United manager relieved 'difficult' pre-season is over
Monday 6 August 2018 08:20, UK
Manager Jose Mourinho was thrilled with his youthful Manchester United team despite a 1-0 friendly defeat at Bayern Munich on Sunday night.
And Mourinho expressed his delight that United's stuttering pre-season campaign is over and that thoughts can turn to the Premier League.
Mourinho was once again without some of his key players due to their involvement in the latter stages of the World Cup, including Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard.
And, during the second half at the Allianz Arena, the United manager brought on academy prospects James Garner, Axel Tuanzebe, Tahith Chong and Demetri Mitchell to take on experienced internationals such as Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben.
"Finally, it's over. Finally, such a difficult pre-season is over," Mourinho told MUTV.
"The players were, once more, brilliant. They could not have done better than what they did, fantastic experience for the boys.
"There was a moment I was looking to the area and there was Axel at centre-back to left, Demetri at left wing-back, Garner in midfield on the left and Chong.
"At the same time it was Lewandowski on Axel, Robben on Mitchell, (Leon) Goretzka on Garner and (Niklas) Sule on Chong.
"It was fantastic, absolutely fantastic.
"We were playing against their best team, it was their complete squad apart from (Corentin) Tolisso."
Forward Marcus Rashford donned the number 10 shirt, with United later confirming he would keep the squad number, previously worn by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, for the coming season.
"Yeah, he wanted it, he always wanted it," Mourinho said of Rashford's switch from 19 to 10.
"Of course, he respected the big Rooney and then Zlatan wanted to have it.
"He was in the shadow, waiting for the opportunity, and now the shirt is empty. It's something fantastic for the kid, let's give the shirt to him."
Mourinho and Manchester United will now prepare for their Premier League opener against Leicester on Friday - and the Portuguese boss is not expecting to have his first-choice team available.
He added: "We have to organise the week in a way so we can be fresh for Friday because, on Friday, the Premier League starts.
"We play for points and it's with the players we have.
"There is no time to cry. Players are not going to be here on Friday and we have to go with best possible team and with a great mentality."
