Rom’s heart rules his head over clash with Everton
ROMELU Lukaku declared himself fit to play against Everton, but Jose Mourinho felt he had to protect the United striker.
Lukaku suffered a head injury in the eighth minute of United’s draw against Southampton on Saturday and received oxygen before he was carried off on a stretcher.
Mourinho said after the match Lukaku would likely miss the New Year’s Day trip to Everton and the FA Cup third round visit of Derby on Friday.
Lukaku told Mourinho he was available for selection on New Year’s Eve and was eager to play against his former club on Monday. However, the 24-year-old striker was not included in the squad which travelled to Goodison Park.
Mourinho said ahead of the Everton match Lukaku would likely return against Stoke City on January 15 but added at his post-match press conference the Belgian may be available against Derby.
“Romelu is not a problem, maybe Romelu can play,” Mourinho revealed. “It was a precaution by the doctor [to rest him], it was following the rules, to protect the situation, but Romelu was in the dressing room, never lost memory, he knew what happened.
“So he didn’t come today (against Everton) to follow the protocol. But he wanted to play, we had to stop him because he was saying, ‘I feel amazing, I should go and play.’
“But to follow the protocol and to protect the player, we decided he wouldn’t play.” PAUL Scholes took a knife to a gunfight when he accused Paul Pogba of ‘strolling’ against Southampton on BT Sport.
The press conference platform is unusually high at Goodison Park and it provided the perfect vantage point for Jose Mourinho to rain down fire at Scholes.
“The only thing Paul Scholes does is to criticise,” Mourinho began. “It’s not Paul’s fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes.”
The rounds kept on coming and Mourinho kept reloading.
“I wish that he can be 25 per cent as successful a manager as myself.” A reporter interjected.
“How frustrating is it that ex-players constantly criticise the way your team is playing?” Mourinho’s clip was empty, so he reloaded.
“I think they would love to be here, in the club.” That would be you, Paul. Oh, and you, Ryan.
Scholes admitted recently he applied for the United Under-23’s job which went to Ricky Sbragia.
Giggs never concealed his desire to succeed Louis van Gaal and some United supporters suspected the Class of ‘92 cabal were making manoeuvres to get Giggs the gig. Scholes claimed that was ‘b ****** s.’
Van Gaal revealed in an interview earlier this season how irritating it was that former players were ‘yapping’ about his management.
A United manager calling out one of the most prominent pundits was overdue and Mourinho remains the master of the narrative.
He will not care that the back pages are focused on his comments instead of United’s first Premier League win in four matches.
The evisceration of Scholes harked back to Pep Guardiola’s assessment of Mourinho’s press conference duels when the City boss said: “He is the f ****** boss.”
Gary Neville is normally awake around 5am and ‘attacks the day’ on Twitter but the former United captain did not go on the attack on Tuesday morning.
It is 436 days since Pogba last ended a Premier League match on the losing side. United’s three league defeats this season have come without Pogba in the squad and the only domestic game they have lost with him on the pitch was at Bristol City, where he was the only starter railing against the casual carelessness. There was a more cutting statement from Scholes: “I wonder whether he’s training properly, whether he’s looking after himself. He’s looking half the player now.” That might have been the moment Mourinho reached for his arsenal. There is also an historical issue with Scholes, who bed-blocked Pogba six years ago by reemerging from retirement, which convinced the teenage Frenchman he needed to leave. Scholes watched Pogba kick his heels with the Under-21s for six months before Sir Alex Ferguson decided the 37-year-old could provide a short-term fix for the club’s midfield malaise. United are still reeling from the ramifications. The Reds have ignored Ferguson’s succession plan. The Scot said two seasons ago had Giggs retired Jose Mourinho on Paul Scholes