Interviewer: Jose, what about the performance?

Jose: Good enough, good enough to deserve the victory, and to be in control. I know probably, you go to numbers and you see that I had moments of ball possession. But I need that, because the way they play, with that closed diamond, it is a very good system to keep the ball and to hide the ball from the opponents. But, it didn’t create danger – we were always in control and I think we won comfortably and the result could (have been) be bigger.

Interviewer: It’s only the second game of the season, but what pleased you the most in terms of progress from the first week?

Jose: It is a natural evolution of things, I think. It is impossible to be faster than what we are doing. The way we are playing, the kind of football we are trying to play, sometimes we don’t but we always try to do that kind of football. The way the team is defending because it is a completely different way to defend with. We defend now zonal, which is much more difficult to defend as man-to-man. So evolution step-by-step, integration, players working together – some players working for one week like Paul, others two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, they were arriving step-by-step. And impossible to demand more from the boys. A great spirit, everybody’s working really hard and I’m pleased.

Interviewer: In terms of an aerial threat, when a ball like that is put into the area, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – is he virtually unstoppable?

Jose: He is very good in the air, but he is very good with his feet. He holds the ball better than anyone, his movement is great. When he drops back, he gives the team another option to play and to keep possession of the ball so I’m very happy with his performance. But again, I think globally, the team was good and the collective effort to keep the clean sheet, and everybody working really hard. And again, I’m hurt by some decisions to leave some players out, not to play them. Because the team is a really great team, and they all work, and they all deserve to play. But in this moment, I have to make my options and there is only one match per week. I am desperate for September to arrive for Capital Cup, for Europa League and then, they get what they all deserve – which is to play.

Interviewer: Was it a bonus, the amount of minutes Paul Pogba played? And what did you make of his contribution tonight?

Jose: I think he was so good. Everything that was individual, he was so good. Everything that was collectively, he’s learning how to play with us but I’m really happy. There are obviously details that we have to improve. We have different ways to play – one day he can play even more offensively than he did today, but he’s a player that needs that freedom that he has. I think that if you go for the graphics that sometimes you have like we will also have tomorrow, you see the area that he covers defensively as well as offensively to try to get the ball in play. So, I couldn’t be happier with him but the reality is that Fellaini in my opinion was superb. Ander Herrera, the same. Carrick, when he plays, Schneiderlin, looking for an opportunity – I have a big squad, and top quality guys.

Interviewer: Lastly, you said you wanted atmosphere. You wanted the fans to be happy. What did you get?

Jose: Couldn’t be better! Couldn’t be better. I got what I want, I got what the players need, what the players deserve. I think they are happy, not just with the results, I think they are happy with some details of our game that belong to the nature of this club, so… We cannot be the same United of the 80s or the 90s or the early 2000s, because football changes a lot, opponents change a lot. This Southampton is not the same Southampton of 20 years ago, even with Matt le Tissier. So, there is an evolution in things, and we have to go in relation to that. But, we brought to the game some aspects of the United culture, and I think the first goal is an incredible example of that.

Interviewer: Thank you, Jose.

MUTV Interview

Interviewer: Happy with that?

Jose: Very happy. I know we cannot play 90 minutes the way we want. Impossible to have that consistency for 90 minutes. But in many moments in long periods in the game, we played offensively like we want to play. We scored goals, create chances, and then defensively I think we were very good during all the game – very good, very solid with 10 players defending, not 6, or 7 or 8 – so collective effort. I’m so pleased for the boys. And the fans – incredible. Absolutely incredible, their support. And like this, if the team grows up step by step, week by week, we can be happy.