support day after day. Thanks to you, being part of this club is really special.

Hugs,

Juan

Early Team News: Tottenham v United

With so many players fit and competing for places, Jose Mourinho admits he has a selection headache ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League game at Tottenham Hotspur.

During an interview with ManUtd.com’s Adam Marshall at the Aon Training Complex, the manager confirmed his squad did not pick up any fresh injuries from the Emirates FA Cup win at Yeovil Town.

That means the only unavailable players are long-term absentees Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“We have no more injuries,” Mourinho happily revealed to us. “It was a tough match at Yeovil, a difficult match, difficult conditions, but everything is good.”

Asked if that presents a healthy problem for him, the boss responded: “Sure. The real headache is when you don’t have the players, so when you have so many injuries then you are in trouble. When almost everybody is available and the quality is high, these are the good problems to have.”

Mourinho also admitted confidence is high in the camp following a winning start to 2018, with his side yet to concede a single goal in five fixtures across all competitions.

“We have managed to win every match in January, I think three Premier League matches and two cup matches, so five victories makes a happy camp. We are playing with a good balance. It is not easy to not concede goals because of the high quality of football in this country. Scoring goals and winning matches is very important because we need points. We are playing well and we deserved these results.”

Wednesday’s match against fifth-placed Tottenham will notably be played at Wembley, due to Spurs being without a permanent home while their new ground is being built in north London.

United have an excellent record at the national stadium in recent seasons and Mourinho has won twice there as Reds boss, although the ground was neutral on both of those occasions. That won’t be the case this week and Jose knows that will provide the opposition with an advantage.

“I was at Wembley for Tottenham versus Chelsea and I had that feeling that Wembley is Spurs’ home, because it was full of their supporters," said the manager. "I am used to going to Wembley when it is 50/50 with supporters, so it was the first time I went like that. It is an amazing stadium and one for us to enjoy.

“Spurs are one of the top teams in the country. Not a title contender because they are too far away. But I say honestly they are a Champions League contender, they can reach that level. They have some of the best players in the country, a very good manager and a very difficult opponent.

“It is a really big game. The difference between us and Spurs is seven or eight points, but the reality is they are a top team in terms of their quality and ambitions, and a team of our level, so it is a big match.”

Mourinho's Update On Ibrahimovic's Fitness

Jose Mourinho has provided an update on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s fitness, in a press conference to preview Manchester United’s Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Swedish striker has not featured since Burnley visited Old Trafford on Boxing Day and, since then, last season’s top scorer has been working on his match fitness at the Aon Training Complex.

“He's working hard to be fit,” says Mourinho. “I'm not saying injured because he's not injured. I think he's in a moment of trying to feel really ready for the demands of Premier League football.”

The manager has also responded to online speculation that American clubs could be interested in Ibrahimovic, by telling reporters on Monday afternoon: “He told me nothing about it. The first time I read something or listened to something about that was from you - I read on some website and I listened to some channel. He never mentioned that to me, so I don't know.

"You know, Zlatan is in his last year of contract. If - I'm saying if, if, if, because you told me, I repeat, he said nothing about it to me - but if, if, if that is true and Zlatan wants a future in another club, in another country, we are here to help and to create conditions for it to happen, not to make his life difficult.

"But, I repeat, the only thing that Zlatan told me or the last thing that Zlatan told me was he wants to recover totally and feel ready to help the team. That's the last thing I heard from him.”

United are preparing for Wednesday night’s game against Spurs, who are fifth in the table and are therefore currently outside the UEFA Champions League qualification places for next season.

When asked about the challenge of finishing in the top four, Mourinho admitted it is getting harder. “Last season was hard, this season is hard,” he explained. “Last season we gave up on that fight when we felt that it was going to be very difficult to do that, plus we had the injuries and the Europa League [to play in].

“But this season everybody is there and, speaking about Tottenham, they are fifth but they are one of the best teams in the league. So [whether they are] fifth, fourth or third, it's not important for the match. The important thing is the great quality they have.”

FA Cup: Who Will United Face In Round Five?

Manchester United will be away to either Birmingham City or Huddersfield Town in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup, with the eventual fixture set to be played between 16 and 19 February.

The tie was one of eight drawn out by Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit and former United youth-team player Robbie Savage on Monday evening, three days after the Reds secured a place among the last 16 teams in the competition by winning 4-0 away to League Two club Yeovil Town.

Huddersfield Town were held 1-1 at home by Birmingham City in their original fourth-round meeting on Saturday after Lukas Jutkiewicz's second-half equaliser cancelled out Steve Mounie's opener for the Premier League side. The two sides will contest the right to host the Reds when they meet again in a replay at St Andrew's on Tuesday night next week.

The ultimate FA Cup objective for Jose Mourinho and his players is to win the final on 19 May 2018. Victory on that day at Wembley would put the club's name on the trophy for the 13th time overall, a record that would be shared with last season's winners Arsenal. The Gunners were knocked out in the third round and they have since been joined on the eliminated list by another Premier League top-six side, Liverpool, who lost 3-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday night.

FULL FIFTH-ROUND DRAW

Sheffield Wednesday v Notts County or Swansea City
West Bromwich Albion v Southampton
Chelsea v Hull City
Leicester City v Sheffield United
Huddersfield Town or Birmingham City v Manchester United
Millwall or Rochdale v Newport County or Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton & Hove Albion v Coventry City
Wigan Athletic v Manchester City

Your Monday Briefing: 9 Key Points For Reds

How closely were you paying attention to the world of Manchester United over the weekend? There was plenty to note and Your Monday Briefing is here to provide an essential round-up…

1: YEOVIL TOWN 0 UNITED 4
That was the score at Huish Park as the Reds progressed from the Emirates FA Cup fourth round with a good win over the League Two side. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the season, before Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku all struck in a one-sided second half.

2: A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MOURINHO
The boss turned 55 on Friday and he marked it with the win at Yeovil, which was coincidentally also his 100th match in charge of United. He has won 62 of those games, drawing 23 and losing 15. That record is better than our three previous managers Louis van Gaal, David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson.

3: ALEXIS WAS MAN OF THE MATCH
Following his transfer from Arsenal last Monday, our new no.7 made his much-anticipated club debut as a starter and the Chilean produced an impressive performance. His attempted pass led to Rashford capitalising on a defensive error to break the deadlock, and he claimed another assist with an intelligent ball to Herrera after the break. Mourinho took him off after 72 minutes, but Alexis had already done enough to be voted Man of the Match by followers of @ManUtd on Twitter.

4: CARRICK RETURNED TO ACTION
Our club captain made his first appearance since the Burton Albion match on 20 September, due to a heart problem, and the 36-year-old was delighted to be back after missing 27 games in all competitions. “There were a few passes going astray but it was great,” he told us. “It has been a long time, it's been very frustrating. Considering where I was after the Burton game, to be back out there now was great.”

