Late goals from former Derby loanee Jesse Lingard and substitute Romelu Lukaku secured a 2-0 win in the first home game of 2018 as the Reds booked a place in Monday evening's fourth-round draw.
Read what the boss thought of the game as he spoke to MUTV as well as reporters at his post-match press conference…
‘I THINK WE HAD A GOOD GAME’
“I was confident because the team never stopped to play, to try, but at the same time, it happened, for example, recently against Southampton here where we kept playing and the goal never arrived. But I think we played well, I think we had a good game, I think they gave us a difficult game because they defended very, very well. But I think we deserved the victory. To be honest, I don’t think we need a replay. I don’t think a team like them fighting for promotion needs a replay but that’s the rule of the competition and we almost had to go for a second game.”
'MY FEELING WAS GOOD'
"Again my feeling was good, because the players played well, the attitude was good, they created chances, they had shots, continuity in the development of the game, they never lost their brains, they kept playing the style and the way we want to play so I think it is very much deserved. But really the ball did not want to go into the net. Again the opposition goalkeeper was brilliant so it was difficult, but in the end it was a good feeling."
‘CLOWN’ COMMENTS CLARIFIED
“I don’t blame him [Chelsea manager Antonio Conte for his reaction]. I think the press should apologise to me and him because the question that comes to him is completely wrong and because of that he had that out-of-control reaction. I was speaking about myself and then the question to the Chelsea manager was like I said that he behaves like a clown. I don’t blame the Chelsea manager at all and can understand his reaction. I don’t need to behave like a clown to show passion and I can control my emotions in a better way. I don’t need the Chelsea manager to say that I made mistakes in the past and I will make mistakes in the future. I’ve behaved bad a few times and in this moment I control myself much better – it doesn’t mean my passion is not the same. Yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline. Yes, I will make less but I hope to make a few [mistakes] in the future."
IMPRESSED WITH LINGARD
“It was an amazing strike. Just recently from our fans [he was] the player of the month. [He scored] an amazing goal at Goodison Park and now he scored an important goal for us, but honestly everybody is happy for him and the team really deserved this. He’s in a clear evolution. I think he’s comfortable in the positions he plays, I think he’s improving with the progressive style of play of the team. He’s playing progressively in a different way which makes him feel even more like a fish in the water and he’s in this moment where things go well for him. He’s the opposite of Marcus [Rashford] because in training, he [Marcus] is scoring unbelievable goals but is coming to matches and missing unbelievable chances, hitting the post and the goalkeeper saves, so clearly the players have these moments. I’m not worried with Marcus because the good moment will arrive and Jesse, if a negative moment arrives, I don’t think he will lose this stability that he’s showing. He’s mature, he understands the game better, so clearly he’s becoming a real player.”
PRAISE FOR THE RETURNING LUKAKU
"He is another example of what a Manchester United player has to be. A great professional, amazing desire to play. We had to stop him playing against Everton, three days later he is here and working the way he is working and showing his desire, his commitment, so I am really happy for him."
APOLOGY TO MKHITARYAN
“[It was] unfair [to take Mkhitaryan off] and I told him that at half-time. I didn’t like what I did. He didn’t deserve it, he was playing well, he wasn’t playing bad. He had a couple of missed passes but he was playing well and giving a good dynamic to the team. My feeling was just that Rashford is not going to score a goal and because of that I’m not going to lose time and I’m going to play Romelu [Lukaku] so then I had to sacrifice a player. Micki was the one that I sacrificed but it’s something that I don’t normally do but I did at half-time and apologised to him in front of other people because he didn’t deserve it.”
HOME AGAIN IN THE NEXT ROUND?
"You always want a home draw because you don't travel if you play at home. Of course lots of fans from the away team are always coming, but it is always better to play at home, but the draw is something we cannot control and, if we have to go away, we go away."
LOOKING FORWARD TO DUBAI
“You want the truth? If we have a replay, we don’t go to Dubai [for warm weather training] and everybody wants to go. Did you see the players celebrating the second goal? Everybody wants to go, everybody wants to have a week of good training, good facilities, but now it still depends on the Stoke result [against Coventry City on Saturday] because if Stoke gets a draw, we don’t go to Dubai! We go on Monday but, if they get a draw, we don’t go.”
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