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Jose Mourinho takes sly dig at Chelsea after Man Utd victory
JOSE MOURINHO aimed a sly dig at Chelsea after his Manchester United team overcame the Blues at Old Trafford earlier today.
The win will have been all the more sweeter for the Portuguese, who has had a long-running feud with Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte.
The controversial Mourinho also notably polarises opinion among Chelsea fans having twice been sacked at Stamford Bridge despite his overwhelming success there, winning seven major trophies.
And the Red Devils boss appeared to take aim again at the reigning Premier League champions, questioning whether they deserved the league title last term, in the aftermath of his team's victory.
Jose Mourinho on the touchline during United's 2-1 Premier League win over Chelsea
Manchester United celebrate Jesse Lingard's winner in their victory against Chelsea
For some reason they were the champions last season, and for some reason they played the way they did against Barcelona
"We beat a fantastic team,” Mourinho said to Sky Sports cameras afterwards.
“For some reason they were the champions last season, and for some reason they played the way they did against Barcelona, and for some reason they start the game so well, as they started here.
“We beat a very good team and to beat a very good team you need to be organised. You need also to have a humble spirit where everybody works, everybody fights and everybody tries to follow a game plan. I repeat, we beat a very good team.
“We can speak about tactics and positions and science but to win against the big teams, the attitude has to be special. The players showed that.
“The beginning of the game was blue. We took a bit of time to adapt to some new positions on the pitch.
"They started very well iand when they hit the post, I was looking to my players and I was thinking what can we do, who can I blame, but it was so beautifully played that there is nothing to say. They have a fantastic dynamic, through the sides they are very, very strong.
“We found a way to play against them, and we had a good control of Eden Hazard.
“Willian is an amazing player. In that action (the goal) he killed us. But we had, with the progression the game, more control of the game than them, without creating lots of chances."
Jose Mourinho barks instructions during United's win against former club Chelsea
Scott McTominay made just his third Premier League start of the season for United having started over £89 million midfielder Paul Pogba in the mid-week Champions League draw at Sevilla.
And the 21-year-old, eligible to represent England or Scotland at international level, repaid his manager with another promising display in the centre.
Mourinho lauded: “He is a fantastic player, a player that is what I call a modern midfield player. It’s what the top midfielders of the past were; he can do everything.
“The only thing he's not doing yet is scoring goals, which he can. Because I am giving him different jobs he’s not yet free to do that. We are starting from the basics and he’s doing wonderfully well.
“I think in the future he can score goals, we saw that in pre-season. But we are adapting him to his multi-functionality and he’s doing fantastic jobs for us, in Seville against Banega and today against Eden. I am very happy with him today.”
Romelu Lukaku was the stand-out performer, scoring one and assisting another with a fine cross, producing the kind of big-game performance that many doubted he could.
But Mourinho refused to solely praise the Belgian, and instead hailed his entire team.
"I don't like to individualise,” Mourinho continued.
“(Nemanja) Matic was phenomenal, Pogba played a fantastic game for our midfield. The central defenders too, the effort of the guys in attack.
"The mission that Alexis (Sanchez) had to be the third attacking player but at the same time the fourth midfield player to try to cover the area in front of Scott.
“Everyone made a big effort. The result could be a draw but in the second half we were more confident, felt more confident with the defensive base. I think if somebody deserves the victory, it was us."