Mourinho concerned Cup runs could affect Premier League form

A significant run of Cup ties has Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho worried about fixture congestion, but his chances of ending his first season at the club with a major trophy are looking healthy.
 Mourinho’s side have won three successive matches without conceding a goal, and are in good spirits as they prepare to make the short journey to face struggling Championship opponents Blackburn in the fifth round of the FA Cup today.
 The United manager actually felt his team were a little too cheerful before Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League last-32 first-leg victory over Saint-Etienne, accusing them of being too relaxed during the warm-up.
 It is true United started slowly against their Ligue 1 opponents, but a Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick has put them in a strong position to secure a last-16 place in France next Wednesday.
 United are in the midst of a glut of Cup fixtures at the moment, with the final of the EFL Cup against Southampton to come at Wembley on February 26, and Mourinho is worried about the effect that may have on their Premier League form.
 “With the accumulation of FA Cup, League Cup and matches postponed, it is really hard for us,” the Portuguese handler said. “If we progress in the competitions, we will be in trouble in April and May. But we cannot choose competitions, so we play to win.”
 United won the FA Cup for the first time since 2004 by beating Crystal Palace in last season’s final, and their defence of the trophy has been untroubled so far, with two 4-0 home wins over Championship opponents, Reading and Wigan.
 While Mourinho may see Premier League improvement as a greater priority, midfielder Ander Herrera is keen for another Cup run.
 “It’s a massive competition. When some teams rotate players, that doesn’t mean they don’t give importance to the FA Cup,” said the 27-year-old Spaniard, who will miss the return Europa League leg as he is suspended.
 “It’s the oldest competition in England and I think it’s the most amazing Cup in the world because of the organisation. Every club wants to win the FA Cup, teams not in the top six even more as they can get in the Europa League (through winning it). So it’s a fantastic competition to play in. We want to keep playing in it and win away against Blackburn,” he added.
 Mourinho is likely to make changes for the game, and does have injury concerns to contend with. Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick missed the win over Saint-Etienne with minor muscular injuries, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan was absent because of illness.
 Centre-back Phil Jones could return from a foot injury to face his former club, while Luke Shaw is pushing for a chance after being overlooked for United’s previous four squads.
 Blackburn, relegated from the Premier League in 2012, are in serious danger of dropping into the third tier League One after a poor campaign that has left them next to bottom of the Championship with 15 matches to play.
 Supporters have continued to protest against Indian owners Venky’s, the Indian poultry company who they believe have mismanaged the club since buying it in 2010. As if off-field disharmony and league struggles were not enough for manager Owen Coyle to contend with, he goes into today’s tie with his squad stretched to its limit.
 Striker Hope Akpan is suspended after being sent off for pushing referee Scott Duncan during Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, while winger Elliott Bennett is also banned. Former United defender Wes Brown, though, may feature for Blackburn at the venerable age of 37. “We will be underdogs,” striker Marvin Emnes said. “The most important thing is that we enjoy the game and try to win it.”

‘Foreign managers don’t get FA Cup’

Mourinho also suggested foreign managers are devaluing England’s FA Cup by fielding under-strength teams that expose them to the risk of upsets.
Liverpool, Bournemouth, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Watford and Hull City have lost to lower-league teams this season and there are two non-league sides in round five for the first time ever.
 United visit second-tier Blackburn Rovers today and having been stung by an FA Cup defeat at Newcastle United during his first season at Chelsea, Mourinho is determined not to take unnecessary risks.
 “Maybe we don’t have as many English managers with that culture as we should,” he said. “Maybe we foreign managers, not everybody studies and understands the culture of this country. In my case, I had immediately that situation with the match at Newcastle, so for me it was a lesson.
 “And I lost with Chelsea against a League One team (Bradford City, in January 2015). But I never threw it away. We lost because we lost. So I try always to go serious. I like Wembley, I like the FA Cup, so I have to try to get the second one.”
 Of the managers to have fallen to lower-league opposition in the FA Cup this season, only Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Watford’s Walter Mazzarri and Hull’s Marco Silva are not British.
 United’s trip to Blackburn falls before the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie against Saint-Etienne on Wednesday and next Sunday’s League Cup final against Southampton at Wembley.
 Mourinho’s FA Cup tie against Newcastle with Chelsea in 2005 arrived in similar circumstances, prior to a Champions League trip to Barcelona and a League Cup final meeting with Liverpool. He saw a weakened team lose 1-0 at St James’ Park and although Chelsea overcame Barcelona and beat Liverpool in the League Cup final to give him his first English trophy, he still regrets the defeat.
 “I threw it away,” he said. “I thought in the same week was Champions League against Barcelona and the cup final against Liverpool and in the middle of it, we had the FA Cup against Newcastle. And I threw it away. I gambled too much.
 “I focused too much on Barcelona and Liverpool. It was good because we beat Barcelona and we won the final against Liverpool. But the feeling I threw it away was not good. So I don’t throw it away. If I lose, I lose because the opponent was better or because we didn’t play well. But I’m not going to throw it away.
 “I go to Blackburn with that respect. We played already Reading and Wigan from the Championship, so it’s not new for us, the level and the difficulty of the Championship. Plus the fact that one thing is Old Trafford and another thing is to go away. So I go serious.
 “Am I going to repeat this team? No, I’m going to change a few players, obviously. But I’m going with a good team because I respect the competition a lot and Man United demands that you go serious to every game.”