Jose Mourinho launches scathing attack on Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw who refused to play for Manchester United
JOSE MOURINHO launched an amazing attack on two Manchester United stars after claiming they refused to play at Swansea.
Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling were in the firing line after the Special One accused them of betraying United’s “culture”.
United won 3-1, with two from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and another from Paul Pogba during a rampant first half.
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But Mourinho, serving a one match suspension from the touchline after his rant at ref Mark Clattenburg last weekend, did not hold back.
He said: “I have a friend who is a big tennis player and he tells me when he remembered more the times he plays with pain than the times he plays without pain.
“To compete you have to go to the limit. It is cultural for some - and that is not my culture. More than me, it is Man United.
“We have players with ‘problems’. At every sport - and I know because I have friends in others sports and they play at the highest level in their sport, and how many times they play when you are not 100 per cent.”
Mourinho was furious with Shaw after the left-back told Mourinho he was not able to play at Swansea on the morning of the game.
Smalling, who has not played since the 4-0 savaging at Chelsea, also told the Special One he could not play through pain.
Henrikh Mkihtaryan, who came on in the 2-1 defeat against Fenerbahce on Thursday night, was also missing from the win at Swans.
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Mourinho had told in-house tv station MUTV before the game: "Valencia had surgery on his arm, Bailly has a long-term knee injury, Smalling doesn't feel that he can play 100 per cent with his pain. Luke Shaw told me this morning that he was not in the condition to play so we had to build a defensive line.
"To be honest, I trust the four boys that are on the pitch. I go with the players that are convinced they can do it and I am very confident.
“I know Ashley Young is not a right-back but Ashley Young is a champion. Matteo Darmian is always ready to do his best and Phil Jones, he understands the moment of the team.
“He understands that we are in trouble so he is ready to go and accelerated his process.
“Maybe his process would take him more time but he's put himself on the line to go with the team. Marcos [Rojo] is the same.
"Daley Blind has some problems but he put himself available to be on the bench and to try to help the team so the people that are here are people that I trust for a difficult match."
United won their first Premier League since the victory over Leicester on September 24 at Old Trafford.
He made six changes to the side who lost in Turkey on Thursday evening and got the response he wanted.
Michael Carrick, along with Ibra and captain Rooney, were excellent.
Mourinho added: “After the draw with Burnley we need points. It was a great performance, but it was one point and we need the three points. It was more important to get three points than the performance, but we have both.
“I would love to play Carrick in every game, but it is not possible. For the same reason I cannot go to the gym every day anymore. He played very well.
“Ibra is not a player who lacks confidence. A striker who does not score goals is one player less, but a striker who does everything else is one who does well. He works hard defensively, in the build up, he gave assists. I was not worried.”
