Ronald Koeman told José Mourinho to “get realistic” after the Manchester United manager claimed before his side’s 4-0 win that Everton should be aiming for a top-four finish “at least” having spent £140m in the summer transfer window.
Goals from Antonio Valencia on two minutes, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, on 83, Romelu Lukaku, on 89, and an Anthony Martial penalty in added time put United joint-top with Manchester City, both teams having 13 points and 16 goals with two conceded after five matches.
Koeman’s side have lost their last four matches in all competitions and are in the relegation zone. His frustration was evident when discussing Mourinho’s comments. “I read the United programme and my colleague told me about Everton spending £140m and so they need to go for the top four,” the Dutchman said. “If there’s anybody in this room and outside and sees this as something realistic for us, please comment. Be realistic. I’m not happy how we started the season, but please be a bit realistic about Everton. We need time, but it’s difficult in football.”
Mourinho had written: “We are up against a team that has spent £140m. Obviously we are playing a team that wants to at least secure a top-four position.”
Afterwards, the Portuguese said of his side’s win: “The performance was very good, especially in the first 30-35 minutes, it was probably our best performance of the season. We pressed them and they did not have a chance to get out, they did not have a shot, it was very impressive. I think if the result was two- or three-nil after 30 minutes I would say a clear reflection of fantastic football we played in the first 30-35 minutes. The second goal went in, then game over.”
Asked about City, who beat Watford 6-0 on Saturday, Mourinho said: “Today I didn’t think one single second about Man City. I thought about Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool. They didn’t win their matches and it was a chance for us to get two points like they got last week when we drew against Stoke. I was just thinking about them, not City. City won their game, they did their job.”
Regarding Paul Pogba and reports he may be out for 12 weeks because of his hamstring injury, Mourinho said: “I don’t know if it is 12 weeks or 12 days, honestly. Any comment, any views, any rumour, is totally wrong, because we do not know if it is 12 weeks or 12 days.
“The player was diagnosed initially after the match because of the conditions of the muscle and bleeding, was one more week to wait and see clearly in the scans and nobody in this club spoke about 12 days or 12 weeks. It’s a muscular injury in the hamstring but we have a normal procedure and wait a few more days. It’s completely nonsense information.”