Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp can run up and down all they want but encroachment rules are clear - the Man United boss crossed the line

• e-mail

Nothing big in Spain for the chief sports writer to jump on? Catalonia, Barcelona, Luis Suarez. No, definitely not. Glennjo95, Londonderry.

Hold on, so let me get this right, Glenn. You want me to write politics now? Because in August, when I mentioned Brexit, you replied with a post that said: ‘Let's keep the political opinions out of sports journalism, please.’ So what is it? That you can’t hold a consistent position from one month to the next, or that you want me to write about Catalonia without making it political – so focusing on one spoiled footballer’s hissy fit, rather than the small-minded nationalism that is on the march across Europe, including here. 

You see, Brexit, Catalan nationalism, Scottish nationalism, I see it all pretty much as flips of the same coin. This desperate, misguided belief to see us all as different, when we are largely the same. Differences in culture. Yes, sure. But the day after the Brexit vote I sat in my Paris hotel and looked out of the window at the junction below and saw thousands of people who looked exactly like us. They dressed the same, had the same spread of ethnicity, got up the same time, went to work at the same jobs, listening to the same music on the same headphones, using the same modes of transportation. 

The only difference was they drove on the right, spoke a different language – although most can generously get by in ours – and ate a cold breakfast. And I thought, ‘Why do we think we are apart from these people? Why do we think we are divided?’ And, although I know my Spanish history, my Franco from my International Brigade, my Biscay campaign from my Aragon offensive, when I look at modern Spain I think the same. 

The differences are historic, cultural, the similarities are human. How do the Spanish government end up shooting rubber bullets at their own people; why do tiny regions wish to break away and live in isolation wrapped around a flag? Who becomes stronger by getting smaller? That’s what I think about Scottish nationalism, Glenn. That’s what I think about Brexit. And that’s why I spend most of my time writing about Manchester United – because everyone gets upset when I say what I really think. 

So Jose Mourinho, touchline transgressions and the Romelu Lukaku chant up next. And to get us there: Durutti Column. (And if you also know your Spanish history, Glenn, you’ll get what a sweet little segue that actually is…)

At least Jose Mourinho doesn't look like he is about to kill someone. Have you seen Jurgen Klopp going mental at officials? Deank, Canada.

Yes I have, Dean, and I think it’s wrong. I’ve said so, too. I think he gets away with it because, when the match is over, he has a winning personality in interviews so his previous behaviour is overlooked. The night he was sent off managing Borussia Dortmund against Napoli in the Champions League, he explained what he said to the official. “How many mistakes are you allowed tonight,” Klopp asked, “because if it’s 15, you’ve got one left.” You’ve got to admit, it’s a funny line. So ‘Klopp the nutter gets sent-off’ becomes ‘Klopp makes joke, is shown red card’. Personally, I think he’s a lucky guy. Some of his behaviour on the touchline is pretty poor, but he has a way of smoothing it over. Still it doesn’t matter here, because the article in question wasn’t about haranguing officials. It was about our age of entitlement and Mourinho stepping onto the pitch. It’s a different transgression.

I have no issue with Mourinho being sent to the stands. I do have an issue with the rule not being applied fairly across the board to other known encroachers like Antonio Conte and Klopp. PuppetAndPound, Los Angeles.

I think you’re mistaken, Pap. Knowing I was going to be addressing this issue, I kept a special eye on Conte when his team played Manchester City on Saturday. That Chelsea lost and were outplayed only added to the tension, but I didn’t see him put so much as a toe on the field of play. Pep Guardiola did, but only when the ball was dead and he was giving instructions to a player he had summoned to the touchline. Mourinho would not have been in trouble in similar circumstances. He overstepped the line while the ball was in play, and on his side of the pitch, too.

It would have been nice had the linesman bumped into Mourinho, thereby missing a clear offside from which Southampton scored. Not that Mourinho would have blamed himself, of course. Sir Henry B, Leicestershire.

