Mourinho wants United wins rather than Rooney records, Latest Football News - The New Paper
Football

Mourinho wants United wins rather than Rooney records

Records are nice, but Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho wants captain Wayne Rooney to help solve the team's scoring problems.

The England international scored his 250th goal for United deep in stoppage time against Stoke on Sunday morning (Singapore time) to help the Red Devils salvage a 1-1 draw.

With that goal Rooney becomes the club's all-time leading scorer, as he broke Bobby Charlton's longstanding club record of 249 goals.

While Mourinho was quick to praise Rooney for his achievements, he lamented his side's profligacy in front of goal.

Mourinho said: "It's an amazing achievement, but the record is broken and now just let him (Rooney) be a normal player again and try and score more goals for us.

"Obviously in the Premier League, we have drawn too many matches, and today you saw why we draw too many matches.

"The opposition scored without creating one single chance, and for us to score a goal we have to create six, seven chances, so it's hard."

United dominated possession in the Premier League encounter at the Bet365 Stadium and carved out a host of goalscoring opportunities.

I think for a long, long time that one day we will score every chance. Somebody will go home with six or seven in the basket.Jose Mourinho

But having failed to make the most of them, thanks to a combination of their profligacy and some heroics at the back from Stoke, they went into stoppage time still trailing to Juan Mata's 19th-minute own goal.

With the result United are sixth in the Premiership with 41 points, with Chelsea due to face Hull early this morning (Singapore time).

The Blues will be 14 points ahead of United if they beat Hull, and further diminish any hopes of Mourinho's side mounting a late challenge for the title.

Mourinho said: "Sometimes I'm on the bench and I'm tired of seeing my team play so well, create so many chances and it's always dramatic to score a goal.

"I think for a long, long time that one day we will score every chance. Somebody will go home with six or seven in the basket." - Wire Services

eplManchester UnitedJose Mourinho