5: HERRERA JOINED THE 150 CLUB
Ander made his 150th Reds appearance at Yeovil and Huish Park is clearly a happy hunting ground for him, having scored there back in January 2015. He later tweeted: “I am so happy to celebrate my 150th official game with @ManUtd with a goal and going into the next round of the #FACup.”

6: RASHFORD IS STILL EVER-PRESENT
Marcus remains the only United player to feature in every match across all competitions in 2017/18, after starting at Yeovil. He also became the fourth Red to reach double figures in the goals chart after Lukaku, Lingard and Anthony Martial, highlighting how the goals are being shared around this campaign.

7: GOMES IMPRESSED FROM THE BENCH
Our exciting Academy prospect, Angel, made his first senior appearance of the season as an 88th-minute replacement for Rashford and he almost scored within an instant, after skinning his Yeovil marker and shooting into the side netting from close range. Mourinho was full of praise for the 17-year-old afterwards, but he couldn’t resist a playful dig at his attempt. “Greedy Gomes!” the boss called him on MUTV.

8: MATA MET BILL GATES
On Sunday, Juan posted a selection of photos from his trip to the World Economic Forum earlier in the week, to promote his charity initiative Common Goal. Among other inspirational figures, he spent time mixing with billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates, speaking about football's ability to change the world.

9: PREPARATIONS UNDER WAY FOR SPURS
Rest? No chance! Sunday was a day of hard work for the squad as Mourinho stepped up his preparations for the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night. Our official club photographers, John and Matt Peters, were there to capture the session and notably provide the first images of Alexis at the Aon Training Complex.

Credit: Manutd.com

Carrick: Sanchez A 'Proper' Manchester United Player

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick says new signing Alexis Sanchez is making a fantastic impression.

Having signed in a swap deal from Arsenal on Monday, Sanchez made his United debut in Friday night's 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round win at Yeovil.

The Chile international quickly made an impact, setting up goals for Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera as United comfortably defeated the League Two side.

Carrick captained the United team on his first appearance since September and he told MUTV that landing Sanchez was a real coup for a club.

"He is not bad, is he? Not bad for a little man," said Carrick.

"He is going to be a terrific player.

"He is a proper Manchester United player and it's great to have him here. He is so exciting and so dynamic.

"He's always looking to create opportunities, to play forward, and the fans are going to enjoy watching him.

"Hopefully, we will enjoy playing with him."

Herrera also praised Sanchez, and was struck by the new man's appetite for the battle.

"What I really like from him is the way he fights when the team loses the ball," said Herrera.

"He's always ready to be the first defender for the team, and that's big for us.

"Obviously we know his quality on the ball, he's amazing, but his fight, the way he defends - I really like it."

Credit: Skysports.com

Mourinho: Alexis Sanchez Missed Drugs Test 'Understandable'

Jose Mourinho says no one is at fault for Alexis Sanchez missing his drugs test.

Sanchez failed to inform UK Anti-Doping of his whereabouts on Monday while he was finalising his switch to Manchester United, in a deal which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan join Arsenal in a swap.

Arsene Wenger said on Friday that Arsenal should take full responsibility for failing to report Sanchez's absence to the authorities before they arrived at the London Colney training ground.

But Mourinho, who extended his deal at Old Trafford to keep him at the club until 2020, believes it was no more than a mix-up caused by the timing of the transfer.

"I think Arsenal were very honest in the way they approached the situation," said Mourinho, of Sanchez's missed drugs test.

"We all know we must tell the whereabouts, our players where they are 24 hours a day.

"Nobody knew where he was going to be, it was just a period of his transfer. So I think it's easily understandable, no one's mistake and just a consequence of the moment."

Sanchez played a key role in United's 4-0 win over Yeovil in the FA Cup, assisting Ander Herrera, and Mourinho was clearly pleased to see his newest acquisition demonstrating his worth on his debut.

"He was cheap wasn't he? A free transfer, that's good," joked Mourinho.

"For that price it's fantastic. I think everybody thinks the same in this country. Everybody has to agree he's a fantastic player and it's a plus.

"We have a group of attacking players; [Jesse] Lingard, [Romelu] Lukaku on the bench, [Zlatan] Zlatan, [Anthony] Martial at home. We have good quality in the group."

Credit: Skysports.com

Six Reasons Why Jose's Deal Is Great News

Jose Mourinho has extended his contract with Manchester United and it's a move which should ensure the Reds keep challenging for silverware.

The Portuguese coach has already won the Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League and the team is in the mix for more trophies again in 2017/18.
Here we present six reasons why his new deal is such a positive development for the club...

SOMETHING GOOD
As the terrace chant goes, Jose's got us playing the way United should, winning three trophies in his debut season. The Reds have outscored virtually all of our rivals in the Premier League this term and the problem of drawing too many home games last term has largely been eradicated. Anybody watching the team regularly will surely be pleased with the attacking intent with Alexis Sanchez now added to the formula.

A WINNING MENTALITY
Jose brings with him the aura of somebody who is driven to succeed, as his track record suggests. Ever since stepping into the club he has looked far from overawed by the size of the task of managing the Reds and, of course, you would expect nothing less from him. An elite coach and a huge personality, he knows what it takes to get the club back to the top of the table.

A SOLID BASE
David De Gea has kept more clean sheets than any of his Premier League counterparts this season and, although there appears to be a growing demand for crazy, entertaining football matches in certain quarters, for obvious reasons, having a tight defence is actually pretty reassuring. The backline has looked the best in the division for long periods, aside from the Christmas spell where two goals were conceded in three successive fixtures, but the current run of six consecutive clean sheets in all competitions has garnered rather less media attention.

TRANSFER MARKET NOUS
The boss has a great strike rate when it comes to making raids in the market and signings such as Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku have had a huge impact on the team. Gradually shaping his own squad, Jose addressed an issue up front by plugging the gap left by the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had been a major hit in his first campaign. Alexis is the latest stellar arrival and the boss seems to have a firm idea of who else he wants to bolster his squad with in 2018. Watch this space in the summer.

MYTH BUSTING!
Certain things are said about Jose in a bid to undermine his achievements, as is usually the case when anybody experiences a great degree of success. He never trusts youngsters apparently, and yet Marcus Rashford has played in every single game again this season. Scott McTominay has been promoted to the senior squad and Axel Tuanzebe has been promised his future lies in the first team, following his loan spell at Aston Villa. Much is made of the suggestion managers should 'improve' players and yet there could be an argument Jesse Lingard is the most improved player in the Premier League in 2017/18, thriving under the manager's expert guidance.