Leaving karma out of this, Sir Henry, I think that is why the issue has to be addressed. We cannot have the linesman impeded by managers standing in their running space. Anyone who has been roped into the Sunday morning slalom down the line during kids’ games, dodging in and out of parents, kit bags and the odd bike while keeping an eye on the game will recall what a boon obstacles can be to the decision making process.

Jose Mourinho was sent to the stand as his Manchester United side beat Southampton

In your analogy would Nathan Redmond have been sent off for taking the ball over the touchline? No, so what’s your point? Why wasn't Mourinho warned by the officials after stepping over the touchline first – also known as a yellow card? Sent off for stepping six inches over the line in injury time – shouldn’t common sense prevail? That is the issue here. We all know he broke the rules but you're saying the punishment fitted the crime when I, and a lot of former players, pundits and fans think it’s too extreme. Your analogy is a false equivalency. Did Mourinho interfere in play? He could have but didn’t. Was he warned for doing it earlier in the game? No. So please clarify your point. Saitama, Manchester.

Why, so you can misunderstand it again? The point about Redmond wasn’t the punishment, but the meaning of boundaries. If six inches matters when the ball goes over the line, because it isn’t allowed, then it matters when a manager steps over the line, too, for the same reason – it isn’t allowed. The boundary cannot be visible and tangible for the ball, but an arbitrary notion for Mourinho. And the reason Mourinho didn’t get a yellow card is that isn’t allowed either. Have you ever seen a manager shown a yellow card? The answer will be no. And do you know why? Because there is no process for it. He is spoken to and given a verbal warning or sent to the stand. He doesn’t have the same yellow-red card system as the players. Now, one imagines the fourth official had been speaking to Mourinho and was being ignored, which is why he summoned the referee.

Managers like Mourinho? Name one. Red George, Manchester.

Now here’s the funny thing. The headline originally just mentioned Mourinho. ‘Give Jose and inch and he’ll take a mile’ – something like that. And I asked for ‘managers like’ to be added because I didn’t want it to be just a criticism of one man. Although Mourinho was the manager disciplined, I genuinely didn’t see it as just being an issue solely around him. If he was allowed to get away with it, then all managers would start doing it, this was equally my point. I’m surprised how many people missed that.

As a Manchester United supporter, I agree with Martin, but the problem is not Jose stepping onto the pitch it is the total inconsistency of officials. Next time a manager does it, probably nothing will happen, then bosh – one of the higher profile ones will be hit with a stadium ban. Redmanc, Spain.

I agree there is a risk of this. It is therefore up to those at the helm of the Professional Game Match Officials to ensure it doesn’t happen. Directives and guidelines should already have been issued.

I saw two coaches in the Champions League last week standing over the white line giving instructions. Both were next to the fourth official and neither was sent off. European referees are better than the English ones nowadays. The Objective One, London.

Without the names, the clubs, the game, the situation, that’s rather a shallow anecdote. Had play stopped, for instance? Equally, a stand taken by an official in the Premier League won’t necessarily be instantly mimicked by a UEFA official. And I don’t think all European officials are better than ours. Some are, some aren’t. It’s rather a generalisation.

Managers like Klopp don't talk about referees after games or question the Football Association. Mourinho has done both over the years and referees are aware of his tactics. Pogbas Pillow, Belfast.

I don’t think that is why he was sent off against Southampton but, put it like this, he’s not going to get the benefit of the doubt very much, is he?

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp isn't one for hiding his emotions on the touchline 

I never heard you having a pop at Sir Alex Ferguson when he ran onto the pitch after Steve Bruce scored the winner against Sheffield Wednesday. Double standards once more Samuel, go get a burger, that’ll keep your mouth shut for a few seconds or so. The Judge, United Kingdom.

And with an intellect like that you’ll probably be serving it. Steve Bruce had scored. So what does that mean? Come on, think about it. Shake those lonely brain cells awake and get them working. That’s right. The play had stopped. The game was dead. Much like your tiny mind.

It is weird you are still discussing it when even the FA had to admit it was a farce by not charging Mourinho. Robson, Manchester.

