Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has said that his former club, Manchester United, deserve to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but they’ve also been rather lucky at the same time. Perhaps he can do a solid favor the Red Devils by getting a result against Leicester City, the team they currently chasing for fourth place, on Sunday.
“If Manchester United does it, they will do it by playing very well in the second part of the season and when you play well, you deserve,” Mourinho said to a news conference ahead of his side’s final home game.
“On top of that, everyone knows that they were a bit lucky, more than one time, luck that others didn’t have, we didn’t have it for example that luck.”
VARChester United are Back #MUFC pic.twitter.com/lgtuCXdXFJ
— calzone (@MYGRANWORKSATN1) July 16, 2020
Mourinho is of course referring to United seeing yet another opponent goal waived off by VAR in their win over Crystal Palace yesterday. United have seen seven opponent goals waived off, more than any other team in the Premier League.
On social media, the common joke had been LiVARpool, but now it’s become Varchester United, as fans of rival clubs have voiced their discontent.
“VAR should be simple, pure and clear decisions,” Mourinho answered when asked to elaborate his thoughts and feelings on VAR.
“The space for the mistake is the space for man on the pitch having to make very difficult decisions, 200 miles per hour, different angles of vision, that is the mistake we learn how to respect in football.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to accept but it’s the mistakes that you understand because everyone makes mistakes in the game.”
You have to admit, no matter who you support that a lot of these tweets about it are pretty funny.
https://twitter.com/NationAnfield/status/1283969513646686209
As for United and their fans, they will certainly not apologize or feel shame about getting fortunate calls. Every single goal counts, especially now with United and Leicester knotted up on points in the standings, but Leicester having the advantage, +3, on goal differential.
“Every game for us now a big game,” said United’s leading scorer Marcus Rashford.
“We were scoring goals for fun before Southampton and the last two have been difficult games, we have to work double hard to win today We have to go and win every game, that has been the goal for the past few weeks but today has been good to refocus.”
Rashford articulated just how high the stakes currently are, while manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer conveyed how relaxed and loose he believes his side to be.
“We need to smile and go into this, we have earned this right, no one thought in January that we would be in with a shout for top four,” Solskjaer said.
“We have done fantastic since the restart. These are the games that matter. That is the thing at Manchester United, you have to step up and show your personality.”
Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City FYIs
Kickoff: Sun July 19, 8pm BST, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Park
Team news for both sides: go to this link
TV: NBSCN, Telemundo
Odds: Leicester City +225 Draw +230 Tottenham Hotspur +125
Form Guide: Leicester City LWDLW Tottenham Hotspur LWDWW
Records, Position: Leicester 36-18-8, 62, 4th Tottenham Hotspur 36-15-10, 55, 7th
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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