STABILITY
Many United supporters grew up knowing only one man as manager - the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. While his 26-year stint at the helm may never be repeated, we are not a club used to chopping and changing bosses like an increasing number of sides. Yes, Jose is the third manager since the great Scot retired but now he has more time to create his own dynasty and fully implement his grand plans. There is certainly great faith in the boss realising all his ambitions here.

The Greatest Stage For Showman Alexis

With so much focus given to the finances behind Alexis Sanchez’s transfer to Manchester United, the key to the move was reflected in a different set of numbers.

In purely arithmetical terms, the signing of Alexis Sanchez was, frankly, stupefying. Even in the age of bigness, and given only the most cursory scrutiny, the numbers are nothing short of eye-watering.

Within 24 hours, over 20 million people had witnessed his piano tinkling video, #Alexis7 had become the world's most-used Twitter hashtag, a new record for 'likes' of a single post was set on the club's Instagram post and ManUtd.com had its most-read article of the season so far. For greater context, across all social media outlets, the announcement was comfortably and convincingly bigger than Neymar's 2017 move to Paris Saint-Germain - the most expensive transfer in football history.

When it became clear earlier this month that Alexis was more likely to leave Arsenal for United than long-time predicted destination Manchester City, there emerged a flimsy, but widely flaunted, concept that avarice had beaten football puritanism, and that the Chilean was moving to Old Trafford to bolster his bank balance, rather than his medal collection.

Time will tell on the latter, but the suggestion that this club can only trade on its financial clout is nonsense. The eyes of the world dart this way more than any other, and not because United sit atop Deloitte’s rich list. When the club discusses sponsorship deals with prospective partners and sponsors, the selling point is not confined to the terms on offer; association with Manchester United offers an intangible recompense. Every Premier League club has money these days - Leicester City, West Ham, Southampton and Everton are in the top 20 richest clubs in the world - but none have the prestige of United’s level.

While frothing speculation over the transfer’s total cost dominated headlines for days in advance, it’s the deal’s unfathomably vast audience which puts forward a compelling counter-argument: maybe, just maybe, Alexis wanted to join the biggest club in the country. And perhaps – again, just a thought – the kind of showman who once won the Copa America with a Panenka penalty, wanted to play to the largest audience on the grandest stage.

Plainly, Alexis won’t be earning a pittance during his time at Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho termed it “a fantastic contract.” As a world star penning what could be the final major long-term agreement of his career, arriving without a transfer fee, that was to be expected and, frankly, it seems unlikely that chickenfeed was being offered by his other suitors, or that his income at Arsenal was paltry enough to prompt him to seek out greater coin. The motives to play for United are many and varied, but it is a fair assumption that money is seldom even close to being primary.

“Since I was a young lad I’ve always said that my dream was to play for Manchester United, and I’m not just saying that because I’m here now and today it’s come true,” Alexis said in his unveiling interview. “It really is a massive club, very powerful, and so now, when I got the opportunity to come here, I looked at the badge and my hairs just stood up on end because it’s a powerful club and the biggest in England.”

He’s right. We like to celebrate our history and traditions here. The badge is emblematic of a story unlike any other in football, played out by a stellar cast. When Alexis arrived at Old Trafford, he was greeted by Sir Alex Ferguson in a theatre that has starred Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson and Wayne Rooney, among other greats past and present. Knights of the Realm, Ballon d’Or winners and serial champions have all taken to that stage.

This is not a world which has much time for yesterday, with such onus on the future, but United are also in good shape today and well set for tomorrow. As well as walking in the footsteps of history’s greats, Sanchez now shares the same facilities as a squad which has won three major honours in the last 20 months. Yes, the history of Manchester United is cherished, but it is not in stasis. It is being updated all the time. When Sir Alex retired, Liverpool had won the most major honours in England. United now top that chart, and are also now the only club from these shores to win every available major honour. The ability of an obviously transitional team to keep stacking up the trophies is much maligned and deserving of greater recognition.

In the last four full post-Ferguson seasons, in spite of seismic upheaval throughout the club, United have won the same number of major trophies as City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Liverpool and Tottenham have been empty-handed during that period. Of course, only the foolhardy would bet against Manchester's Blues bolstering their total this season, but the Reds are also in the hunt for honours. This is a club which is competing and, with Sanchez on board, hopes of gaining more silverware this season have grown in the last week. Four months of the campaign remain and, given the Chilean’s instant uplifting impact on training sessions and involvement in two goals on his debut, there is further cause for short-term optimism.

Alexis is a world-class forward who has signed up to work under one of the game’s great managers in a squad replete with some of the most exciting and varied young attacking talent around. The Premier League is an extremely long shot this term, but the Champions League and FA Cup remain cautiously realistic ambitions for the remainder of this term. Next season, those aims are refreshed, and once again United will hold the collective gaze.

No team in England is more televised or scrutinised. Hated, adored, never ignored and all that. Not because of what the club is worth, but because of what it is. This is a special place. There is an opportunity for every player on the club’s books to keep adding to that history, to write their name into a story without equal, while the world watches. You can’t put a price on that.

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

Taking A Break

Dear Readers,

Will Power will be taking a break until 27 January.

We will be back on 28 January.

Thank you.

Robins: Coventry Want Manchester United In FA Cup Fourth Round

Coventry City manager Mark Robins says he wants to face Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Coventry beat Stoke City 2-1 in their third-round tie at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday, a result that led to the sacking of Potters boss Mark Hughes.

Robins says the League Two side - who won the FA Cup in 1987 - are now eyeing a fourth-round fixture against Jose Mourinho's United, after they secured their spot in the fourth-round draw with a 2-0 win over Derby on Friday.

"Now, Manchester United in the next round," Robins told the Coventry's official website.

"It was a hard-fought win, but a deserved one. I thought we were magnificent and it's a really proud day for me.

"I remember when I was here before. We went down to White Hart Lane in the third round and Tottenham had Gareth Bale and Clint Dempsey. They blew us away. I think Gary McSheffrey got us a goal late on that was disallowed but we never threatened them.

"Something I regret from that day is not coming out. We were frightened of the pace that players like Bale had. It was important that we tried to put them under pressure and make it as difficult for them as we could, and we did it."

The draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup will take place on Monday ahead of the final third-round tie between Brighton and Crystal Palace.

Credit: Skysports.com

Chip On Mourinho's Shoulder

Jose Mourinho has a chip on his shoulder due to the lack of acknowledgement his managerial achievements has received from his peers, Andy Dunn told the Sunday Supplement.

The Manchester United manager is embroiled in a heated war of words with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, the latest in a long line of spats with those in the opposing dug-out.

Dunn believes Mourinho's readiness to pick fights with his counterparts stems from a combination of feeling undervalued and having never played the game to the heights his rivals.

