Jose Mourinho speaks out on snubbed Man United skipper Wayne Rooney
JOSE MOURINHO stood by Wayne Rooney as his captain despite leaving him on the bench for the demolition of Leicester.
Posted Sunday, September 25, 2016 by Dailystar.co.uk
The United boss had been coming under increasing pressure over the last week to drop the mis-firing front man.
And he chose to fill the No.10 role with Juan Mata today, who played brilliantly on his way to a goal and an assist.
But Mourinho has squashed any suggestions he doubts his captain to perform in the big games.
Speaking after the match, he said: “Wayne Rooney is a big player for me, United and his country. He is my man. I trust him completely.
"He is happy. My captain is my captain.
"If he is on the pitch or at home, he is my captain. That is not a problem.
"When the team plays well it is easier to have good individual performances so I don’t think it was because of the changes.
"We thought that against a team like Leicester, who defend the way they do, the best solution for us was to play with the two fast kids.”
Mourinho looked down in the dumps at the press conference following the win but his words were upbeat after United’s fourth victory of the season.
He added: “I said I want to play for the title because this is the approach United demands. Not because I thought it would be easy.”
TRUST: Mourinho doesn't doubt his captain
At Old Trafford today the game was effectively over before the break, with United scoring four first half goals.
Defender Chris Smalling grabbed the first with a towering header from a corner, with Mata adding a second with a slick finish.
The Reds compounded the Foxes’ misery when Rashford bundled in a point-blank shot and record-signing Paul Pogba thumped in United’s second header of the game.
While Leicester grabbed a 59th-minute consolation via a wonder-strike from Demarai Gray, it was too little too late from Claudio Ranieri’s men.
Rooney did appear for his side in the 83rd minute, but failed to make an impact and the match finished 4-1.
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