Jose Mourinho takes aim at critics after Man Utd seal Champions League progress

Jose Mourinho reminded his critics of his record in European football after Manchester United scraped past Young Boys to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase.

Marouane Fellaini’s 91st-minute winner saw United book their place in the last-16 with a game to spare at the end of the frustrating night at Old Trafford.

The winning goal – United’s first home goal in this season’s Champions League – sparked an outburst from Mourinho, who launched a drinks bottle holder into the ground as emotions got the better of him.

“Let me send a message to my lovers and let me say that I’ve played Champions League for 14 years and I’ve qualified 14 times,” the Portuguese told his post-match press conference.

“The two years where I didn’t play in the Champions League, I won the Europa League twice.

“So in 16 years, 14 times I qualify and twice I play Europa League and I won. So just curiosity for my lovers and the lovers of the stats.”

Mourinho cut an emotional figure throughout the game and was visibly distressed when Marcus Rashford missed an early chance before losing control after Fellaini’s winner.

When asked the sum up his night on the touchline, the United manager took another opportunity to respond to criticism aimed at him.

“We don’t score enough goals but it is not just about Marcus, it’s about us as a team,” he added. “It is very difficult for us to score goals.

“But Marcus makes the movement, makes the runs, works hard when he does and doesn’t have the ball and I can never blame a player because of missing chances.

“Can myself or another manager have a reaction or frustration? Can I have on the touchline, where not a lot of the ones that comment on football have been? Not many of them were there.

“I would invite those people to sit on the bench as managers but I think maybe it is better to have lots of holidays in Barbados and go to the television screen and touch the electronic dummies.

“It’s much more comfortable than being on the touchline like us managers are.

“I’m pretty sure that a proper football manager would never criticise another one for emotional reaction on the touchline because it’s deja vu. For the ones that have a nice life, it’s different.”

(c) Sky News 2018: Jose Mourinho takes aim at critics after Man Utd seal Champions League progress