"The reason why Mourinho cannot let anything lie is that, even with his incredible record - 25 trophies - he thinks he's underappreciated, undervalued and people do not acknowledge how great a manager he's been," the Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Mirror said.

"That doesn't only apply to his the media but also to his peers, that's reflected by the way he has a go at them - Conte's comments about him are incredibly disparaging.

"Some of it may come down to the fact he wasn't a player, that will always be a little chip on his shoulder.

"How many times has he said he's not bothered that he's only won three Manager of the Month awards? Of course he's bothered.

"Has he ever been LMA Manager of the Year? No, he hasn't. David Moyes has three times - that's nothing against David Moyes, respect to him, but I think Mourinho feels he has never been properly acknowledged by his peers for what he's done in management.

"That's reflected by the way he's all too ready to aim barbs at other managers. Conte is not the first and he won't be the last; Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez, Manuel Pellegrini, Arsene Wenger, Claudio Ranieri and a couple of managers in Portugal in his early days have been in his crosshairs.

"That's all about a character that thinks he is the 'Special One' but has never got the credit he deserves for what he has done, and we have seen that from the moment he came to England."

Credit: Skysports.com

De Gea Reveals Top Priority In 2018

Manchester United keeper David De Gea believes some rest will aid the Reds' cause with the team now enjoying a 10-day break between fixtures before facing Stoke City at Old Trafford on 15 January.

The Spain no.1 sat out the Emirates FA Cup tie with Derby County on Friday night and, although he would always rather play, he appreciates the need to rotate the squad, particularly during busy periods.

In an interview with MUTV, the 27-year-old also spelled out his first priority in 2018 - good health and remaining in top condition.

"It's a bit crazy with a lot of games at this time but we have to play and have to try to win," he said. "It's always a special time for everyone. They [my friends in Spain] think everyone is on holiday but we play [games] and this is England - this is the history of the Premier League.

"So it is good to have some rest to recover after so many games. It's good for the team and for the players to have some rest to relax, recover and train. Of course, as a player, I want to play every game in every competition. Of course, the FA Cup is a special trophy and I want to play every game but I know there are other players who want to play as well and have a chance to play.

"It's good to have a bigger squad with a lot of players so, when we have a lot of games, we can change the players and it's good to use the squad."

When asked about his objectives for the new calendar year, De Gea said: "My aims for 2018? Health is the most important thing for everyone and we want to win a trophy. We will try to play really well and fight for everything including the Champions League and the FA Cup. And the World Cup, of course!"

Conte: Mourinho Is "A Little Man"

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has called Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho "a little man" as the pair continued to trade insults.

On Friday, Mourinho said he would "never be suspended for match-fixing", appearing to talk about Conte.

The Italian received a four-month suspension while at Juventus in 2012-13 for failing to report match-fixing at his previous club Siena.

In 2016, Conte was cleared by a court of any wrongdoing in the matter.

"I think when there are these types of comments, comments where you try to offend the person and don't know the truth, then you are a little man," Conte told BBC Sport on Saturday after his side's 0-0 draw at Norwich City in the FA Cup third round.

Conte added: "Maybe he's a little man in the past, a little man in the present and maybe a little man in the future."

Credit: BBC Sport

Mourinho Escalates War Of Words With Conte

Jose Mourinho has responded to Antonio Conte's criticism by claiming his own comments were misinterpreted.

The war of words between the duo may not be over after the Manchester United manager apparently made a reference to a four-month ban the Chelsea head coach served when he was in charge at Serie A side Juventus.

Conte was hit with the four-month suspension during the 2012-13 campaign for failing to report match-fixing at his former club Siena, but he was completely exonerated of any wrongdoing in 2016.

However, Mourinho nonetheless appeared to drag the issue up in the wake of his side's FA Cup win over Derby on Friday night.

Conte had earlier suggested that the Manchester United manager had forgotten some of his own past behaviour when it was put to him that Mourinho had suggested that he behaved like a clown on the touchline.

But the Portuguese coach insists he was only referring to himself when discussing the fact that he has toned down his antics on the sidelines.

"I don't blame him," said Mourinho after Manchester United's 2-0 FA Cup third round win over Derby at Old Trafford on Friday.

"Honestly, I don't blame him. The question that comes to him comes to him wrong and because of that he has that out-of-control reaction. But I don't blame him at all.

"I was asked about my passion and you know because most of you were in my press conference I was speaking about myself. And then the question to the Chelsea manager was like I told [them] that he behaved like a clown.

"So I don't blame the Chelsea manager at all and I understand the reaction but I was talking about myself by saying that I don't need to behave like a clown to show passion.

"Everybody knows that I don't need the Chelsea manager to know that I made mistakes in the past and I will make mistakes in the future.

"I celebrated goals by running 50 metres. I celebrated goals by sliding on my knees. I have celebrated by jumping into the crowd. I am not free of that, especially if it is a winning goal in a specific moment.

"I am not free of an out-of-control reaction in the future. But what I was trying to say is that I behaved badly in the past a few times and in this moment I control myself much better.

"It doesn't mean that my passion is not the same. So, wrong question. Obviously a strong answer but I don't blame [him].

"The only thing I want to say to Antonio Conte is that, yes, I made my mistakes in the past on the touchline. Yes, I make less but I will [still] make a few.

"What has never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing. That never happened to me and it will never happen."

Credit: Skysports.com

Smalling Hopes For More Goals In 2018

Chris Smalling has revealed he thinks he should score more goals in 2018, as he is managing to get in threatening positions when moving up from the back.

The central defender returned to the matchday squad for the New Year's Day win at Everton, when he was an unused substitute, after being injured in the closing stages of the 2-2 draw with Leicester City.

He has found the net this term, with a far-post header against Newcastle United, and was off target with another effort from a set-piece in that recent game against the Foxes.

"I am disappointed I haven't had more goals this season," he told United Review, the official matchday programme. "Especially with my friends often saying that I get one good chance in most games.

"So, really, I should have had at least four or five already. I need to make sure I do a bit better in the second half of the campaign in terms of goalscoring form because, as defenders, ours are crucial to add the team.

"I am getting in those positions," he explained. "I am often getting a chance a game now, so I think I will keep putting myself in there and, hopefully, help make an impact."

Lingard Voted Man Of The Match

Jesse Lingard earned another accolade on Friday evening when he was voted Manchester United's Man of the Match against Derby County after smashing in his eighth goal in his last 10 appearances.

Lingard had produced the decisive second strike in the win over Everton on New Year's Day and this time out, the 25-year-old broke down the stubborn Derby rearguard and sent United on the way to the Emirates FA Cup fourth round with another wonder goal.

The in-form Warrington man has now scored 11 goals this season - matching his combined tally for the last two campaigns. Five of those strikes, along with his energetic performances, helped him to win the club's Player of the Month Award for December, as voted for on Twitter.

