Jose Mourinho took an interesting angle after enduring his heaviest ever home defeat as a manager.
Manchester United fell to a 3-0 defeat to Spurs at Old Trafford on Monday night but Mourinho sounded much happier about the performance than he did last weekend, when the Red Devils were overturned by Brighton.
Mourinho insisted that his players put his desired gameplan into effect and he stayed out on the pitch after the full-time whistle to applaud the home supporters.
“We worked all week and from a strategic point of view, we didn’t lose,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
“From a tactical point of view, we didn’t lose. But we lost the game.
“But all our fans don’t read papers. All our fans don’t watch television. All our fans are more intelligent than that. They answered in an absolutely amazing way.
“I don’t think it’s normal for a team to lose a game at home and for the supporters to react the way they did.”
Mourinho made several changes for the game and refused to be drawn on his formation ahead of kick-off.
It was the first time in 25 years that United lost two of their opening three games of a Premier League season but Mourinho appeared content with the performance prior to Spurs’ third goal, which came courtesy of Lucas Moura’s second of the evening.
“We worked very, very well during the week, we prepared very well for the game and we played very well,” Mourinho said.
Jose Mourinho applauding the remaining Man Utd fans at Old Trafford. 😵 pic.twitter.com/pSs97ya9fg
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) August 27, 2018
“The players had a fantastic attitude. At half-time, the result should have been, in my opinion, two goals of a difference minimum. 2-0, 3-1, 3-0-… But then something happened to change the game a little bit and then the result was 2-0 but the team was in the game and I think everyone could feel that one goal could have changed the direction of the game. I think Tottenham felt it and I think we were feeling it too.
“But then the third goal game and killed the game.”
