Under-fire Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes his side prevailed from a tactical point of view during his side’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.
Mourinho, 55, suffered his heaviest home defeat as a manager in any competition after his Man Utd side were thwarted by a streetwise Spurs at Old Trafford on Monday evening.
The Portuguese tactician refused to condemn his players after the match, instead insisting his side did not suffer a defeat from a tactical standpoint, while further lauding the intelligence of United fans.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Mourinho said: “From a strategic point of view we didn’t lose, the tactical point of view we didn’t lose, but we lost.
“The third goal came and killed the game. We worked all week, but all our fans don’t read papers, they don’t watch television, they’re more intelligent than that. Our fans answered in an amazing way.”
Mourinho has already come under heavy criticism this season prior to the Spurs capitulation after the Red Devils suffered a 3-2 away defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
United also endured a tumultuous pre-season with the former Real Madrid manager openly-criticising a number of his players for antics on and off the field.
Meanwhile, relations between Mourinho and director Ed Woodward are reportedly less than cordial after the club failed to significantly bolster their armoury over the summer, though Mourinho has since dismissed those rumours.
On the night, it was a masterclass from Lucas Moura – who bagged a brace – that separated the sides, with Harry Kane also netting a goal, as the north London club humbled the 13-time Premier League champions with a second-half flurry.
Mourinho went against his usual grain by remaining on the pitch after the final whistle, offering support to his players, while also addressing the United faithful in what appeared to be a rather emotional exchange.