The fans were out in force to vote for Lingard again on Friday as he was the overwhelming winner of the Man of the Match accolade, claiming 80 per cent of the final vote after team-mates Paul Pogba (12 per cent) and Ander Herrera (eight per cent) were also nominated.

Reflecting on Lingard's goal and his strong recent performances afterwards, boss Jose Mourinho said: “It was an amazing strike. Just recently from our fans [he was] the player of the month. [He scored] an amazing goal at Goodison Park and now he scored an important goal for us, but honestly everybody is happy for him and the team really deserved this.

"He’s in a clear evolution. I think he’s comfortable in the positions he plays, I think he’s improving with the progressive style of play of the team. He’s playing progressively in a different way which makes him feel even more like a fish in the water and he’s in this moment where things go well for him."

Herrera: Derby Display Was One Of Our Best

Ander Herrera described Manchester United's Emirates FA Cup third-round win over Derby County as "one of our best games this season".

The Reds saw off the Championship side 2-0 at Old Trafford on Friday night thanks to a stunning strike from Jesse Lingard and a late goal from substitute Romelu Lukaku.

Herrera, who caught the eye while playing the full 90 minutes in midfield, felt the team's overall performance was commendable.

The Spaniard told MUTV: “I think we have played one of our best games this season – full of control, good play, good movement of the ball and everyone feeling good on the pitch, participating in the game.

“That is why I couldn’t believe we weren’t winning after 30 minutes. I think football was fair with us, we have scored two in the end but we could have scored six or seven, to be honest.”

The Reds found it tough to grind down Gary Rowett’s side before Lingard broke the deadlock against a team he played for on loan in 2015. Jesse's stunning strike from just outside the box was his 11th goal of the season and it was one which Herrera certainly enjoyed.

“The goal was amazing, the goal was incredible,” Ander said. “He tries always, he moves very well. He has a very good shot with both feet. When you try all the time and you’re optimistic with yourself and you try and try, sooner or later you will get the result. The result was again another fantastic goal.”

Romelu Lukaku returned from injury as a second-half substitute and scored his 16th goal of the campaign late on to seal the victory. Herrera feels the Belgian played well when he came on but credited the whole team for a job well done.

“He played very well,” the no.21 said of Lukaku. “He held the ball up for us, he gave us that target man in the second half, he played amazing. The second goal was incredible, also the assist of Anthony [Martial] was very good.

“I think we cannot say just two or three names today, the whole team played amazingly. We were very good on the pitch, moving the ball, everyone receiving the ball – running, shooting, crossing. I think we did everything good. Of course you always have things to improve on but almost everything was good.”

After getting past Derby, the Reds can now look towards Monday evening's fourth-round draw. When asked if the ideal scenario would be another home tie, Herrera said: “You never know. When we won the FA Cup, we drew at home against West Ham and then we beat them away. You can also have problems against a Championship team at home – that’s the magic of the cup.”

Mourinho: Victory Was Much Deserved

Jose Mourinho believes his Manchester United team richly deserved to beat Derby County in Friday night’s Emirates FA Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford.

Late goals from former Derby loanee Jesse Lingard and substitute Romelu Lukaku secured a 2-0 win in the first home game of 2018 as the Reds booked a place in Monday evening's fourth-round draw.

Read what the boss thought of the game as he spoke to MUTV as well as reporters at his post-match press conference…

‘I THINK WE HAD A GOOD GAME’
“I was confident because the team never stopped to play, to try, but at the same time, it happened, for example, recently against Southampton here where we kept playing and the goal never arrived. But I think we played well, I think we had a good game, I think they gave us a difficult game because they defended very, very well. But I think we deserved the victory. To be honest, I don’t think we need a replay. I don’t think a team like them fighting for promotion needs a replay but that’s the rule of the competition and we almost had to go for a second game.”

'MY FEELING WAS GOOD'
"Again my feeling was good, because the players played well, the attitude was good, they created chances, they had shots, continuity in the development of the game, they never lost their brains, they kept playing the style and the way we want to play so I think it is very much deserved. But really the ball did not want to go into the net. Again the opposition goalkeeper was brilliant so it was difficult, but in the end it was a good feeling."

‘CLOWN’ COMMENTS CLARIFIED
“I don’t blame him [Chelsea manager Antonio Conte for his reaction]. I think the press should apologise to me and him because the question that comes to him is completely wrong and because of that he had that out-of-control reaction. I was speaking about myself and then the question to the Chelsea manager was like I said that he behaves like a clown. I don’t blame the Chelsea manager at all and can understand his reaction. I don’t need to behave like a clown to show passion and I can control my emotions in a better way. I don’t need the Chelsea manager to say that I made mistakes in the past and I will make mistakes in the future. I’ve behaved bad a few times and in this moment I control myself much better – it doesn’t mean my passion is not the same. Yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline. Yes, I will make less but I hope to make a few [mistakes] in the future."

IMPRESSED WITH LINGARD
“It was an amazing strike. Just recently from our fans [he was] the player of the month. [He scored] an amazing goal at Goodison Park and now he scored an important goal for us, but honestly everybody is happy for him and the team really deserved this. He’s in a clear evolution. I think he’s comfortable in the positions he plays, I think he’s improving with the progressive style of play of the team. He’s playing progressively in a different way which makes him feel even more like a fish in the water and he’s in this moment where things go well for him. He’s the opposite of Marcus [Rashford] because in training, he [Marcus] is scoring unbelievable goals but is coming to matches and missing unbelievable chances, hitting the post and the goalkeeper saves, so clearly the players have these moments. I’m not worried with Marcus because the good moment will arrive and Jesse, if a negative moment arrives, I don’t think he will lose this stability that he’s showing. He’s mature, he understands the game better, so clearly he’s becoming a real player.”

PRAISE FOR THE RETURNING LUKAKU
"He is another example of what a Manchester United player has to be. A great professional, amazing desire to play. We had to stop him playing against Everton, three days later he is here and working the way he is working and showing his desire, his commitment, so I am really happy for him."

APOLOGY TO MKHITARYAN
“[It was] unfair [to take Mkhitaryan off] and I told him that at half-time. I didn’t like what I did. He didn’t deserve it, he was playing well, he wasn’t playing bad. He had a couple of missed passes but he was playing well and giving a good dynamic to the team. My feeling was just that Rashford is not going to score a goal and because of that I’m not going to lose time and I’m going to play Romelu [Lukaku] so then I had to sacrifice a player. Micki was the one that I sacrificed but it’s something that I don’t normally do but I did at half-time and apologised to him in front of other people because he didn’t deserve it.”

HOME AGAIN IN THE NEXT ROUND?
"You always want a home draw because you don't travel if you play at home. Of course lots of fans from the away team are always coming, but it is always better to play at home, but the draw is something we cannot control and, if we have to go away, we go away."

