Relieved Mourinho sends message to his 'lovers' after below-par United book last-16 spot

Jose Mourinho slammed water bottles into the ground in an expression of "relief" after Manchester United snatched a last-gasp winner to reach the Champions League last 16 – an opportunity the manager used to remind "lovers" of his enviable continental record.

Young Boys looked set to frustrate, and perhaps even embarrass, the Old Trafford giants on home soil on Tuesday, displaying composure, confidence and camaraderie sorely lacking in their opponents.

But, not for the first time this season, Mourinho's men dug deep and scored a late winner, with Marouane Fellaini turning home to secure a 1-0 victory and progress to the Champions League round of 16 with a match to spare.

The United manager kicked a water bottle carrier and threw another into the ground in celebration at a goal that means they head to Valencia next month with progress assured after the Spaniards lost at Juventus on Tuesday.

"Relief," Mourinho said of his celebrations. "Frustration before that and relief with the goal.

"I think we didn't play for that, we didn't play for 0-0. We didn't play to be in trouble until the last minute, so frustration.

"I was not unhappy with the players. Not at all.

"Frustrated with the fact that we couldn't score, yes, but my players were very tired at the end and that's what I love – I want them to be very tired.

"It means that they give everything, and they did that, with moments of very good football, moments of quality, moments of hypothetical beautiful goals and then also with moments of pressure, moments of lack of confidence, that frustrate us.

"But, in the end, we score.

"I have to reunite the goal we scored with David De Gea's save. I think without David's save, no winning goal.

"But, in the end, we qualify in a very difficult group with one match in hand, suffering a lot, but we did it."

It was hardly the inspiring response United had hoped for after Saturday's tepid 0-0 draw with strugglers Crystal Palace, but Mourinho still used the Group H win as a chance to stick two fingers up at the doubters.

"Let me send a message to my lovers and say that I played Champions League for 14 years and I qualified 14 times," he said. "And the two years where I didn't play Champions League, I won the Europa League twice, so in 16 years, 14 times I qualify and twice I play Europa League and I won.

"Just a little curiosity for my lovers and the lovers of the stats."

Mourinho refused to react to United great Paul Scholes' comment that his side had put in a "terrible" display, but cut down high-profile critics in general when asked about his animated touchline behaviour when Marcus Rashford faltered in front of goal.

"Can myself or another manager have a reaction of frustration? I would invite that people to sit on the bench as managers," the United boss said.

"But I think maybe it's better to have lots of holidays in Barbados and go to the television screen and touch the electronic dummies.

"I think it's much, much, much more comfortable than being on the touchline like we managers we are.

"I am pretty sure that a proper football manager would never criticise another one for emotional reactions on the touchline because it's deja vu for them.

"For the ones that have a nice life, it's different."

It is not just critics that irritate Mourinho but questions, too, having raised eyebrows before the game by dropping Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba to the bench, with Alexis Sanchez missing out entirely.

"No, Sanchez is not injured, but it's quite curious because you always speak about the ones that are not playing," the United boss said. "Tonight, you had Marcus Rashford playing as a nine – that's what you want, that's what you ask for all the time and you had.

"So, don't speak about Lukaku and you tell me Lukaku doesn't score a goal at Old Trafford since March.

"And then you ask, 'Why is he not playing?' You put me in difficult situations with difficult questions, you go always, but you could be nice to me and say, 'Jose tonight you play Marcus Rashford as a nine' and I could go from there.

"But, no, you say, 'You left big names outside'."