Jose Mourinho asked by FA to explain referee comments

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on August 19, 2016
© SilverHub
The Football Association gives Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho until Friday evening to offer an explanation to comments made about ref Anthony Taylor last week.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been given until Friday evening to explain the comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor ahead of Monday's clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

The Portuguese claimed that appointing Taylor for the high-profile affair had put "pressure" on the official due to his links with the Manchester area.

Discussing referees prior to matches is forbidden, and Mourinho has now been contacted by the FA and given until 6pm on Friday to offer a response which will then be considered.

If found guilty of contravening the rule, which has been in place since 2009, the United boss is likely to face a large fine but avoid any sort of stadium ban.

Keith Hackett, the ex-head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, was among those to criticise the decision to put Taylor in charge of the fixture, saying that "it would be intolerable" if there were a disputed call in the derby.

The game ultimately ended in disappointment, with an underwhelming goalless draw being played out in a match devoid of any real talking points.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho before his side's Premier League match with Stoke City at Old Trafford on October 2, 2016
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City96212091120
2Arsenal96211991020
3Liverpool96212011920
4Chelsea96121991019
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs9540134919
6Everton9432138515
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd94231312114
8Southampton9342118313
9Watford93331313012
10Bournemouth93331212012
11Crystal Palace93241212011
12Leicester CityLeicester93241115-411
13West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom92431010010
14Burnley9315813-510
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham93151017-710
16Stoke CityStoke9234916-79
17Middlesbrough9144711-47
18Hull City9216822-147
19Swansea CitySwansea9126815-75
20Sunderland9027616-102