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Manchester United news: Touchline ban 'was not a problem' for Jose Mourinho at Swansea

Manchester United news: Touchline ban ‘was not a problem’ for Jose Mourinho at Swansea

Jose Mourinho said his touchline ban made no difference as Manchester United claimed a first win in five Premier League games at Swansea.

Mourinho was banished to the stand in south Wales after accepting two Football Association misconduct charges.

But United made light of their manager's absence from the touchline as a blistering volley from Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's double gave them a comfortable 3-1 victory.

"I did what I do," United manager Mourinho said when asked about having to sit in the stand.

"I made the changes, sent a message when something needs to be told to the team, and I was in the dressing room before the game and at half-time.

"One thing is the suspension that stops the manager to communicate, that is a problem.

"Another thing is the suspension when the manager can communicate with the team, see the team and speak to the assistants on the bench. So in this case it was not a problem."

United were 3-0 up inside 33 minutes with Ibrahimovic ending his 10-hour wait for a Premier League goal.

The Swede had not scored in the league since the Manchester derby defeat on September 10.

But his goal drought ended on 609 minutes when he drove home low past Lukasz Fabianski and he then added another after being fed for the second time by the recalled Wayne Rooney.

"He is not a player who lacks confidence," Mourinho said.

"I used to say that a striker that does not score goals and does nothing else is one player less.

"A striker that doesn't score goals but does everything else is a very important player for the team.

"He was not scoring goals but he was doing everything else. He was working defensively, in the build-up, in the development of the second phase of attack, in the assists.

"He was contributing for the goalkeepers who play against us to be always the man of the match.

"So he was doing so many things I was not worried, but today we needed goals to win and he got it."

Swansea remain one place off the bottom of the Premier League and are only above Sunderland on goal difference.

New manager Bob Bradley has yet to register his first win after four matches and the American could not hide his displeasure after witnessing a one-sided first half.

"There was a lack of commitment from some," Bradley said.

"We had players close enough to get tight (to United's players) and it wasn't that we were stretched over the field. They had three shots on goal and had three goals.

"But with the ball they had too easy a time, even in areas when we knew where the ball was coming. The confidence and commitment... they dictated the terms too much.

"To play against a good team like that, maybe you get through 0-0, that's not the way we set out to play.

"So, yes, I was angry with some of them - but when the team doesn't play well the first person I am angry with is myself."

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