Jose Mourinho has been spiky in recent weeks since rivals Man City took the bragging rights in the derby.
The Portuguese may be even less festive ahead of this weekend's clash with Leicester City after being dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Bristol City.
The United chief labelled the Robins "lucky" after Korey Smith grabbed a late, late winner at Ashton Gate.
The Foxes ran the Blues close midweek by taking Pep Guardiola's side to penalties, only for Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez to fail to convert when it mattered most.
Failure to pick up maximum points against the Foxes could spell the end of Mourinho's title hopes.
Mourinho on the United expectation
The expectation is to go to every match and try to win, which is what we do and the matches we lost, we fought until the last second.
We lost - if I’m not wrong - 2-1, 2-1, 1-0 - so we really managed to fight in every match to try for the best result and [there is] nothing more than that we can do [or] we can promise. We go to every match and we give our best.
Mourinho on the Leicester miracle
I think they were phenomenal in that 2015/16 season and they benefited from the fact that all the normal title contenders didn’t have a good season but obviously they had a phenomenal season.
I think expectations now are if the top teams perform, it’s very difficult for them to have the same dream or to reach the same incredible title.
But I think they are doing well, they are in a comfortable position, no dramas, no fears. I think they are the same good team they were.
Mourinho: We did enough to beat Bristol City
“I could be critical with my players but they did enough to win, they lost when they were the only team people believed could win.
“So we move on and we move on quickly because we have another match.
“The expectation is to go to every match and try to win, which is what we do and the matches we lost we fought until the last second, the matches we lost, if I’m not wrong, were 2-1, 2-1, and 1-0, so we really manage to fight in every match to try the best result and we can do nothing more than that.”
Mourinho: Credit Bristol City more
“I don’t make decisions based on only one game or one feeling or one night, not at all,” said Mourinho.
“First of all, you always like to speak about the loser, probably you should speak more about the winner, what I told after the match.
“They were lucky but they fought a lot to try to be lucky and it’s one of the beautiful things that can happen in football, when a team from a lower division kills the giant.
“Football has changed so much. The lower division is more professional and that could happen even more.”
Mourinho bemoans trio of absentees
Jose Mourinho has revealed Antonio Valencia, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick are out for the Christmas period.
United travel to Leicester tomorrow without the trio as they try to ensure the gap does not widen between themselves and leaders Manchester City.
Mourinho’s side trail City by 11 points and could find themselves 14 points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s side by the time they kick off at Leicester tomorrow night.
The United boss said: “Valencia is out, as you know. Eric Bailly is having surgery right now, or is just finishing or is still there, who else? Nobody else, everything is okay.
“Fellaini is not available. Michael Carrick, no. Not for the Christmas period.”
Mourinho on team news
It [the squad] is the same. There is no news. Of course, for the game at Bristol City, we changed a lot of the players, so we managed to give a rest to many of them and especially to the lucky ones that did not travel.
Because the ones that did travel, even some who did not play, arrived back in Manchester close to 5am.
Smalling: Vardy is a nightmare
Yes, he is [a threat]. I enjoy my tussles with ‘Vards’. He is someone who is a bit of a nightmare for defenders because he is often ratting around and chasing with non-stop running.
He runs in behind which, as a defender, is the hardest thing to deal with, but I will be looking forward to that battle and, hopefully, I’ll be ready to keep him quiet.
Jose Mourinho makes young mascot's day by signing his boots in the Bristol City tunnel before Carabao Cup clash
Jose Mourinho appeared to be in a great mood ahead of Manchester United’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Bristol City.
The Portuguese was filmed moments before kick-off interacting with the Robins’ mascots, who lined up in the tunnel and waited for the players to arrive.
After making one youngster laugh while heading down the line and shaking hands with them all individually, Mourinho was asked by one boy to sign his boot.
Grabbing the pen and crouching down, the Portuguese scribbled his name on the youngster’s shoe, bringing a smile to his face.
But despite the Manchester United manager’s bright mood, he left Ashton Gate feeling a little worse for wear following his side’s shock defeat.
After falling behind to a Joe Bryan goal after half time, the Red Devils were forced to chase the game in the Championship club’s own back yard.
