Jose Mourinho: Man Utd attitude at Huddersfield was worse than a friendly

Last updated on 21 October 2017.From the section Football328

The best team won - Jose Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said their attitude in the 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield was worse than a friendly match.

Huddersfield took a two-goal lead in the first half, before Marcus Rashford's late consolation goal.

United's first loss of the season leaves them five points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.

"When you lose a match because of attitude, that is really bad," said former Chelsea boss Mourinho.

United had kept seven clean sheets in their previous eight league games, but mistakes from Juan Mata and Victor Lindelof in the space of five first-half minutes were punished with goals by Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre.

Despite almost 80% possession, United managed just three shots on target.

"I don't even remember a friendly match when our attitude was so poor," said Mourinho. "We could have a second goal and a draw but it would have been undeserved.

"I was a Manchester United supporter, I would be really disappointed because you can accept losing because the opponent had more quality, but not because the opponent had more attitude."

Premier League table snapshot: 1 Manchester City, 2 Manchester United, 3 Tottenham, 4 Chelsea, 5 Watford, 6 Newcastle

Mourinho changes tack after Herrera interview

Speaking immediately after the game, Mourinho said he would not publicly criticise his players.

"I will analyse the game and, if I need to, I will criticise them," he said.

When asked about the errors of Lindelof and Mata, the Portuguese said it would be "unfair to point fingers at players for individual mistakes".

At the same time, United's Spain midfielder Ander Herrera gave television interviews and said that Huddersfield were "more passionate than us, more aggressive".

Match of the Day: Phil Neville says Man Utd defeat was coming

"We lost almost every ball," Herrera said. "That cannot happen in the Premier League.

"When you play against a team that normally you are better than, you have to match their aggression and passion. We didn't do that. It cannot happen again."

Later, speaking to journalists in a news conference, Mourinho said: "I heard Herrera in his flash interview saying the attitude and desire was poor.

"When a player says that and feels that, I think they should all go to the press conference and explain why. Of course, it concerns me."

United beat Benfica on Wednesday, their third straight Champions League win, but Mourinho refused to blame their defeat by Huddersfield on fatigue caused by their European exploits.

"We are happy to be playing in the Champions League," he said. "These players have played European football for many years. We know other teams might have a week to prepare for league games.

"It is part of the game and not an excuse I want to use now."

United travel to Swansea in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, before hosting third-placed Tottenham in the Premier League next Saturday, followed by the visit of Benfica on Tuesday, 31 October.

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328 comments

Comment posted by 38 Seconds, at 09:11 22 Oct 2017
There was a HYS on this game already yesterday with hundreds of posts. Why is there another one?

I'm not a Man Utd fan but every team in existence loses the odd game. What is the big deal?

Seriously the BBC digging around for stories & controversy where they don't exist.

Huddersfield won the game. It's a pity the BBC can't focus on them.
Comment posted by Razz, at 09:04 22 Oct 2017
Mourinho is Tony Pulis with more expensive players.
Comment posted by footy fan, at 09:16 22 Oct 2017
Well done Huddersfield, a well deserved 3 points.
Comment posted by Razz, at 09:01 22 Oct 2017
Probably confused players, don't know whether to park the bus or play football, only tried after they went behind, just play the way Utd always play and at least try and attack. Jose is so intent on not losing sometimes he's not bothered about winning. He did it last season, they went on a long unbeaten run and went from 6th to 6th, - too many draws.
Comment posted by loopy, at 09:04 22 Oct 2017
The beauty of the game is its unpredictability. Beating teams like MU or any other so called top team is the stuff dreams are made of for those who have no realistic chance of winning the title. The game needs such dramas.
Comment posted by Killingholme_Clay , at 08:51 22 Oct 2017
Enjoy Man Utd's annual slide to 6th and then marvel at 'Bus Parker' Jose's escape to PSG.
Comment posted by Cheers of a Clown, at 09:18 22 Oct 2017
@25 Fortune

As a Manchester United supporter I would just like to say that your opinion is bitter and somewhat immature and does not represent the vast majority of Man Utd supporters. Huddersfield deserved a hard fought victory and well done on getting the three points.
Comment posted by A_Hawke, at 08:55 22 Oct 2017
A billion spent and this is all he can say? I remember when man u were a big club. Those days are long gone. This is the club that considers the Europa league, league cup and charity shield "a treble". Billion dollar MUGS!
Comment posted by D1679223888070, at 08:50 22 Oct 2017
Mourinho is right, the attitude of the players was poor, no fight. It's like they expected to turn up and Huddersfield were just going to rollover.
Comment posted by KINKLADZE MCFC, at 08:53 22 Oct 2017
Utd's attitude was worse than a friendly , yeah mourinho because they don't to play for you Utd will only get worse playing for him and it's funny to see, cant stand Utd or that detestable man its been a great weekend of football well done Huddersfield.
Comment posted by Finchy, at 09:14 22 Oct 2017
Fantastic result, not just for Huddersfield, but for football in general.

Any game MU loses, brings a smile to my face :))))

The beginning of Jose Arrogantia's drop to regulation mid-table obscurity has begun !!!
Give him the job at Palace, WBA, West Ham, Swansea or Bournemouth (i.e. no bottomless pit of money) ....... he'd soon be exposed as the fraud that he really is.
Comment posted by Henry, at 08:58 22 Oct 2017
There were two teams playing and the best one won.
Comment posted by User0126244157, at 08:57 22 Oct 2017
It was good to see a humble and magnamius José in the post match interview but is he losing another dressing room?
Comment posted by D1679391846765, at 09:25 22 Oct 2017
Just like in Spain Pep is getting the better of him again. When Pep humiliated him 5-0 in 2010 Maureen has never been the same since. Every neutral wants city to win the title because everyone can see that the football city play is 1 million times better than the dross served up at Stretford
Comment posted by dpc, at 09:03 22 Oct 2017
Typical British negativity. Man Utd losing gets the headline rather than Huddersfield win! Still life we be boring if we weren't moaning...
Comment posted by Mertornottomert , at 09:03 22 Oct 2017
Jose is commenting like the lack of fight and attitude isn't anything to do with him. Buys expressive talented footballers and gets them to play like a posh WBA. No wonder they don't want to play for him.
Comment posted by Finchy, at 09:25 22 Oct 2017
23. Posted by 38 Seconds
on
9 minutes ago

There was a HYS on this game already yesterday with hundreds of posts. Why is there another one?

Coz it's Man Utd, that's why.
The way the sycophantic media fawn all over them makes you sick doesn't it ?
That's why everybody (except their brainwashed plastic fan-boys) hates them !!!
Comment posted by wedontcarrybottles, at 09:09 22 Oct 2017
Mourinho....always the victim never his fault
Comment posted by godhelpus, at 09:15 22 Oct 2017
Nice to see both manager and player accepting that their conquerors were better than them
Well done Huddersfield

Only wish England could show just 1% of the passion and 1% of the determination as those with so called lesser ability.

If they could we would be a proud nation once again
Comment posted by DiBosco, at 10:32 22 Oct 2017
@102 If you think Rooney is England's greatest ever forward, you haven't seen much of Lineker, Charlton, Shearer or even Owen who were able to score goals when it really mattered, not just in friendlies and qualifiers against lowly teams.