Jose Mourinho Launches Fresh Attack on 'Stats' and Man United Critics
Jose Mourinho has blasted critics for using stats in the wake of Manchester United's derby defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad.
United had fewer than half the shots and passes that their rivals mustered on Sunday, and were largely dominated throughout the 90 minutes, managing just one shot on target – Anthony Martial's penalty. The 3-1 loss put the Red Devils 12 points behind City at the top of the table, equidistant to Cardiff City in 18th, and they now have a negative goal difference.
When this was put to Mourinho following the game, speaking to Sky Sports, the tactician replied: "I think we are not going to be relegated.
"So, when I analyze the game today, I think the difference was, you can go for stats. That's the way people that don't understand football analyze football, is with stats."
Instead of using such a system of measurement, the Portuguese manager said he prefers to side with his gut feeling on the sideline, saying: "I don't go for stats, I go for what I felt and I watch in the game and the game was there until minute 80-something.
"So, I consider the performance of my team a performance with mistakes. It's different than a bad performance. One thing is a bad performance another thing is a performance with mistakes.
"We made mistakes, we were punished by these mistakes, but the performance, the mentality, the togetherness, the belief, the fight until the end was something that we are building and we are not going to lose that because of a defeat."
With the international break now upon us, United's next clash won't be until the 24th of November, when they'll take on Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
