Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was in buoyant mood following his side’s comprehensive 4-1 victory over West Ham in the EFL Cup quarter-final clash at Old Trafford last night.
Mourinho’s men lined up a semi-final encounter with Hull City thanks to the win over the Hammers and there is a very real feeling within the camp that the Red Devils are going to reach the final at Wembley.
They could, of course, meet Liverpool at the showdown — Jurgen Klopp’s side must see off the challenge of Southampton to do so.
A brace from attackers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial did the job at the Theatre of Dreams and Mourinho was appreciative of his players’ efforts during the triumph.
He said:
“I’ve never had a team with so much possession, I’ve never had a team that has so much creation, and I’ve never had a team who create so many chances.”
“But also, I’ve never had a team with so many draws. I want this beautiful team to win more matches and, for that, they need to score goals just like they did against West Ham.”
“That’s how we have played all season. Every manager has his ideas and also the players can help you to make a certain style of play. This is what we proposed ourselves at United.”
Intriguingly, Mourinho would not reveal where he watched proceedings after being given a one-match touchline ban following being sent off in the Premier League draw against the Hammers on Saturday.
The Portuguese coach received his punishment after appearing to kick a water bottle in frustration after Paul Pogba was booked for what looked like simulation.
Social media has been awash with speculation as to where the manager took in the game — one thing for sure, though, is it wasn’t in the stands.
All he would say was:
“It’s a secret. I was in contact with the bench.”