And it’s weird you have chosen to ignore the part of the column in which I said it was quite right the FA took no action, because the point had already been made with minimal fuss and impact; or was that beyond your limited attention span?

For me the issue is not that Mourinho was sent to the stands, but the big debate about his behaviour off the back of it. Another publication had all of their sports journalists discussing whether he gets a rough ride from officials. Why? Lewis, Manchester.

I think because so many people in football said he was harshly treated over this, Lewis. And also because Mourinho and Manchester United are box office, and anything in their orbit takes on greater significance than it often merits. Although I’d argue my column wasn’t actually about him, or even United necessarily, more about our modern sense of entitlement and the way it has affected two issues around the club. It tried to broaden the subject matter.

It's like saying that because fouls are against the rules every foul deserves a sending off. Any misdemeanour by a manager should be met by a yellow card and then a red. Not a straight red for encroachment. Empathy Lives in Knowledge, United Kingdom.

On point one, no it’s not. On point two, I’ve already addressed this – there is no option to yellow card a manager. I would have thought, having chosen a slogan for a pen-name, you would be sharper on the knowledge. Still, while we’re doing life lessons: Despair is Criminal (Samuel Johnson).

It was the punishment that was the problem Martin. It didn’t fit the crime. Just give him a warning and move on. If he does it again then send him to the stands. Mike Jones shouldn’t have even involved the match referee. Mikeybabe1, London.

On the contrary I think it worked out perfectly, Mike. It had no impact on the game, there were no repercussions, yet it laid down a marker. Now everyone knows the boundaries and no-one had to go to the gallows for it.

Mourinho is a guy that left his own technical area and walked into Mark Hughes’ area at Stoke and he again steps out of his technical area this time and then steps into the pitch. What if he had collided with a linesman? I commend the referee. The Laws of the Game 2016/17 includes Law 6 .2 which states the fourth official duties include ‘informing the referee of irresponsible behaviour by any technical area occupant’. Pundits should at least read the laws of the game they talk about so they can make informed decisions instead of sentimental ones. Ikenna, Lagos.

I agree. Nothing wrong with having an opinion, but it should at least have an understanding of the facts.

What I don't understand is why there's no yellow card, real or imagined, for managers. Why are they always sent off for their first offence? This Mourinho case is a classic example, when the equivalent of a booking would have sufficed. To his credit, Mourinho didn't make a big deal of it, at the time or afterwards. Jasper C Debussy, Surrey.

Yes, a card system would be more obvious, but maybe the authorities think managerial behaviour should set them apart from receiving the same disciplinary measures as players. And they probably aren’t sent off for a first offence, Jasper. I’d say in most cases it’s the last resort after lower key measures have failed. And now, the quickfire round.

Stepping onto the pitch is basically interfering with play, therefore the sending off was deserved. Redwhiteblue, Peterborough.

Well, potentially it is, RWB. That’s why a marker had to be set down.

FIFA, UEFA and all the stupid governing bodies create meaningless and idiotic rules. Give managers the chance to be human, to act and show emotions. They are people not robots. Jerry, South Africa.

I’d say they are free to show emotions, Jerry. They’re just not free to step on the field of play while the game is in progress.

Strange how many of the great managers – Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Don Revie, Sir Matt Busby, Herbert Chapman, Brian Clough, never needed to prowl or prance up and down a touchline yelling instructions to their players; or even step six inches on to the field of play. Peter, New York.

Yes, it’s amazing that any of them ever won a game.

My son plays for an Under 11s team and every week the opposition coach is almost on the half way line most of the match. Referees don't want to know and all say they are not interfering with play, but it is intimidating for the kids. No coach, regardless of level, should enter the field of play. Wilsmam, Sunderland.

Anyone still not get it?

Klopp runs around like a headless chicken but that’s alright, is it? JustSmile2017, Norwich.

Yes, as long as he doesn’t enter the pitch.