LOOKING FORWARD TO DUBAI
“You want the truth? If we have a replay, we don’t go to Dubai [for warm weather training] and everybody wants to go. Did you see the players celebrating the second goal? Everybody wants to go, everybody wants to have a week of good training, good facilities, but now it still depends on the Stoke result [against Coventry City on Saturday] because if Stoke gets a draw, we don’t go to Dubai! We go on Monday but, if they get a draw, we don’t go.”

FA Cup: Man. United 2 Derby County 0

Two late strikes from Jesse Lingard and substitute Romelu Lukaku ensured the Reds progressed to the Emirates FA Cup fourth round with a thoroughly deserving 2-0 win over a stubborn Derby County under the bright Friday night lights of Old Trafford.

It had looked as though Jose Mourinho's men were set for a replay after striking the post three times and former Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson frustrating the Reds with a number of top class saves, but the man of the moment Lingard finally broke the Rams' resolve six minutes from time with a cracking 20-yard strike, before Lukaku secured the safe passage to round four with a late second goal on the counter attack.

Mourinho received a double Belgian boost as Lukaku returned to the matchday squad having sat out the win against his former club Everton with a head injury, whilst Marouane Fellaini did likewise after having failed to feature since the win over Brighton here back in November. Both took their places on the Reds' substitutes bench.

For the first time since United's opening home league game of 2016/17 against Southampton, it was Friday night football under the lights at Old Trafford and it was a great spectacle.

The Reds started equally as brightly, with Pogba continuing his impressive form which had previously helped his side defeat Everton on New Year's Day. The Frenchman crossed for another in-form player, Lingard, to fire over, before then shooting inches too high himself after positive build-up play.

Chris Smalling, who returned to United's defence after picking up a knock against Leicester, made some crucial early interceptions as Gary Rowett's Derby looked to play on the counter attack at every opportunity. Reds academy graduate Tom Lawrence often provided the Rams' impetus, looking to impress on his Manchester homecoming.

Marcus Rashford should have put United ahead 18 minutes in after clever footwork took him away from two Derby defenders, but the youngster blasted just over from 15 yards.

Juan Mata had a 20-yard free-kick tipped away by Carson, before Sergio Romero did likewise at the other end as Marcus Olsson's header looked destined to loop in.

If Rashford's earlier attempt was a good goalscoring chance, then his next effort was an even bigger one. A pinpoint Henrikh Mkhitaryan cross was met with a deft header at the back post by United's number 19, but he could only strike the post when he should, in truth, have opened the scoring.

Pogba then replicated what Mata had done moments earlier with what looked like an inch-perfect free-kick, but again Carson was equal to it, diving to his right to acrobatically push the ball over the crossbar and the sides went into the break on level terms at 0-0.

Former Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone had an early second-half effort which deflected off Luke Shaw and flew inches over, before Mata shot straight at Carson and Pogba fired inches wide at the other end. Lawrence tried his luck from 30 yards which Romero saved down low, whilst Pogba again struck an effort at Carson as both sides were being restricted to long-range attempts.

United continued to probe and Pogba again shot inches wide before Carson and then the post denied Rashford for the second time.

Lukaku and Anthony Martial, who had replaced Mkhitaryan and Mata respectively, combined as the latter crossed for the Belgian who headed against the post, but the linesman had his flag raised anyway.

Lingard was the next to be denied by Carson who was fastly becoming the Rams' hero, before Pogba fired the rebound wide. But the young man from Warrington who is in the form of his life was not to be denied this time as substitute Lukaku fed Lingard who unleashed a fierce effort into the top corner from 25 yards for his 11th strike of the season and his eighth goal in his last 10 appearances.

Lukaku then put the game to bed in the final minute of regular time on the counter attack, as he first brought the ball down on the halfway line, played a one-two with Martial, before slotting through the legs of Carson.

United's road to Wembley will be made clearer when the draw for the fourth round takes place on Monday.

THE LINE-UPS

United: Romero; Lindelof, Smalling, Blind, Shaw; Herrera, Pogba (c), Mata (Martial 67), Lingard, Mkhitaryan (Lukaku 45); Rashford (Fellaini 79).

Subs not used: Pereira, Darmian, Rojo, McTominay.

Derby: Carson, Wisdom, Pearce, Keogh (c), Olsson; Weimann, Thorne, Huddlestone, Russell (Hanson 78), Lawrence, (Bennett 81); Winnall (Vydra 67).

Subs not used: Mitchell, Baird, Martin, Nugent.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR UNITED?

The Reds now have a well-earned break before we are back at Old Trafford to face Stoke City. The game is scheduled for Monday 15 January in the Premier League with kick-off at 20:00 GMT but if Stoke are taken to a replay in the FA Cup by Coventry City, the match will move to Saturday 13 January at 12:30 GMT.

Conte Hits Back At Mourinho 'Clown' Comments

Antonio Conte has hit back at Jose Mourinho's criticism of other managers' touchline antics, saying the Man Utd boss has forgotten his own past behaviour.

On Thursday, Mourinho appeared to take a thinly-veiled swipe at his managerial rivals when comparing his own behaviour in the technical area to other managers in the top flight.

Mourinho claimed he did not need to act like a "clown" to prove his desire to stay at Manchester United, saying his commitment to the club is "total".

"Because I don't behave as a clown on the touchline, it means that I lost my passion," said Mourinho.

"I prefer to behave the way I am doing it, much more mature, better for my team and myself, I don't think you have to behave like a crazy guy on the touchline to have that passion.

"That passion, you see it every day. The way a person is dedicated to his work, not what you do in front of the cameras."

When asked about Mourinho's comments on Friday, Conte used the Italian phrase "demenza senile" in relation to the Manchester United manager, which translates as senile dementia.

Conte said: "I think he has to see himself in the past - maybe he was speaking about himself in the past. Maybe, sometimes, I think that someone forgets what's said in the past, which is his behaviour.

"Sometimes I think there is, I don't know the name, but demenza senile... when you forget what you do in the past."

Conte and Mourinho clashed after Chelsea's 4-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge last season, with the Portuguese accusing his rival of attempting to "humiliate" the visitors with his exuberant celebrations.

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Gary Neville On 'Exceptional' Manchester City And Manchester United's Second-place Challenge

Gary Neville runs the rule over the Manchester clubs following an action-packed festive period, paying tribute to City and laying down the gauntlet to United.

Pep Guardiola's side are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a gruelling schedule that has seen them claim victories over Bournemouth, Newcastle and Watford, as well as preserving their unbeaten league record, thanks to Ederson's last-gasp penalty save at Crystal Palace.

Jose Mourinho's men, meanwhile, started 2018 on a high note with a 2-0 win over Everton but had previously laboured to three successive draws - two at Old Trafford - and now sit only a point ahead of third-placed Chelsea.

