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Football London
Football London
Sport
Bobby Vincent & Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Jose Mourinho's classic response as Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer aims cheeky dig

It's Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur next weekend and the mind games between the two managers have already started.

But rather it be about the upcoming tussle at Old Trafford, there appears to be a war of words which centres around goalposts.

This stems from Spurs boss Jose Mourinho noticing ahead of his side's Europa League qualifier last week that the goalposts at Shkendija's ground were too short pre-match and had got UEFA to change the goals.

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"Before the game was a funny situation because my goalkeepers told me that the goal was small," Mourinho said.

"I went by myself and of course the goal was small. The goalkeepers, they spend hours and hours and hours in the goal so they know when the goal is not the right dimension.

"I am not a goalkeeper but I know football since I was a kid and I know when I stand there and I spread my arms and I know the distance, so I felt immediately that something was going wrong.

"We got the UEFA delegate to confirm and yes it was 5cm smaller, which of course we demanded for the goals to be replaced for goals of the right dimension."

The incident was referenced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after United left it late to claim their first Premier League win of the season against Brighton and Hove Albion.

"First of all you have to be happy Jose isn't here to measure the goalposts - it might have been a smaller goal!," he joked.

To which Mourinho hit back in classic fashion.

"I know the goalposts are fine," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "I think Ole yesterday was so happy and surprised with what happened to his team that he had a joke, but I understand for him that the dimensions of the goalposts are not important.

"For him what is important is the dimensions of the 18-yard box.

"You’d never accept to play with a 17-yard box, I think he’d prefer a 22-yard box."

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