Jose Mourinho slams referee Craig Pawson for not awarding Man United a penalty while Paul Scholes lays into Red Devils boss
Manchester United manager was fuming after Craig Pawson failed to award a penalty for Maya Yoshida’s handball
JOSE MOURINHO was savaged by Red Devils legend Paul Scholes for underperforming — after the Special One blamed the referee again.
The Manchester United boss was fuming after Craig Pawson failed to award a penalty for Maya Yoshida’s handball.
And Mourinho has added it to his collection of recent poor decisions from officials when his side have been denied penalties.
But Old Trafford giant Scholes reckons there is a deeper problem at his beloved club following their third successive draw over Christmas.
Saturday’s stalemate could see United end the year a massive 17 points behind bitter rivals and Premier League leaders City if they beat Crystal Palace.
Former England midfielder Scholes, 43, said: “The players are definitely under-performing and maybe the manager is too.
“The underperforming is carrying on, carrying on, carrying on and the manager has to take responsibility for that.
“United look a tired team, they look like they have played 50 or 60 games this season already and we are halfway through.
“I know the crowd were quiet but you have to give them something. They gave them absolutely nothing, it was dead out there today.
“I swear to God, they need to liven up, this team, because top four isn’t even guaranteed from this moment.
“You have got some good teams in there — Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal — and they will all be challenging.
“They have to concentrate and liven up and really find some energy from somewhere — and the manager needs to listen.”
Scholes won 11 league titles and the European Cup during his glittering Old Trafford career but is staggered by what he is seeing.
He added: “Mourinho has been doing this job for a long time but there is a real lack of leadership on that pitch.
“They are too nice to each other — they need to have a go at each other.
“Young players are not being helped by the experienced players.”
Scholes’ fellow BT Sport pundit Martin Keown reckons Mourinho has lost the dressing room. The former Arsenal and England defender said: “Mourinho seems to have lost the players today. Mourinho is there posturing, he’s an angry man.
“His players are melting on the pitch. It’s sad to see. There are good players in this United team and he’s not helping them as much as he might be.”
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Mourinho did have a genuine gripe with the penalty as Yoshida used his arm as Southampton cleared an attack.
And the Portuguese coach also felt Ander Herrera should have had a penalty against City and Marcus Rashford was fouled in the box at Leicester.
Mourinho said: “I watched on the touchline and on the touchline it looked to me very clear but from 50 metres distance I gave the referee the benefit of the doubt. I know my players, so when I see Juan Mata almost hysterical I understood immediately there was no doubt.
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“At half-time I watched it and it was a penalty, like Rashford against Leicester was a penalty, like Herrera against City was a penalty.
“I repeat, without a problem, that the referees for these matches — Michael Oliver against City, Jon Moss against Leicester and Craig tonight — they were good referees and good performances. But they have made decisions that have punished us.”
On Pawson, he added: “One of the most promising young referees, not just in England but in Europe, had a very bad decision. And then it was about us trying and missing some important chances but always trying to create and play and them trying in isolated counter-attacks.
“They had one very good chance that David De Gea saved and we kept trying. I think we deserved to win this match.”
When asked about the ref’s decision, Yoshida said: “They got bad luck, we got good luck.”
There were also pictures of Ashley Young elbowing Dusan Tadic in the stomach.
Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino said: “It is difficult for the referee to see in one second what happened in all different places but I have to respect the decision.
“They also talked about handball. This kind of decision can change everything.”