Manchester United defender Phil Jones insists that "winning the FA Cup is not enough" and that his side should be looking to be victorious in every match.

Jose Mourinho's side snuck through to the EFL Cup final in midweek despite losing 2-1 to Hull, thanks to a two-goal buffer from the first leg.

Now, as Man United prepare to face Wigan Athletic as part of their FA Cup defence, Jones has called on his teammates to get past the disappointment of Hull snapping their 17-game unbeaten run and get back to winning ways.

"It's not enough just to win a cup. We set our standards high and this club has a history of winning things," Jones told English newspapers.

"We are under no illusions that we have no given right to win things, but winning the FA Cup is not enough.

"That result in midweek was not what we wanted. We are delighted to be through to the final and to go to Wembley, but we weren't happy with ourselves.

"That took the gloss off it a bit and it was a disappointed dressing room -- but maybe when we look forward to the final it will be better.

"We know it wasn't good enough, especially in the first half. We had to dig deep, but we conceded another sloppy goal. We set our standards high and we were proud of the unbeaten record we'd been on.

"It takes some character from players to go on an unbeaten run as long as that and to throw it away was disappointing. Personally, I was devastated by it."

In addition to the EFL Cup final and their efforts in the FA Cup, Jones is also confident that Manchester United can make their mark in Europe.

Mourinho's men host Saint-Etienne in the first knockout round of the Europa League next month, and Jones says there is every reason to believe Man United can lift the continental trophy as well.

"We're in every cup competition and there is no reason why we can't reach the Europa League final, too," Jones added.

"But we need good performances and everyone in the squad pulling in the right direction and battling for each other.

"The Europa League is a genuine target for us. We want to be in the Champions League, but if it's not to be we are still in Europe now and there are some good teams in the competition."

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by ESPN Staff

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]