If you watch the footage you can see it wasn’t intentional. It’s Mourinho – if he wanted, he would have walked right onto the field. Rules are rules but then it should be for all – that means all managers who leave their area should be sent to the stands. Gazza 23, Manchester.

No, because leaving the technical area doesn’t mean you enter the pitch. I think fourth officials are quite lenient with managers leaving the technical area. The pitch boundaries must be protected, however. As for Mourinho walking onto the pitch ‘if he wanted’ – right there is the sense of entitlement that the column was about.

Mourinho stayed in his place as he watched United hammer Crystal Palace last time out

The anti-Mourinho rhetoric of Martin Samuel is becoming boring. Some folks just dislike the fact that Mourinho is the best coach in the world. D-real Daveed, Lagos.

Are you joking, in nearly every other column in the Daily Mail, Samuel is spouting bile towards Chelsea. It is obvious they all hate the club, so man up and take a bit of stick for a change. Moynagsd, London.

What's this Martin? A sop to those who accuse the Mail of being pro-United? Scott, Manchester.

But I thought that Martin was a relentless pro-Mourinho fanatic? Honestly, I can't keep up. GodShowMeMagic, Southampton.

Me neither, GSMM. Some mornings I wake up and I can’t even remember who I am supposed to hate this season. The list is simply too long.

Wow, this is a massive article about a very meaningless incident. You don't like Mourinho or Manchester United, we get it, chill out. Ather70n, United Kingdom.

You’re a biased Manchester United fan. We get it. Calm down. Charliegeorgeagain, Pembroke.

And I’m going to leave you kids to it, and do something I enjoy instead. As one of the country’s leading sports writers one of the questions I am most frequently asked is, ‘But, Mart, what did the music of Mauritius sound like in the 1970s?’ And I reply, ‘It sounded like this, my dear. It sounded like this…’

‘A Lamborghini!’ How good is that? I mean it, how good? You think I’m on here answering comments about Manchester United? I’m not. I’m here because if one person goes out on the back of this, buys that record and puts money in the pockets of those brilliant people, then the afternoon has been worthwhile. Seriously, if you haven’t listened to it, you don’t know what you’re missing. And if you have and don’t like it, well I’m afraid, that’s you and I finished. Sorry. There’s certain lines I just can’t cross. Now speaking of that, where were we?

Samuel missing the point yet again. It's not about whether Mourinho was six inches or six feet outside his box – it’s why the likes of Klopp and Conte are allowed to get away with bizarre behaviour towards officials, running down the line, jumping in the crowd, and nothing is ever done about it. Paul D, Manchester.

Because as Mourinho knows, for a manager, there is nothing greatly wrong in running down the line or celebrating with your crowd – whereas there are rules about encroaching on the pitch. By the way, did all Manchester United fans tell tales on the other boys at school, or is it just the ones that come on here?

Mr Samuel always makes such controversial articles with a tinge of hubris, before feeling the urge to write another article to justify himself and rebut critics. Gaalaticos, Singapore.

What The Debate column that I started at The Times more than a decade ago? Yes, mate, you’ve really got your finger on the pulse there.

If a player runs the ball six inches over the line and scores that affects the game. If a manager steps over his boundary by six inches it doesn't. Steinla1974, Austin.

And so we wait until it does, yes? We wait until he accidently impedes an opponent or the linesman, or intimidates a player, and then we act – by which time everyone is doing it and it has become a problem. Alternately, we stop it now.

Comparing a player getting away with dribbling the ball out of play, to a manager stepping on the field? Absolutely ridiculous. First of all, the manager isn't a player on the field, secondly, he has no ability to create or score a goal. That argument makes your entire article irrelevant. Gimmie Morehead, Salford.

But that wasn’t the argument. The argument concerned boundaries and their finite nature. They can’t be finite for some infringements but not others. And a manager most certainly could stop a goal, or influence play, by encroaching on the field; or has that never occurred to you?

Bet if old 'Arry had been sent off for the same offence there would be uproar from Mr Samuel. Jimbo70, Ireland.

You are the one obsessed with Harry Redknapp, Dumbo, not me.

