Jose Mourinho’s time at Manchester United was nothing short of a rollercoaster of emotions. The Portuguese coach arrived at Old Trafford in 2016 during a time when United were at one of the lowest points in their history. Mourinho’s two-and-a-half-year stint at the Mancunian club saw the club lift multiple trophies, be in the media’s attention all the time, and ultimately transition into a new phase.
🔴 José Mourinho: “There are still a couple of players still at Man United that I didn’t want five or six years ago”.
“I think they represent a little bit what I consider not the best professional profile to a club of a certain dimension”, told The Telegraph. pic.twitter.com/oqdXOkvRvP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 22, 2024
Regarded as one of the greatest tacticians in world soccer, Mourinho led his United team to three trophies, including a UEFA Europa League title, a League Cup as well as an FA Community Shield. Despite that, off-the-field issues during Jose Mourinho’s time were always the biggest talking points, deteriorating his relationship with several players, none so more than Paul Pogba.
Paul Pogba’s comments about his time under Jose Mourinho
United fans were over the moon when Paul Pogba returned to Manchester in the summer of 2016 from Juventus. Unfortunately, the association between the club and the player failed to reach the heights that were expected. The Frenchman struggled to fit in under Mourinho and was open to the public about his issues with the manager, “It started when I got injured. I said I was going to Miami to do rehabilitation. A paparazzi took a photo of Zulay and me. Jose sent the picture to Mino. I didn’t like that at all”. The midfielder was reportedly not in line with Mourinho’s strategies and tactics on and off the pitch.
Paul Pogba: “We won the game, he [José Mourinho] lost the game and doesn’t want to speak about the game. He wants to speak about the dad of someone, that’s what he does. You know, everybody knows him. It’s very Mourinho.” #mulive [sky] pic.twitter.com/G8Xy2eqxbV
— utdreport (@utdreport) April 16, 2021
In a recent interview, former Manchester United player, Ashley Young admitted to the disagreements between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba. Young mentioned there were several instances when the coach and players did not see eye to eye. Battling their respective egos and attitudes, Mourinho used to win the arguments more often than not, creating frustration and a lack of harmony in the dressing room.
Jose Mourinho reflecting on his time at Manchester United
Taking the job at United was undoubtedly one of the biggest decisions in Mourinho’s career. After a period of continued dominance at clubs all over Europe, Jose Mourinho for the first time in his career faced levels of scrutiny and criticism that made him question his choice to take over the manager’s role.
“If they trusted me and believed in my experience, things could have been different. Time always ends up showing the truth.”, Mourinho has been quite vocal about his time with the English giants.
José Mourinho on his 2 years at Man United: “I did a hell of a job.” pic.twitter.com/TS1pRFDkuo
— IM🇵🇹 (@Iconic_Mourinho) February 15, 2024
Mourinho’s second season at United saw them finish second in the table with 81 points to their name, a tally which still has not been surpassed by his successors at Old Trafford. Poor results at the start of the 2018/19 season along with clashes with key players saw the former Chelsea boss relieved of his duties at United in the latter half of 2018. More than five years later, Mourinho still takes pride in the effort and work he and his staff put in at Manchester United considering the ever-changing and dire state of the soccer club.