Manchester: Jose Mourinho has ruled out signing a forward next summer, believing he has assembled a Manchester United frontline capable of challenging for trophies, but admitted he must work on “the dynamic” of his side’s attacking play after Alexis Sanchez marked his Old Trafford debut with his first goal for the club.
After the manager opted to leave out the club’s record signing, Paul Pobga, following the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham, United put in a lacklustre first-half display against a weakened Huddersfield side, only to be rescued after the interval by strikes from Romelu Lukaku and Sanchez. The former Arsenal forward began on the left side of an attacking three behind Lukaku but drifted infield, and converted the rebound after Jonas Lossl had saved his penalty.
Mourinho also omitted Anthony Martial from his starting line-up, Juan Mata preferred on the right, with the France international and Marcus Rashford introduced in the second half.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is recovering from the knee injury that has restricted him to five appearances this season and is expected to leave in the summer but Mourinho said Sanchez’s versatility would mean he has no need to pursue any attacking players when the transfer window reopens.
“Exactly that’s the point, that’s the objective,” he said when asked about the various positions the Chilean took up on Saturday, including as the central striker. Mourinho believes he has a collection of forwards who, Lukaku apart, are capable of playing in a number of roles.
“We have Alexis, Lukaku, Martial, Rashford. Rashford can play on the left and the right, Alexis is exactly the same. All of them apart from Lukaku can play from behind as the second striker. That’s why I say that it’s bad for you because you like to have things to write and speculate, especially in the summer, but I don’t want attacking players. So don’t speak about attacking players that are coming here because nobody is coming here.”
“[For] speculation in the summer you have to go to other areas; attacking players I am really happy. We have to improve not in the quality of the players. We have to improve in the dynamic in the team and in the efficiency because it is a game to score more than two.”
Pogba, who looked uncomfortable as part of a two-man midfield with Nemanja Matic during United’s loss to Spurs, was brought on for Jesse Lingard in a more advanced role after Mourinho opted to select Scott McTominay for only the third Premier League start of his career.
The 21-year-old performed admirably — albeit against a side who have lost nine times on the road since their opening-day victory against Crystal Palace — and Mourinho admitted his decision to leave out the player who cost 89 million pounds from Juventus in 2016 had been justified by his late cameo.
“The reaction you saw,” he said. “Coming to the pitch with great desire to play. At half-time he was already — because I can analyse body language — showing he was ready. Ready with physio, he was already starting his warming up, he showed the way he took it in a very professional way.”
