José Mourinho claimed Manchester United did not lose the EFL Cup semi-final second leg to Hull City as they won 3-2 on aggregate to reach February’s Wembley showpiece, with the manager suggesting Marco Silva’s side should not been awarded the penalty for the game’s opening goal.
Mourinho also aimed a dig at Jürgen Klopp by stating the EFL Cup final against Southampton will be difficult because the stadium will be “windy”. This referenced the Liverpool manager’s explanation for his team being knocked out on Wednesday by the Saints as the “wind was really strange”.
United went behind here when the referee, Jon Moss, awarded the 35th-minute penalty that Mourinho disputed. Marcos Rojo was adjudged to have pulled down Harry Maguire at a corner and Moss pointed to the spot.
Tom Huddlestone converted the penalty but Mourinho appeared to have a point and it was reported on television that he and his players confronted Moss in the tunnel at half-time.
Of the incident, he said: “The game was totally under control, the game was what we wanted to be and something happened to open the game and then the game was open. Marco is doing fantastic work and they were a very good team in both matches but in spite of this we had more power, we were the best team, we could score lots of goals in the first match, and today, as I was saying, the game was under control, so we deserve to be in the final. So I congratulate my players and I don’t want to analyse the performance so much.
“I don’t want to speak about the penalty, but I don’t want also to speak about the performance because to speak about the performance again I have to say the game was in the pocket, the game was under control, and something happened to open the game.”
United entered the tie having been unbeaten in their previous 17 outings and Mourinho disputed the run had ended. “I think 18 matches unbeaten is amazing. We didn’t lose,” he said. “It was 1-1, 1-1. I only saw two goals. I saw [Paul] Pogba’s goal and their goal was fantastic goal, great action. Great cross, and the guy in far post coming, 1-1.”
While Pogba equalised after 66 minutes for United, Oumar Niasse’s goal with five minutes to go gave Hull victory on the night. Asked why he did not count the home side’s opener Mourinho said: “I didn’t see. The message for the players is celebrate, we are in the final, we play against a good team I told in the beginning, you maybe didn’t believe me, this boy [Silva] is a very good manager, very good. I said this since he started. I got it right. He’s very good, he has a difficult job, some players are coming but some players are leaving, I think his job is not easy and he gave us two very difficult matches, [a] team very well organised, [a] team trying to play for the result, so I’m happy that we’re in the final.”
When put to the Portuguese United will be favourites against Southampton, Mourinho made his jibe at Klopp. “I don’t think we are favourites against nobody, and it doesn’t mater where we play, against who, we are never favourites, normally the stadium is windy and it’s difficult. I just want to say congratulations to my players. It was a difficult road to be in the final and we are in the final,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything else. It is enough, I am calm, I behaved on the bench, no sending off, no punishment so no more words.”
Silva confirmed Robert Snodgrass is set to leave for West Ham United. The Scotland winger is scheduled for a medical on Friday having rejected interest from Middlesbrough and Burnley. Snodgrass sat out the semi-final against United due to injury, although that is not expected to stand in the way of the 29-year-old completing his move. “For 10 days he’s not been available to work with us and wants to leave,” the Hull manager said.
“Tonight was a good performance from our players, a good performance as a team, a good spirit, good attitude and in many moments we controlled the game. Maybe the last goal in Old Trafford in the last minutes made the difference in these two games.”
