”Our performance was bad overall, the chances we had to score we didn’t which was because of this Rangers star who was absolutely outstanding”- Jose Mourinho’s BRUTAL honest Take on Rangers win over Fenerbahce, plus the ‘FANTASTIC’ Ibrox Star he can’t stop Praising
Jose Mourinho has sharply criticized his Fenerbahce team following their 3-1 defeat to Rangers in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg.
The legendary Portuguese manager watched as a determined Rangers side handed Fenerbahce a heavy defeat in Turkey.
Despite the loss, Rangers could have won by an even larger margin, had it not been for VAR decisions.
In his post-match press conference, Mourinho argued that the 3-1 scoreline was actually a positive result for his team, given the poor performance Fenerbahce displayed during the match.
Mourinho, known for his fiery and candid nature, didn’t hold back in his assessment, claiming that Fenerbahce deserved everything Rangers delivered.
He admitted the team’s performance was disappointing across the board, saying, “It’s not fair to say we were very bad in defence because we were bad everywhere.
Maybe you’ll laugh, but for me, this is a good result because the way we played, the score could’ve been much worse.”
“We had plenty of chances to score but didn’t take them. Our midfield play was sluggish, we lost too many duels, and our passing lacked speed.
Defensively, we made huge mistakes. We never controlled the depth, and they defended deep, waiting for dangerous counter-attacks, while we lacked the pace to deal with them.”
Mourinho concluded, “So, for me, I have to say we deserved the punishment of this result.”
Mourinho Praises Jack Butland
Despite his frustration with Fenerbahce’s overall performance, Mourinho took a moment to praise Rangers’ goalkeeper, Jack Butland.
Although Butland had a shaky start, almost taking out Robin Propper early on, he recovered to deliver a series of top-class saves.
Butland made several crucial stops, including a stunning save against Anderson Talisca, which Mourinho acknowledged: “I know Butland made three fantastic saves.
There was also, I think, a penalty that could have been given, but discussing the referee after this performance wouldn’t be ethical.”
Fred’s Absence and Mourinho’s Confidence for the Return Leg
Mourinho also commented on the absence of Brazilian midfielder Fred, who was suspended for the match.
The manager hinted that Fred’s return for the second leg at Ibrox could make a significant difference for Fenerbahce.
“I don’t like to talk about Fred because the team was playing fantastically with him in that role,” Mourinho explained.
“If someone asks me if I think the tie is over, I’d say no, it’s far from over. We still have 90 or even 120 minutes to play.”