Mr Samuel, like all intellectuals, likes to call out fallacies made by others while having no problem making some of his own. I'd like to know where is Romelu Lukaku's skin colour referred to in the Manchester United chant? Which line? Where's the stereotyping other than in your head? Spare us the contrivances and produce the exact moment the chant crossed the line? You frown upon crossing the lines, literally and metaphorically, I see. How's making false accusations for crossing the line? The It Girl, Glasgow.

I’m no intellectual but, seriously, you need it explained? Last week, if I recall, you couldn’t differentiate between my use of abuse of power, privilege and responsibility in the Mark Sampson case and abuse as it is framed by a court of law, and now you can’t understand why a song about the size of a black striker’s penis has dubious connotations, because his skin colour it is not specifically mentioned in the song. Not everything has to be explicit or literal. Leave me out of it for a moment, then. Might Lukaku himself recognise the problem; or various anti-racism groups? Because they’re uncomfortable with it too.

Anti-racism groups want Manchester United fans to stop singing a song about Romelu Lukaku

As a United supporter who loves the chants made up for our players, I ask you, would this have been sung for Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Exactly. RedB, Malta.

RedB, it may well have been. Ever heard of the ‘Jan Vertonghen Superman’ chant? Jones789work, Manchester.

Not until now. And I can’t recall it ever registering with me at Tottenham matches, either. I’m not sure it’s very popular, but it is a thing, apparently. And here are the words.

‘He has a massive c**k he does; the Jan, the Jan.

He tucks it in his football sock; the Jan, the Jan.

He shagged his bird and now she’s dead,

He waves his c**k around his head.

Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham’s Superman.’

Now, it’s not racist, but it’s probably sexist, and it’s certainly rather distasteful. Still, if the club hasn’t got the bottle to ask the fans to stop using the word ‘Yid’, they certainly won’t be making a fuss over songs about f****** girls to death and celebrating it.

Give it a break. Mourinho’s not exactly going to run on the pitch and snatch the ball away if he doesn’t like a decision. You need to drop this story now, it’s boring. Sam, Derbyshire.

Oh, so maybe this one will entertain you. Long before he came to Chelsea or won a World Cup, Luiz Felipe Scolari was known by another name. Felipao, meaning Big Phil. And he was called Big Phil because as a club manager he had rather a gangster, thug-like image. It was the reason that, despite his excellent track record, he only got the national job as a last resort. Big Phil wasn’t universally popular and not just because he was from the unfashionable south, or because his teams played pragmatic football. Mainly, people didn’t like his behaviour on the touchline. Offering others coaches outside, complaining that his players needed to commit more fouls, and in one important match, throwing spare balls onto the pitch to stop the game and waste time. And all because the Brazilian authorities did not clamp down on him sooner. Later in life, he mellowed, but let’s not pretend it is beyond reason that, unchecked, encroachment could not one day end in a manager obstructing play, claiming it was accidental and taking the consequences, if the three points were that vital. 

Cannot believe some of the downright lunacy on here. A player stepping out of play is not against the rules of the game. Indeed when they take a corner or throw-in, they are obliged to do so. So no, of course they do not get a yellow card, or sent off, if they do so. (Although they can be punished for re-entering the field of play without the permission of the referee I believe.) Mourinho is not a player. He is a manager. He is not permitted to enter the field of play. If he – or any other manager does – they are liable to be punished. Very simple rule. Not sure how people are finding this so hard to understand. So we should just not bother having rules then? If it doesn't matter, so why bother? And what is the cut off point for when it becomes an issue? I'll tell you where the cut-off point is. That massive white line Mourinho crossed. BaggsyB, Luxembourg.

I know it, Baggsy, mate. I know it, you know it, and all the sensible ones know it, too. Relax. Do you know, as one of the country’s leading sports writers, one of the questions I am most frequently asked is, ‘Hey, Mart, do you know any great psychedelic funk bands from Indonesia?’ ‘Funnily enough, old son,’ I say, ‘I do.’ Until next time.