Jose Mourinho launched a stinging attack on
Dutchman Frank de Boer on Monday after the
former Crystal Palace coach criticised
Manchester United’s sparse use of Marcus
Rashford.
Jose Mourinho
Rashford scored twice in his first Premier
League start of 2018 as United edged out
Liverpool 2-1 on Saturday, but Mourinho still
substituted the 20-year-old England forward 20
minutes from time as he looked to make the
game safe.
“It’s a pity that the manager is Mourinho
because normally he’s an English player, you
want to give him time and he can then make
mistakes,” De Boer told BT Sport.
“But Mourinho is not like that. He wants to get
results.”
De Boer was sacked by Crystal Palace after
just five games in charge in September having
seen the London side fail to register a point or
score a goal in his four Premier League games
in charge.
“I read some quote from the worst manager in
the history of the Premier League, Frank de
Boer,” Mourinho said on the eve of his side’s
Champions League last 16, second leg with
Sevilla.
“Where he was saying it is not good for
Marcus Rashford to have a coach like me
because the most important thing for me is to
win.
“If he was coached by Frank, he would learn
how to lose because he lost every game.”
De Boer won four straight Dutch league titles
as Ajax boss between 2011-2014.
Rashford’s minutes have been limited since
the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in January, but
Mourinho insisted he was finding a balance
between burning Rashford out and giving him
enough experience.
“Does he play every match from the start? No,
of course not but he’s a player we trust and I
told him that before the Liverpool match,”
added Mourinho.
“He had a good match and not just by scoring
goals. Analysing a performance for me is more
than number of goals or assists, and for me
I’m really happy with Marcus.”
– Pogba in contention –
Whether Rashford starts against Sevilla may
depend on Paul Pogba’s fitness.
The £89 million French midfielder missed the
clash with Liverpool through injury, but
Mourinho confirmed he returned to training on
Monday.
Mourinho’s defensive tactics in a 0-0 draw in
Spain three weeks ago were much-criticised
as, without an away goal, United’s tie with
Sevilla is finely balanced.
And the Portuguese admitted United have no
“advantage” as a score draw would see Sevilla
progress.
“The first leg leaves everything open for
tomorrow,” added Mourinho.
“I don’t feel we have any advantage in this
moment. We are going to try to show we are
better but I don’t feel we have any
advantage.”
Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella is an open
admirer of Mourinho having admitted to
reading the Portuguese’s book for inspiration
early in his managerial career.
But the Italian is hoping to get one over on
Mourinho to match Sevilla’s best ever run in
the European Cup when they reached the
quarter-finals in 1958.
“Mourinho is not used to losing games at
home, so I would settle for a 1-1,” said
Montella.
“It is a special game because it would be a
very important step for the club. We’ve only
been there once before and that was 60 years
ago.”
Three-time European champions, United have
made the Champions League quarter-finals
just once in the past seven years.
Mourinho believes they are still some way off
the European elite, but believes from his
experiences of winning the competition with
Porto and Inter Milan, anything is possible if
they make the last eight.
“I think we are not one of the best teams in
the competition, but I think when a team
arrives in the last eight anything can happen.
“When you are in the last 16 it looks really,
really far, but when a team gets in the last
eight you start smelling the semi-finals.”