Dwight Yorke says Manchester United have the team to challenge Manchester City next season. (Photo by Dhes Handumon)
Dubai - Mourinho has repeatedly moaned about City's spending powers
Published: Mon 7 May 2018, 11:19 PM
Updated: Tue 8 May 2018, 1:25 AM
Manchester City's roaring Premier League triumph may have silenced the Red Devils, but Jose Mourinho's team are still on track to finish second in the Premier League for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
If Manchester United win the final two league games against West Ham United (away) and Watford (home), they will clinch the second spot with 83 points. Remarkably, Leicester City needed 81 points in 2016 to script the greatest underdog win in football history.
But United, the biggest club in British football history, need to raise their game if they want to catch Pep Guardiola's brilliant Man City next season. And Mourinho seems to have doubts whether some of his players, including United's record-signing Paul Pogba, whose wretched run of form has baffled pundits, can adapt to his style.
According to reports in British media, Mourinho could allow at least 10 players to leave in the summer transfer window as he looks to rebuild the team. Speculation is rife that Pogba will be among the players that will quit United.
Dwight Yorke, the former Manchester United striker who was in Dubai on Sunday to attend a Manchester United Soccer School event, refused to speculate on Pogba's United future.
"As a former player I can't really predict what the manager is going to do. The manager is the one who is in charge and he makes the call and he decides who stays and who goes," Yorke, whose goals famously gave United the treble in 1999, told Khaleej Times during an exclusive interview.
"That's the power of the manager of a football club. He has that authority. I think it's very harsh for us to predict who is going to go," he added.
Mourinho has repeatedly moaned about City's spending powers. The self-proclaimed 'Special One' even suggested that United would not catch City next season if they don't match their rivals in the transfer market.
Yorke, however, believes United already have a very good squad - one that has what it takes to give City a run for their money next season.
"As I said, I don't know what he (Mourinho) will decide in terms of selling and buying new players, but what I do know is that we already have got a very talented squad," the former Trinidad and Tobago striker said.
"Now can that talented squad achieve more in the game? I think so. I am confident that City are not 16 points better than us. I believe that we have enough attacking, flair players in our squad to be closer to City," Yorke concluded.
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com