Jose Mourinho leaps to defence of Manchester United star Marcos Rojo after Argentine avoids another red card against Crystal Palace

 

ROJO TACKLES ZAHA

 

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho jumped to the defence of fiery Marcos Rojo, insisting the Argentine is a ‘clean player’ after he avoided a red card for a two-footed tackle for the second time in 10 days.

United were lucky not to be down to 10 men in the first half when Rojo went in on Wilfried Zaha but referee Craig Pawson showed only a yellow card.

‘It did look bad,’ said Palace boss Alan Pardew. ‘He jumps two-footed and we go to these meetings (with officials) where (we’re told) that is a red card.’

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Manchester United should have been reduced to 10 men when Marcos Rojo committed a two-footed challenge which only failed to make contact with Wilfried Zaha due to the Palace man’s athleticism in jumping over his studs.

Then United’s first goal should not have been allowed. Paul Pogba was offside from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s knock-on. To rub salt in the wound, the Swede knocked the ball forward with his arm.

Referee Craig Pawson and his assistants then seemed to try to ‘level things up’. United were denied a clear penalty when Joe Ledley knocked a cross away with his arm. They then had a goal disallowed for offside but neither Rojo, who headed the ball, or Juan Mata, who put it in, were offside. A very disappointing evening for the officials.

Rojo also escaped after lunging at Idrissa Gueye in United’s 1-1 draw at Everton. 

Mourinho, however, defended his man and pointed to bad tackles on United players this season. 

‘He’s playing phenomenal,’ said the United boss. ‘He is clean, aggressive, Argentine, emotional, very clean. I didn’t comment (about) David Luiz on Marouane Fellaini or Danny Rose on Henrikh Mkhitaryan. I won’t comment on this.’

But Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer was adamant, saying: ‘It should have been a red card for Marcos Rojo. You cannot tackle like that. It would have changed the game completely.’

Mourinho paid tribute to 35-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose 88th-minute strike ensured United won consecutive league games for the first time since August. 

It was the Swede’s 14th goal of the season in all competitions. Mourinho said: ‘I knew the character of Ibra. At his age, he is a character, personality and has the passion to play. I told him England is not the best place for a holiday for a rich guy. 

'You come for the most difficult league and to prove yourself. His decision was based on that.’

United defender Eric Bailly went off with a knee injury, having only returned to action last week after damaging a knee in October. 

Mourinho said: ‘We don’t know (how serious it is). But it is not the same knee.’