Speaking on the latest Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports pundit assesses the rivals' performances and, while heaping praise on the blue half of Manchester, sets a challenge to the red half...

Nev's City verdict

"Exceptional. They nearly lost their unbeaten record at Crystal Palace but they hung onto it. You're going to have moments like that - those scrapes, near-misses - but they've been exceptional.

"I was at the Newcastle game on December 27th - it was a tough one for them because Newcastle sat deep and though they should have been three or four up at half-time, it was a very professional performance. The football's wonderful - they're just the best in every single department.

"To be at the top at Christmas by that many points but to do it in the style they have... I questioned it, I said it had never been done before in terms of winning the Premier League in that kind of style. You look at Chelsea's team or Manchester United, which has power through the spine - that has ordinarily won the Premier League. This season City do have some power through the spine but not what you would call the natural way with two big centre-backs, the holding midfield player, the powerful striker.

"They're doing it in a wonderful way - the Pep Guardiola way - and it looks like the league is gone already. That's disappointing - not just because I'm a Man Utd fan - but in any season, any team would be behind this one.

"I was talking before the game about the two Jose Mourinho seasons at Chelsea when he first arrived. In that first one, with the points that he had at this stage, he would have been eight points behind this City team. In the second season, he would have been two points behind.

"I remember at that time it was the only period in my Manchester United career where I thought I wasn't going to win a league again because I thought in that second season, this is so exceptional what we're seeing from Jose and Chelsea. And yet they would have been two points behind this Man City team.

"We're talking exceptional seasons and you have to give credit to what Man City are doing - it's unprecedented. The rest are left trailing in their wake and always would be, probably, in any season.

Nev's United assessment

"The festive period has ended on a high. I started the period co-commentating on the Leicester game, which was such a big disappointment because they deserved to win that game and in the last minute they shot themselves in the foot. That set them back, then they had the two home draws.

"You'd say Huddersfield, Southampton, Burnley, Leicester are the games you can look at and say there should be four, five more points on the board. Then you'd say Manchester United would be having a fantastic season but it's those dropped points combined with what's happening over the road - the fact the City are so many points clear and the style in which they're playing. But it's still better at United than it has been in the past few years.

"The problem is that when you've got such big rivals and such big rivals in management terms as Jose and Pep, everything gets amplified. That's the nature of a big club like Manchester United - getting criticism as well as the praise.

"But you have to forget the uncontrollables - don't feel picked on, because nobody feels sorry for you when you're at Manchester United; you have to accept and be tough enough to overcome it.

"They've still got trophies to play for - the FA Cup, the Champions League - and they have a real challenge on to finish second in the league.

"While second shouldn't be tolerated at Manchester United, it would be an improvement on recent years."

Credit: Skysports.com

Manchester United In Talks With Mourinho Over New Contract

Manchester United are in talks with Jose Mourinho regarding a contract extension, Sky Sports News understands.

Mourinho is currently midway through the three-year contract he signed when succeeding Louis van Gaal in May 2016.

It is believed talks between Mourinho's agent, Jorge Mendes, and United began in October.

United are currently second in the Premier League, 15 points behind leaders Manchester City, and have progressed through to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Sevilla.

Mourinho has admitted United are finding it difficult to compete with City and Paris Saint-Germain in the transfer market and suggested his squad requires massive investment to enable them to compete with Europe's elite clubs.

In October, he spoke glowingly about what is taking at PSG, who 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.

"At the moment in Paris there is something special. Magic, quality, youth - it's fantastic," Mourinho said.

In the same interview with French television, Mourinho expressed a "desire to do new things" and said he does not intend to finish his career at United.

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Mkhitaryan, Manchester United Not Interested In Inter Milan Loan

Neither Manchester United nor Henrikh Mkhitaryan are keen on a loan deal to Inter Milan, according to Sky in Italy.

It was reported in December that the Serie A club were interested in the Armenian, who has struggled to hold down a first-team place under Jose Mourinho in recent months.

The attacking midfielder had been dropped because Mourinho was unhappy with the player's performances.

He had not started a Premier League game for United since the defeat at Chelsea on November 5 until playing against Southampton at Old Trafford on December 30.

Mkhitaryan was back on the bench for the 2-0 win at Everton last time out, and did not appear as a sub.

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.

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Lingard: I'm In The Form Of My Life

Player-of-the-Month Jesse Lingard picked up his award at the Aon Training Complex on Thursday and discussed his red-hot form with MUTV ahead of Manchester United's Emirates FA Cup tie with his former loan club Derby County...

Congratulations on your first Player-of-the-Month award here at United…
Obviously, I’ve been in and around the team and playing a lot of matches so it’s been great to add some goals as well to my performances.

You were a runaway winner of our poll and even Juan Mata, a fellow contender, suggested you deserve it…
Yes, it’s always great to be recognised by your fellow team-mates and by the fans. It’s about more hard work now, though, I’ve got to kick on a bit more and score more goals to help the team keep picking up three points.

You’re always striving to work hard and get better but you must be pleased with your form – would you say it’s the best of your career?
Yes, of course, I think I’m now coming into the team and it’s a great group of lads. It’s easy to play as a team with the performances we’ve been showing pretty much since last month. It’s good to keep working hard, pushing yourself and, by scoring goals, you get the reward.

You’ve scored 10 goals and some great ones among them this season – which is your favourite?
I think all of them! To score a goal for Manchester United is always a great feeling. To score the goals I’ve scored is even better really. I enjoy going out on the pitch every week, scoring goals and helping the team.
You’ve been unlucky too – you hit the woodwork twice with one shot against Burnley when it bounced up and also hit a post at Leicester…
It can happen in football. I think it’s how you react after that. I’ve shown the manager if I’ve missed chances, I can score the next one.

Are you running out of new celebrations with all these goals you’re scoring?
[Laughs] It depends on the timing in the game and what the score is, to be fair. The Burnley one was more passionate because it was a comeback and it was the type of feeling where I showed the passion I was experiencing at the time.

It was a comeback in United’s best traditions – it all looked lost as we headed into injury time – yet you wanted the ball back to go for the winner…
I thought we could have nicked it towards the end. Like I’ve said before, if we played a bit longer, we would have won the game as we had Burnley penned in and they couldn’t get out.

We thought we played well at Leicester even though we didn’t win but was the second half against Everton the team playing in our best form?
Yeah, I think we’re back to performing well and doing what we do best. It’s just the goals, the performances have been there. If we can add the goals, like we did in the second half at Everton, along with the performance, obviously it’s even better.

What was quite surprising, giving the exhausting schedule, was how fresh we looked in the second half at Goodison…
I thought we got our second wind, each and every one of us. We enjoy football so we don’t mind playing as often as we do. So to get over this Christmas period now, it’s about focusing on each game as it comes.

