Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation
José Mourinho’s Manchester United got the better of Mauricio Pochettino in the Premier League last weekend and Tottenham have since beaten Real Madrid.
José Mourinho’s Manchester United got the better of Mauricio Pochettino in the Premier League last weekend and Tottenham have since beaten Real Madrid. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images
José Mourinho’s Manchester United got the better of Mauricio Pochettino in the Premier League last weekend and Tottenham have since beaten Real Madrid. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

José Mourinho: Manchester United kept out Tottenham but didn’t get any credit

This article is more than 6 years old
United manager says he is judged more negatively than other managers
‘In four or five years probably no one will remember I was Chelsea manager’

José Mourinho has implied that there is an agenda against him and Manchester United by claiming they are deprived of the praise they deserve while his rivals are lauded for producing similar displays with comparable tactics.

The United manager has been branded a pragmatist, which he suggested counted against his side when appraisals are made. He appears irritated that other managers, who are deemed more progressive or adventurous, can be acclaimed more when he believes they are doing little that is different.

Mourinho hinted that his reputation counted against him because his side’s performances are seen in an unflattering light amid accusations of defensiveness and cautiousness. The Portuguese was criticised for his approach in last month’s 0-0 draw at Anfield when United recorded one shot on target, and Jürgen Klopp said Liverpool could not play that way.

But Mourinho, without mentioning that Harry Kane was injured at the time, pointed out that United defeated Tottenham, whereas others have been eviscerated by Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

“I know that it is a different way of analysing things for this reason or that reason,” he said. “But similar performances for some clubs are magic, are examples of brilliant tactics and amazing attitude by the players, and by other teams the same kind of performance becomes conservative, becomes negative, becomes so many adjectives. Just as an example, Tottenham beat Liverpool 4-1, Tottenham beat Real Madrid 3-1, Tottenham didn’t score against Manchester United so my players deserve at least a little bit of credit.”

Pochettino has been hailed for Tottenham’s improvement but Mourinho feels he and United are judged differently. He has won 25 trophies, whereas the Argentinian is yet to secure a first as a manager but the sense is that Mourinho is irritated by the compliments a peer receives.

The United manager won three of his eight league titles at Chelsea and goes back to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. He lost on both visits last season, and responded to taunts by a section of the Blues’ support in March’s FA Cup defeat by reminding them that he remains the most successful coach in Chelsea’s history. “When they have somebody that wins four Premier Leagues for them, I become No2,” he said then. “Until this moment Judas is No1.”

Eight months later Mourinho has adopted a different tone by predicting that he will soon be forgotten at his old club as he downplayed the significance of his return.

“It isn’t a big thing,” he said. “It is football life. One day you are in one club, the next day you are in another club. It is a big thing because it is a big match because the opponent is the champion. But by the emotional point of view it is just one more game.

“I played there with Inter and twice with Manchester United. I have to admit it is a little bit different but in the end I want to win like I did with Inter. They want to win like they did last season. It is just one more day and in a couple of years it will be even more natural and in four or five years probably no one will remember I was Chelsea manager and it will become absolutely normal. It is a big match but not because of that. It is a big match because they are the champions. It is a big match because we are Manchester United. No more than that.”

Mourinho suffered his heaviest Premier League defeat last October at Stamford Bridge when United went down 4-0. He introduced an element of levity to proceedings when asked how his players have grown since then. “Maybe [Marcus] Rashford, two centimetres,” he replied. “Scott McTominay, three centimetres.”

Mourinho is due in Spain on Friday to face accusations of tax fraud, which he denies. He said the only disruption to United’s preparation would be a change to the time of their training sessions.

Most viewed

Most viewed