Jose Mourinho Claims Manchester United Are Being 'Punished' by Packed Festive Fixture List
Jose Mourinho has claimed that his team are being 'punished' by the hectic nature of their festive fixture schedule.
The Red Devils manager was quoted by FourFourTwo complaining about a packed fixture list which will see the club play five games in just 14 days...as though it were his first Christmas managing in England rather than his tenth.
Mourinho did admit that other Premier League sides were in the same boat as his - namechecking Leicester for example - but couldn't hide his frustration at the gruelling fixture list over Christmas and the New Year period.
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He said: "We are not the only ones. There are other teams in the same situation as we are and Leicester is one of them in the same situation as we are. We did the simple objective study on that and there is a big gap, a really big gap between some clubs and other clubs.
"There are clearly the ones that are really privileged and there are clearly another group of the ones that are really punished by the decisions of the calendar and there are another group in the middle of it, where I would like to be.
"I know I would never be in the top group but in the middle group, we would like to be."
United had taken to their official site on Thursday as they published findings that showed the 20-times English top flight champions had three days less recovery time than some of their title rivals.
The report seemed to be a ready made excuse for Mourinho, his players and the club's fanbase if results go against them and put them further off the pace of current league leaders and bitter city rivals Manchester City.
United travel to the King Power stadium on Saturday to face the Foxes before they entertain Burnley and Southampton on Boxing Day and 30th December respectively.
The Red Devils then face the short trip down the M62 to take on Everton before their FA Cup third round tie against Championship club Derby County on 5th January at Old Trafford.
