Jose Mourinho admitted that he embarked on a foul mouthed half-time tirade to inspire Manchester United to a sensational 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
United went into the half time break trailing 1-0 thanks to a deflected Andros Townsend strike in what was an error strewn first half. They conceded a sloppy second after the interval before goals from Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic secured the most unlikely of victories.
Speaking after the game, Mourinho was asked what he said to the players in the dressing room at the break:
“I cannot tell you half of the things I told my team at half-time because there would be lots of bleeping on television,” said Mourinho.
“There were a few strong words at half-time relating to their attitude and the intensity of the game.
“To come back from 2-0 down away from home against a team that is desperate for points, it gives us a great feeling.
“It’s a remarkable comeback, but we made mistakes. The first goal is a bad goal. We started bad once more, not pressing the ball or the opponent and giving them much space.
“In the second half we were all expecting a direct comeback, and then we concede a goal that is a good goal to show the kids in the academies in the country. It shows top players can concede silly goals.
“But then the attitude, the intensity, the quality, the dynamic, the risk were fantastic.
“I’m pleased with the character. We kept the faith. We kept the belief. We made changes. The players accepted the risk, and then I have to admit we were a bit lucky.”
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The victory moved Manchester United back up into second place above Liverpool, with the two rivals set to play each other next Saturday at Old Trafford.
