Mourinho Says Sergio Romero Was ‘More Than Very Good’ Against Southampton
Reuters / Darren Staples
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has praised the performance of Sergio Romero, after the Argentinian pulled off a number of good saves in a 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday. Romero even saved a fifth minute penalty from Manolo Gabbiadini to help his side earn a point at St.Mary’s.
This will give Mourinho a selection headache ahead of their Europa League final in Stockholm. The Argentine shot-stopper is the usual keeper for United’s Europa League matches, but with the final proving to be very important, the manager might have wanted to prefer David De Gea.
But Romero’s performance against Southampton will put him in a dilemma again. This was clear after the Portuguese praised the 30-year old’s display in his post-match interview.
Jose told the club’s official website: “I think we played a good game against a good team, a team that tried to win because they try to finish well and will probably finish eighth and I think we did more than okay. All of them gave me positive feelings.
“Of course Sergio [Romero] had a very good performance, I’d say more than very good, he made a couple of great saves.”
The former Chelsea manager also went on to praise the other members of his team, most of whom were not usual starters.
“The team was not perfect but I think the players individually gave me good things, they showed a great attitude and they showed me they want to be in the final. They showed me they want to be an option and they gave everything they have but we still have the Sunday match,” he added.
United play Crystal Palace on Sunday in the Premier League. The Eagles have also secured safety from the relegation zone this season under Sam Allardyce. It is widely expected that Mourinho will play academy youngsters in the team, so that he can preserve the regulars for the Europa League final.
“Sunday will be a big day for the kids because lots of them are going to play. I hope the crowd enjoys that in spite of it not being a big strong, Man Utd team and I hope Big Sam shows he’s really a friend and he goes slow and leaves [Christian] Benteke at home!” he was reported as saying.
Mourinho’s side will finish sixth in the Premier League, but they will secure Champions League football next season if they can beat Ajax in the final next Wednesday.
A Rahul Dravid, Liverpool, Rafael Nadal, and Badminton fan boy. Learnt most of life’s lessons on the field. Work also featured by SportsCafe, Essentially Sports and QuarkMe.