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Jose Mourinho insists Manchester United always try to play with intensity of Newcastle win

Manager Jose Mourinho of Manchester United speaks during a press conference: Man Utd via Getty Images
Manager Jose Mourinho of Manchester United speaks during a press conference: Man Utd via Getty Images

Jose Mourinho has insisted that he wants his Manchester United players to show the same intensity they showed in the last 20 minutes of their 3-2 comeback victory against Newcastle United and he asks that of them in every match.

United produced a remarkable turnaround to beat Rafael Benitez's Newcastle at Old Trafford before the recent international break, taking all three points despite being 2-0 down deep into the second half.

Defeat to Newcastle would potentially have seen the pressure mounting on Mourinho reach breaking point, but Juan Mata's 70th-minute free-kick rallied United, leading to Anthony Martial's equaliser and Alexis Sanchez's late winner.

The victory - and the manner of it, coming amid reports Mourinho could be sacked the same weekend - will live long in the memory at Old Trafford, though whether it galvanises United remains to be seen.

Ahead of a return to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Saturday, Mourinho stressed that he wants to see his side play with the intensity of the Newcastle win, despite his reputation as a conservative coach.

The United manager added, though, that he cannot simply ask his players to forget their defensive duties and said exciting, winning football can only be achieved if his squad is "able to do it".

"We try [to play that way]," he said. "The key is for the players to be able to do it. That story of the attacking football I still don’t understand that story. Because for me you can only play attacking football when you have the ball.

"You need the ball. When the opposition has the ball you have to defend."

Mourinho has long been regarded as a reactive rather than proactive tactician, but when asked directly whether the Newcastle win was an example of how he wants his United side to play, he stressed it was.

"Yes. It is. Yes," he said. "When the opponent has the ball, I want the ball and you can only recover the ball if your opponent loses or if you recover or if you provoke a mistake in your opponent. For all that you need to defend.

"When you have the ball you can play a different way and normally adapt it to the qualities of your players."