Saturday 9 December 2017 13:36, UK
Jose Mourinho believes Manchester City's players go down too easily, saying it only takes a "little bit of wind" to knock them over.
Manchester United manager Mourinho praised both sides' improvement this season, with his side aiming to close the gap on Pep Guardiola's runaway leaders in this Sunday's Manchester derby, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
City have an eight-point lead over their rivals and have blown away all opposition in an unbeaten start to the league campaign, but Mourinho has suggested City's players may be falling down too easily themselves.
"They are a good team," Mourinho said. "They defend well, they react well to the moment they lose the ball.
"They have a good dynamic in attack, they have creative movement.
"They have amazing players, they have a fantastic coach, they have lots of good things.
If you ask me one thing that I don't like a lot it's that they lose their balance very easily. You know, a little bit of wind and they fall.
"If you ask me one thing that I don't like a lot it's that they lose their balance very easily.
"You know, a little bit of wind and they fall."
Mourinho's comments echo those of his long-term adversary, Arsene Wenger, who accused in-form Raheem Sterling of diving last month.
Fernandinho was booked for simulation at Huddersfield and Burnley boss Sean Dyche fumed with the way Bernardo Silva went down to win a penalty earlier in the campaign.
Guardiola spoke of his similarities with Mourinho on Friday, claiming he and Mourinho are like "twins" in their pursuit of silverware, but the United boss believes the pair do not receive the same treatment.
The Manchester City coach wears a yellow ribbon in support of imprisoned Catalan politicians.
"If the rules allow us to do that, he is a free citizen to do it," Mourinho said. "But I am not sure if the rules allow to have any political message on the pitch. That's just my doubt.
"But I know Pep and I know his feelings like everybody else knows because it is public about his country."
Asked if he would ever do a similar thing, he added: "I think I wouldn't be allowed to do. That's just what I think."
UEFA allow political messages without offensive content, while the Football Association is understood to have similar criteria.
Mourinho has pledged to stop taking aim at his own fans.
The United boss was put out by an apparent lack of support for Romelu Lukaku in October's win against Tottenham, when he held a finger to his lips and told the doubters to calm down.
Mourinho then made a chatting gesture at the following home game against Benfica having dug out some of his own fans in his programme notes, leading the Manchester United Supporters Trust to invite him to "discuss his concerns" around the Old Trafford atmosphere.
"I stop with that," he said. "I am not going to write any more words about it, I am not going to say any more words about it.
"We are paid to work and to work hard and to give the best we can, not to criticise fans and I am not going to say any words.
"Because it is the reality of things. I am not paid to come here and to make any comments or to ask for something from the fans.
"I am paid to try and give them happiness, which is what I try to do every day."
