“Why Always Lukaku?” Mourinho Blames Players For Brighton Defeat, Justifies Regular Lukaku Selection

Manchester United Manager, Jose Mourinho was left with a bitter pill to swallow on Friday after his team lost to Brighton and Hove Albion.

 

Mourinho, dejected at the loss, said he is not disappointed because he knows his players but blamed the fringe players who came on for regulars, Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial started the game ahead of usual suspects, Lukaku and Sanchez but were very disappointing as Brighton ran away with a 1-0 victory.

The Portuguese manager has stuck to Lukaku all season, keeping Rashford on the bench with some sections of the fans and journalists criticising him for not giving the young attacker good opportunities.

In a bid to justify why he selects Lukaku on a regular basis, Mourinho said;

Mourinho added: “I wouldn’t say disappointed, because I know them, but I thought for some of them the possibility to start the game, to give reason to the ones who all season have been critical towards my choices.

“Why always Lukaku? Why always Lukaku? Why always Lukaku? You have the answer why always Lukaku! So why always this? Why always this? You have the answer why always this!

Jose Mourinho, Manchester United manager.

“Probably we are not as good individually as people think we are, and I keep saying, if you manage to finish second, it is great, more than great if you manage to finish second. But now we need four points and we must try to get them.”

The Portuguese manager claimed he had informed his players how Brighton would play, and said their opponents had more appetite and strength than his side.

“My players, if you ask them, they will tell you that I told them before the match what was going to happen, and at half-time,” said Mourinho. “I knew it, and I told them, but that’s what we got.

“Overall the attitude from the first minute and in the first half, they were obviously stronger than us, more appetite, they felt the game with different emotions. I didn’t succeed in persuading my players the four points we need to finish second doesn’t look very important for my players. For me it is, but for some of my players it doesn’t look very important.

“Obviously for Brighton boys, the points mean a lot for them, and enough for them to give absolutely everything they have to give. So they got the bonds of their attitude.”