Euro exit 'nothing new for Man Utd' - Mourinho
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said being knocked out of the Champions League at home in the last 16 was “nothing new for the club”.
Sevilla substitute Wissam Ben Yedder netted twice for the Spanish side in their 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.
“I don’t think the performance was bad,” said boss Mourinho, who lost at the last-16 stage for the fourth time.
He added: “I don’t have regrets. I did my best, the players did their best. We tried, we lost and that is football.”
Report: Man Utd 1-2 Sevilla[1]
United were second best in the two matches against the Spanish side and Mourinho was made to pay for his cautious approach as they failed to join rivals Manchester City and Liverpool in the last eight.
The Red Devils have now won just one out of their last nine knockout games in the competitions and have been knocked out at this stage in two of their last three campaigns.
A bright opening five minutes saw Romelu Lukaku, who grabbed a late consolation goal, strike wide and have an effort blocked from close range, but La Liga outfit Sevilla controlled the contest thereafter.
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Mourinho said: “I sat in this chair twice in the Champions League after knocking out Manchester United [in the last 16] at home, at Old Trafford. In this chair with Porto (in 2004) and Real Madrid (in 2013), they are out both times. It is not something new for the club.
“I don’t think the performance was bad, I think the intention and the way we started was really good and positive. Sevilla has a good team and they can hide the ball and have players in midfield who are good at doing that. They did that for the majority of the time.
“I think the first goal was always going to be important, not just because of the first leg result but also the profile of the match.
“Sometimes I am lucky with changes, others time other managers are. It was good, a happy move by Vincenzo to bring Ben Yedder on. When they scored the first goal, the game is completely different.”
With the Premier League all-but lost to City, United must focus their attentions on the FA Cup as their only hope of claiming silverware this season, coming up against Brighton in the sixth round on Saturday.
The back pages…
What you said on #bbcfootball:
Joshua: An absolute disgrace! The players and the manager need to have a long look at themselves in the mirror tonight. Boring football, unimaginative, timid, a disgrace. I’m disgusted at that performance.
Steve J: At the game – never heard such a flat stadium. Not the fans’ fault, it’s impossible to get behind a team playing that like. Outraged but sadly not surprised.
Taylor: Jose has lost the dressing room. No player who was committed to their manager would turn up and play like that.
Joe Wedgewood: Did that Jose interview seriously just happen? What game was he watching? Protecting the players or not, he’s talking utter nonsense.
References
^ Report: Man Utd 1-2 Sevilla (www.bbc.co.uk)
BBC Sport – Football
Euro exit 'nothing new for Man Utd' – Mourinho was originally published on 365 Football
