Three minutes and 31 seconds: A transcript of mardy Mourinho´s press conference

Under-pressure Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho gave journalists short shrift on Friday in a six-question press conference that lasted just three minutes and 31 seconds.

The Portuguese was not in a talkative mood ahead of Newcastle’s visit to Old Trafford, when United will bid to avoid going five matches without a win.

Here is the full transcript of Mourinho’s abrupt meeting with the media.

Q. Why are things not working as you’d like them to work here at Manchester United at the moment?

A. “For many different reasons.”

Q. Can you tell us some of those reasons?

A. “No.”

“We expect a difficult match [against Newcastle],” says the boss. “They are a team that is always very organised and their manager is always very well organised on his analysis of his opponents.” #MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 5, 2018

Q. You’ve had a great home record everywhere you’ve been as a manager, how important is it to return to that this weekend against Newcastle?

A. “Very important. I know we are in the beginning of October and we look to tables all around Europe and in many of the leagues, the tables in September, October, they don’t reflect what is going to happen a few months later or even in the end of the season. But we are in a position that we can do much better than that and to do that we need points. Points that we lost especially in the last two Premier League matches, with one point out of six and we know that to improve that position we need to win these three points. But we know that our opponent, for different reasons, they also need the points. Very, very, very good coach, a team that is always very well organised especially against the teams of the first part of the table, where their manager is very bright on his analysis of the opponent’s qualities and to try and stop them. The results they had against the top teams didn’t get them points yet this season, but gave them very, very close results and very difficult matches for the opposition. So we expect a difficult match.”

Q. You’ve not won at home since the opening day, is it important to repay the fans and an important time to do it before the international break?

A. “Yes, that’s true. Only one defeat at home all season, only one defeat in the last seven matches. But not victories at home in the past three matches – three draws, not the feeling of the defeat but not the happiness of the victory, so yes it’s important for us to try to win this match on Saturday.”

Q. You’ve gone four [games] without a win, the club’s only gone five without a win once since 1999, do you accept that kind of a run for a club of this size is not good enough?

A. “Yes, I accept.”

Q. Are the fans assured that you are doing everything that you can to try and turn this around?

No reply.