Other Sport
Mourinho: We're not afraid
2009-02-23 17:19
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho
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Milan - Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho confirmed his team would go on
the attack against Manchester United in the Champions League at the San
Siro on Tuesday.
United may be the holders and favourites for the
tournament and last week Mourinho described them as the best
counter-attacking team in the world, but the Portuguese boss said he
still won't change from his attacking philosophy.
"We won't
change our style of play, it will be 4-4-2 with a diamond formation in
midfield and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic and Andriano in attack," he said.
"I've
told the players not to think about the possibility that in two weeks
they'll be out of the Champions League but that in two weeks they could
have beaten the champions of Europe.
"We shouldn't be afraid, we
have to keep our way of playing and I'm sure that nothing will be
decided tomorrow but rather in two weeks time in the return leg at Old
Trafford.
"We're playing a great team but so are they."
Mourinho
revealed that the only part of his team he is undecided on is his
central defensive pairing and he said that the rest of the team will be
as expected.
Behind the front pair Serbia's Dejan Stankovic will
play at the head of the diamond with Argentina's Esteban Cambiasso at
the base, Ghana's Muntari Sulley on the left and Inter captain Javier
Zanetti on the right.
Brazilian Maicon and Italian teenager
Davide Santon will continue as full-backs and Julio Cesar will start in
goal but Mourinho is yet to decide on how best to nullify United's
attacking threat of Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and world player of
the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Even so he is convinced his team
will continue their progress in Europe this season, despite a tough
group qualifying in which they lost their last two matches and finished
second to Panathinaikos.
And Mourinho dismissed United's
defensive crisis, that has deprived them of Nemanja Vidic, Gary
Neville, Wes Brown and possibly also Jonny Evans and John O'Shea, as an
advantage for his team.
"The first reason is that they are
strong defensively and also teams are afraid when they go to
Manchester," said Mourinho, who believes United will apply a damage
limitation exercise at the San Siro.
"I don't think Manchester will come to the San Siro to try to win, they'll play very defensively," he said.
"Beating Manchester wouldn't be anything special, the important thing is qualifying for the next round.
"But we're not afraid, I believe that in two months we'll be in the final."