Community Shield 2016: Leceister City 1-2 Manchester United
It did not take too long for the new coach Jose Mourinho to win his first title with United. The game was important as it kicks off the season for both teams and we could see that Leceister should again play a major role this season in their League and maybe in Europe (Champions League). As for Man Utd, new signing Zlatan Ibahimovic did not have any problem to adapt to English football and brought the title the club. We hear from the boss after the game:
“The first half was much better than the second which doesn’t surprise me because the team is not fit enough and in condition to keep the stability in the game. In the second half when they increased the pace by bringing on three quick players in Gray and Musah plus Vardy, they changed the game to their style. I think it’s an important victory but of course we have lots of work to do. I would be not ambitious if I say that we had a fantastic performance because it was not a fantastic performance. It was a possible performance for this moment of the season. Some of these guys today they have one week of training – Martial, Ibrahimovic, Fellaini. The other ones had two weeks, no pre-season in China, a very bad pre-season, so I think step by step we are changing, but I think it’s always important to start with a trophy.
“The first half was really good, very solid, very dominating, we were very comfortable in the game. In the second half we felt the change of speed, we felt Musa, Gray and Vardy together against a team (that’s) a bit tired but then we recovered control of the game when Mata and Herrera came on. We recovered control of the game and we scored an important goal to win us the match.”
“Zlatan will be more dangerous when we are more dominant and play closest to the box. Zlatan is not a very fast player to play 50 metres away from the box like where Vardy can be dangerous. Zlatan needs the team to play, he needs the team to produce and he needs the team to be arriving in the final third. It’s something that we also have to change because the profile of this team was more about possession of the ball. Even arriving in crossing positions, the team normally plays back again and tries to change to the other side. We are trying to change. The reality is the second goal is a great example of that.”
“I have to thank Mr van Gaal because without the victory in the FA Cup we wouldn’t be here today so I am getting a trophy for the club and the boys and the fans and myself but I’m playing this match not because I won the FA Cup, I play this match because Mr van Gaal won the FA Cup so congratulations to him because he’s part of this. I think it’s nice and the spirit is good and to play against a team that is an end product, a team that is working together and plays exactly the same team as they had last season just without Kante and King playing instead. Leicester know the team they are and they are very automatic. We are in a process. We are changing the manager. We are changing a few players, we are trying to change the style of play, the principles of play so I think [the victory] was good.”
“My ambition is a stupid ambition, I have to confess, because it is an impossible ambition. But my ambition is to win every game. So my ambition now is to win against Bournemouth. Very difficult. Can we win? We have to think about that. After Bournemouth, it doesn’t matter the result, we play against Southampton and we want to win. We want to win every game. It’s a very stupid motivation but if you look in a different perspective, it’s what we have to do. Improve, improve, improve. Every match, we try to win.”
