Monday 24 December 2018 21:30, UK
Huddersfield manager David Wagner feels his side are travelling to face Manchester United at the wrong time.
United won 5-1 away to Cardiff City on Saturday in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game as interim manager.
Wagner bemoaned the fact his side have to travel to Old Trafford for the Norwegian's first home game in charge after they lost their last game 3-1 to Southampton - who themselves were buoyed by the arrival of new boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
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"I was surprised and I really feel for [Jose Mourinho]. This is not what a manager in general likes to see and hear," he said.
"In general I don't like when managers get sacked but especially if we play the teams soon after this happened - like we did against Southampton. This does not make our work easier."
Huddersfield go into the Boxing Day game on the back on five straight Premier League defeats. Wagner says the Terriers have a chance to end that run if they replicate their second-half performance from the Southampton defeat.
"I would stop this run against any opponent, I don't care which one," he said. "The next one where we have a chance is United, it looks like not the easiest one but like always in life and football, every day gives you a chance.
"We'll see what we can produce on Boxing Day. For sure we have to play better than the first half, the second half like I said was the right reaction.
"We have to come back to our reasonable performances which we have shown. That gives us a chance and then we will have to see how good United will be on this day."
Wagner accused his players of being too cautious in possession during their recent defeats and said he is looking for improvements from his team on the ball, rather than off it.
"I think one reason was that we passed too often backwards when we should have passed forwards. We were not brave enough," he said.
"We were not calm or confident enough on the ball. If this does not happen offensively you cannot put pressure on the opponent, you cannot create opportunities. You need to press them in the final third and keep them away from your goal.
"Defensively the attitude, effort and fight was there but it doesn't work if the gaps are too big because we were not good enough in ball possession."
