LONDON (UK) – Former manager Jose Mourinho helped me become more “savvy” in the box to win penalties, said Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
His comments came after a debate over how many penalties his team were awarded, with Juergen Klopp of Liverpool saying United had more spot kicks in two years than what he had in 5-1/2 at Liverpool.
The player said while working under Mourinho, he had been denied several penalty claims, adding that the manager had reminded him to be more aware in the box.
“Jose said, ‘If you’re not savvy about the way you do it, then you are not going to get given it’,” he told media persons during the Football Writers’ Association 2021 Tribute Award on Thursday.
Mourinho quit United in 2018 and since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first league match in December of that year they have been awarded 27 Premier League penalties — more than any other team, said Sky Sports.
“As a forward line, we want to go and score goals,” he said.
“There is no way you are going to let somebody take the ball off you, so for me it is just a case of us wanting to score goals and the teams wanting to defend goals — and you know, penalties can happen.”