Jose Mourinho makes extraordinary claim in press conference after Manchester United’s defeat to Tottenham

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted he does not know his best defence and made the extraordinary claim that his side were strategically and tactically better than Tottenham despite a 3-0 thrashing.

In a tetchy post-match press conference which he walked out of, Mourinho insisted that it was more important the way his team played than the crushing result, which was the biggest home defeat of his entire career.

Just now, Jose walks out on post match press conference with this… pic.twitter.com/Cb5C9DWYeB

— Kyle Martino (@kylemartino) August 27, 2018

“The message that the supporters gave to the players was my message,” Mourinho said of the United supporters, who had not streamed out of the stadium when the third goal went in, applauding at the end. “It was the same. When you play the way you play, when you create what you create, when we miss the chances we missed, when at half-time everybody was frustrated but totally convinced we would win the match. And even with the unexpected 2-0 score the way the team kept playing until the third goal arrived, my message to the players is to be a positive message. I’m really happy, humbled, by the way the supporters reacted to the boys it was very much deserved.”

‘I don’t know’

But Mourinho conceded that he does not have any idea which players constitute his best defence. The United manager dropped Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, who were poor against Brighton in their previous defeat, and introduced a back three of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and midfielder Ander Herrera.

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“In the first game Lindelof and Bailly. This game Jones and Smalling. Now Jones is injured, so next match will be Smalling and another. When Marcos Rojo is back will be another option. No, I don’t know my best back four.”

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed that he did not consider dropping goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris despite his drink drive charge in the early hours of last Friday.

“He apologised to fans, us, the whole country,” Pochettino said. “He is punishing himself. He feels so bad. He knows he made a big mistake. We will support him, knowing it cannot be justified.”