Manchester United vs Manchester City: Jose Mourinho must not return to dark arts ahead of EFL Cup clash, according to Xavi
Barcelona legend claims ex-Real Madrid boss loves going to war when the pressure's on and urges him to focus on football
BARCELONA legend Xavi has pleaded with Jose Mourinho to not return to the dark arts at Manchester United.
The Red Devils are low on confidence after being battered 4-0 by Chelsea on Sunday, and know they cannot afford a second defeat to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola in the EFL Cup tomorrow night.
Mourinho often walked a fine line in the past when things weren’t going right for his team, with his battles against Guardiola in Spain spilling over on several occasions.
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But Xavi has urged The Special One to focus on football and avoid going to war in order to get things back on track at United.
He said: “Sometimes, when things don’t go well for Mourinho, he wants war not football – like when he was at Real Madrid – and I hope we don’t see that again in England.
“When I knew they [Mourinho and Guardiola] would be rival coaches again, I knew it would be good for football. I knew it would be especially good for English football.
“They’re two of the best coaches in the world and their duel can be the best in football. Both coaches are going to want to want to win this game. I don’t believe this is a competition they will not take seriously.
“Pep will not be worrying, that’s not his way – but he will not have been happy with recent results – and a good win against the biggest rivals could put them on a good run again.
“Pep will also want to win his first competition with City, that will be important for him. Even with City dropping some points in the league, I still think under Pep they’ll be champions this season.
“The domestic competitions have to be everything for United and Mourinho this season. I don’t think this season they can win the Premier League. These competitions are their hope for a trophy.
“Once Mourinho has had another transfer window, maybe they’ll be ready, but for now they must secure a finish in a Champions League spot – that’s where United belong.”