Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho reacts to Marouane Fellaini winner in stunning fashion

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2018 by Express.co.uk

Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho reacts to Marouane Fellaini winner in stunning fashion
Jose Mourinho celebrated the late winner in bizarre fashion (Image: REUTERS)

JOSE MOURINHO celebrated Marouane Fellaini’s late winner against Young Boys by throwing his water bottles in a rage.

The Manchester United boss had to wait until the dying moments for the winner that books their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

And it came from Fellaini as he slotted into the net from inside the penalty area.

The BT Sport cameras then panned to Mourinho who was seen slamming down the water bottles in a bizarre reaction.

Mourinho has been under pressure in recent weeks and United were on the brink of another bore draw, and back to back goalless matches at Old Trafford.

But the Belgium midfielder came to his rescue in injury time to seal the three points.

Mourinho was once given a touchline ban for kicking a water bottle, so may be back in the dock after this outburst.

"It was the right moment to score a goal,” Fellaini said on BT Sport.

“The spirit was good. We played positive and that was most important.

"For me it was not handball, I controlled the ball, if it touched my hand it was not on purpose.

"It's good for confidence to qualify. Next is Southampton and we have to be ready."

United had missed several good chances with Mourinho visibly furious with Marcus Rashford in the first half but and had to rely on David de Gea to make a stunning stop late on.

United now advance to the last 16 with a game to spare ahead of the away clash with Valencia.

Mourinho had wrung the changes with some big calls over his star players with Alexis Sanchez left out of the squad completely.

Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku started on the bench but were called on after 64 minutes and no goals.

But Mourinho's side lacked creativity, cohesion and confidence against a Young Boys side displaying all those characteristics.

The United manager's frustration had been growing throughout the match and his angry celebration said it all as he kicked one water bottle carrier and threw another into the floor.

Victory meant United head to Valencia next month with progress assured, but Tuesday's performance raises more questions than answers given their tepid response to Saturday's goalless draw with struggling Crystal Palace.

Mourinho called into question some of his players' "heart" and desire after that match, so his decision to drop Lukaku and Pogba to the bench raised eyebrows almost as much as his decision to omit Sanchez entirely.

Mourinho bristled when quizzed about that selection before kick-off and pointed to onlookers "always asking" him to play Rashford - a player who missed a fine chance in the opening minutes and numerous more over the course of the night.

The United manager's exasperation was clear and only increased as the match wore on, with Fellaini eventually securing a late win much to the relief of his manager and the Old Trafford faithful.

“Relief," he said when asked how he felt.

"We didn’t play to be in trouble until the last minute. I was frustrated we couldn’t score. My players were very tired at the end. That’s what I want. Without David de Gea’s save, no winning goal. We qualified. We did it.

“He is the best goalkeeper in the world. If our ambitions are to be the best goalkeeper in the world, we have to keep him.

“Realistically to be in the last 16 is an achievement, not a big one or a fantastic one, but an achievement. There are better teams than us. Teams with more quality and realistic ambitions. When a team arrives in the quarter-finals, anything can happen.”

He also claimed the victory is another big win for him over his critics as he makes it to the knockout rounds for the 14th time.

"It is a very difficult group and to qualify with a game to spare is good," he said. "The performance had a lot of good things and a lot of disappointing things too.

Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho reacts to Marouane Fellaini winner in stunning fashion
Jose Mourinho's Manchester United are into the knockout rounds (Image: REUTERS)

"We lost too many chances, crucial ones in crucial moments. This is the kind of game if you score in the first minute you normally go for a different performance. You could pay with a draw and with a defeat too. David de Gea only had one save but it looks a phenomenal save, a save that best goalkeeper in the world does and gives his team the possibility to win the match.

"We had more than one chance, we had a lot of half chances. It is not about blaming one player who missed a chance at the beginning of the game.

"Goals win games. I am happy with Marcus Rashford's intensity, the way we started and the intention we showed but then it is not easy to cope with the frustration and result that does not suit us.

"The most important thing is to qualify and for some of my lovers, and those that like stats, I am 14 seasons in the Champions League and 14 times my teams have qualified through to the group stages. The season I was not in the Champions League, I won the Europa League."