Football news - Silent Jose Mourinho refuses to reassure United fans in strange press conference

Manchester United manager Mourinho had journalists expecting fireworks when he scheduled his press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle United for an earlier-than-usual 8am.

But a seemingly downbeat Mourinho spoke for just three minutes and 22 seconds in the press conference, offering some one-word answers and on one occasion providing no answer at all.

In total Mourinho received just six questions, a highly unusually low number for such an event, and offered up just 262 words of responses to the media present.

The assembled journalists received a taste of what was to come with the first notable exchange, when Mourinho said there were "many different reasons" why United are struggling at the moment. When pressed to identify what they are, he replied: "No."

Mourinho has overseen a poor start to the season for United, who are without a win in their last four games in all competitions, with many players appearing to have fallen out with the coach.

But anyone expecting a detailed analysis of the situation from the United manager was left sorely disappointed. When asked whether he accepted that a five-game winless run would be unacceptable, Mourinho simply replied: "Yes I accept."

And in the most extraordinary moment, Mourinho simply stared ahead and refused to answer when asked if he could "assure the fans he is doing all he can".

Mourinho: For many different reasons.

No.

Very important. I know we are in the beginning of October and we look to tables all around Europe and in many of the leagues the tables in September, October don't reflect what is going to happen in a few months later or even in the end of the season.

But we are in a position that we can do much better and to do that we need points, points that we lost especially in the last two Premier League matches with one point out of six. And we know that to improve that position we need to win these three points but we know that our opposition also need the points.

Very, very, very good coach, a team that is always very well organised against especially the teams of the first part of the table, where their manager is very bright on his analysis of the opponent's qualities and to try to stop them.

The results they had against the top teams didn't get them points yet this season but gave them very, very close results and very difficult matches for the opposition. So we expect a difficult match.

Yeah, that's true. Only one defeat at home all season, only one defeat in the last seven matches but not victories at home in the past three matches, three draws, not the feeling of the defeat but not the happiness of the victory. So is important for us to try and win this match on Saturday.

Yes, I accept.