You’ve always been a fit lad with good stamina, do you feel fresh despite all these games of late?
Of course. I want to play every game, obviously. We recover well and do things that they ask of us in order to do recover. It was two games in 48 hours and I’ve never done that before but I still felt fresh in the second half at Everton.

Of course, you know Derby well after your loan there, they are flying at the moment in the Championship…
They are doing really well and, you know, cup games are always difficult. You never know what’s going to happen but, as long as we prepare ourselves right, we can move on.

The FA Cup will always be special for you after that winning goal against Crystal Palace but also for the club too…
Of course, every competition we are in, we always want to win it. The FA Cup is always going to be special and, if we can get over this hurdle and a few more games, then we could get back to Wembley.

Does the competition have even more importance after we were knocked out of the Carabao Cup?
Yes, I think so. It’s always good to win a trophy in any season – unfortunately we are out of the Carabao Cup now but we can obviously focus on the FA Cup, plus we’ve got the league and the Champions League as well.

Mourinho: The Reasons Why I Live In A Hotel

Jose Mourinho has assured Manchester United fans he is happy living in a city-centre hotel, even admitting he would be “lonely” living in a large house without his assistants nearby.

The manager has resided in The Lowry since taking charge of the club in the summer of 2016, and has repeatedly played down suggestions that he is unhappy living in the north of England.

During a press conference at the Aon Training Complex on Thursday, to preview the Emirates FA Cup third-round tie against Derby County, Mourinho spoke at length about his commitment to United and how he hopes to stay at Old Trafford beyond the conclusion of his three-year contract.

When one journalist asked if he “understands the concerns” of certain fans who don't understand his decision not to buy a house in Manchester, Jose was amusingly honest and clear in his response.

“No,” said the boss. “If the fans want me to be comfortable, then that's the way I feel very comfortable, because I am very lazy and because I like to arrive in the hotel. I don't want anyone to be worried about me living in a two-square metre room. I am living in an apartment inside of a hotel where I have all the comfort and support, where I have everything that I want, like I'm living in a house.

"So if they are worried about me being comfortable and happy and supported, I really am. If they want me to be in some house that I don't like, lonely and away from my assistants, then I could do this for them. But then I would be a sad guy and a sad guy doesn't work well.”

Mourinho has also accepted that he might always be associated with Chelsea more than United, due to his historic achievements at Stamford Bridge and the enormous history at Old Trafford that has preceded him. However, he says the Blues are firmly in his past and the future is most definitely red.

“The difference now between Chelsea and Manchester United is that I really belong to Chelsea’s history, because I won three Premier Leagues, I won cups, I won lots of things there,” Jose told reporters. “The club won their first Premier League in 2004 so I think I have a history there.

“Here my history is the history of somebody that works hard every day and we won the only competition that the club had never won, but everybody knows that the Europa League is not the El Dorado of football. I come in a moment where it's more difficult to make history.

“So probably people look at me still as the Jose who came to Chelsea in 2004, was at Chelsea for two periods and was champion. But that is my past, it's my past. My present is Manchester United and I hope my future is Manchester United too.”

Mourinho: Quit Reports Are 'Garbage'

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has addressed press speculation over his future, dismissing it as 'garbage'.

The Reds boss says he has no intention to leave the club and is fully committed to the cause at Old Trafford, regardless of any negative reports in the wake of three successive draws in the Premier League, prior to the fine win at Everton.

"It depends on what you want to know and what you want to speak about," he said at his press conference, when asked about his contractual situation. "If you want to speak about some news, I say garbage! I don't find a better word to define the talk.

"If you want to ask me directly, which I suppose you want, if I see myself next season in Manchester United, I say I see myself [here] and, as I told you when I arrived, I am going to leave when the club wants me to leave because I have no intention to leave at all.

"My intention is to stay and to work and to improve and to bring the club to where the club belongs. I want to stay. I don't see any reason not to stay.

"So, yes, I still have a contract. In fact, I am in the middle of my contract, I'm not in the last couple of months. My desire is to stay. It's just a question of the club, the owners, the board, Mr [Ed] Woodward, [and what] they all want, [if] they all are happy with my contribution and they want me to stay beyond the end of this contract. But, yes, I want to stay."

The boss, who has never missed a training session since arriving in Manchester, was unhappy with tabloid reports that unfairly questioned his dedication and professionalism.

"Speaking about my work and connecting my work to the garbage news is to say the worst thing that anyone can do to myself," he declared. "It's not to say that I am a bad manager, it's not so say that I'm under-performing, it's not to say that I made a mistake in this game or that game.

"I think the worst thing somebody can do to me is to put one inch of doubt in my professionalism, in my dedication to my club, to my job, to my players, to every detail related to my job.

"So, yes, the garbage news affected me just on this aspect but again I repeat, I am in the middle of my contract. If I am going to sign a new one or not, of course depends on the club. But my commitment with the club is total."

Gary Neville On Lingard & Pogba

Gary Neville discusses Jesse Lingard's emergence and criticism of Paul Pogba.

Lethal Lingard

On the subject of key players, Jesse Lingard's improvement has shown he has everything you want from a Manchester United player.

Not in terms of skills necessarily but in terms of passion, commitment and loving the badge. Those are the most important characteristics for United players. Those players will always deliver more.

United is a big place to play and you have to have the desire and resilience. I've heard people challenge him, saying he's not good enough, saying get Henrikh Mkhitaryan in, get Anthony Martial in. No, let's get Lingard in because he has all of the characteristics you want.

People are viewing this period as a difficult period but he, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young are shining like lights because they've got the underbelly and fight.

What fans want is loyalty and care for the shirt and that is such an important characteristic. It shouldn't be underestimated what that has been to United since the '90s.

Sensitive subjects

Jose Mourinho has been defending Paul Pogba from his critics this week. One thing we have seen a lot more of is managers and players responding to things out of their control and I actually find it quite funny. Everybody is a bit sensitive and touchy these days.

When somebody pays £90m for you then you're going to be criticised. When you play for Manchester United you also get a lot of praise, fame and fortune, so for my part it is just part of the career of a footballer.

I remember Tony Adams saying to me early in my career that over your career of 18-20 years you are going to get praise and criticism in the media, but not to listen to either. You're going to have highs and lows and I have no idea why managers pay any attention to what is said on TV.

The worst thing is being ignored. If you are being talked about it means you are doing something right. Pogba has the right character and personality to play for Manchester United.

I liked him on the left against Everton and I liked him there against Burnley when he was putting balls into the box with his right foot and United had 24 shots. I think he's been good this season and he is a massive loss when he's out, so it is just about delivering in the big matches, which will come because he's still young.

Credit: Skysports.com