Jose Mourinho Claims Manchester United Have 'Big Advantage' over League Rivals
Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United hold a "big advantage" in the Premier League due to their lack of Champions League football.
The Chelsea boss spoke after watching his side ease to a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in their final group game. Mourinho's men progressed with their unbeaten European record intact and returned to winning ways after the domestic defeat to Newcastle United, with the manager saying "the real Champions League starts now," reported by Neil McLeman of the Mirror.
Only the "sharks" are left according to Mourinho, who suggests United could benefit from their quieter schedule as the Premier League season progresses, per the aforementioned report:
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"It’s good for us that our direct opponents in the Premier League are involved in European competitions. United are not. They have the same advantage that Liverpool had last season in terms of the Premier League, a big advantage, but I’m happy City and Arsenal are still involved in the competition.
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Louis van Gaal may be pleased his side aren't in Europe this campaign. The Dutch manager has seen his first-team squad rack up 43 injuries since August, reported by Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail, an occurrence that has limited his selection each week. Fulfilling Champions League matches in the squad's current state would have created further risk, something United simply wouldn't have been able to afford with their players continuing to fall.
We saw the difficulty of squad management during Liverpool's disappointing run in the competition. Daniel Sturridge failed to appear, due to suffering an injury with England, leaving Brendan Rodgers scrambling to piece together an attacking threat.
He risked the wrath of fans by naming a second-string team against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, a game in which a positive result would have ultimately seen Liverpool through. A constant juggling act ensued, pushing the Reds' quality to the limit for what turned out to be little reward.
Last season, Rodgers' side appeared fresh during Premier League matches. Their lack of elite European football allowed them to have a full rest each week, a factor that contributed to Liverpool blitzing opponents with electric early showings in matches. Sky Sports highlighted how different things have been this campaign:
It's perhaps typical Mourinho to suggest his rivals have an advantage. He possesses easily the strongest, most well-rounded squad in England. Each of Chelsea's senior players can influence matches for the better—there's no piecing together, even when a key star is injured. The manager knows exactly what to expect from his players, per Paul Hayward of The Telegraph:
United would, of course, love to be in the Champions League this season for its financial bonuses. It's interesting to consider how this feat would have altered the club's prospects, though. David Moyes would probably still be at the helm, players such as Angel Di Maria—who pinpointed Van Gaal as a reason for his arrival—may never have committed to the club.
It's extremely unlikely United will topple either of Chelsea or Manchester City in the Premier League, despite putting five wins together in recent weeks; Mourinho's squad especially is more than capable of coping with the busy schedule, and barring injuries, possesses enough talent to challenge on all fronts.
Football pundit Matteo Bonetti recently ranked Chelsea among the top five most likely to take Champions League plaudits, as told to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:
It has taken Mourinho little over a season to get Chelsea in this position. Despite being able to focus on the single objective at hand, that is something United and their supporters will hope Van Gaal can replicate.
