Jose Mourinho backs 'special' Scott McTominay following Man Utd's 3-1 defeat at West Ham

Jose Mourinho aimed another shot at those who criticise his team selection after Manchester United crashed 3-1 at West Ham, praising Scott McTominay's performance at the London Stadium.

Mourinho left the under-performing Alexis Sanchez out of his squad for the trip to the London Stadium and then revealed his decision to start with a back three, including midfielder McTominay, was to accommodate Anthony Martial.
But Martial was hauled off with 20 minutes remaining, along with Paul Pogba, as Felipe Anderson’s early strike, a Victor Lindelof own-goal and Marko Arnautovic’s finish left United empty-handed.
And Mourinho’s glowing praise of youngster McTominay gave the distinct impression that he was sending a message to certain other players.

“I wanted to play Martial, it’s something [people] are asking for a long, long, long time,” he said.
“I left Alexis out, and I think Martial is not a player very focused on his defensive duties so to play him as second striker would be easier for him.
“But at the same time I felt we needed quality on the ball, building from the back, and Scott McTominay has that quality. Everything that left his foot was correct.

“He’s a special character, a special personality that a team in a negative moment needs," he added. “Do my other players have that mentality? Not all of them. Everybody is a different person.

“Scott McTominay is a kid with a special character, very humble, aggressive in a positive way, brave, he’s a special kid."