Jose Mourinho is one of the most influential managers in soccer history. The Portuguese has tasted success wherever he has gone, cementing his legacy as a serial winner.
The 61-year-old has always adapted his tactics to the pace of modern soccer, which has helped him to stay relevant even after nearly 2 decades on the job. Truly one of his kind, Jose Mourinho continues to be a role model for many aspiring soccer managers.
🔴 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
However, some of Jose’s darkest moments in his career arrived at Manchester United. The Portuguese spent 2.5 years at Old Trafford, where he enjoyed a bittersweet time. Although, the former Chelsea manager delivered three titles in his very first season with ‘The Red Devils’, Jose Mourinho was caught up in a dressing room mess along with a strained relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
Moreover, Jose Mourinho was displeased by certain of the players at the club, whom he wanted to get rid of. However, it looks like the Portuguese are shocked to see such players playing for Man Utd even now.
He said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, “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.”
Jose Mourinho had declared during his time as a Manchester United manager that, certain players like Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, etc. did not deserve to represent the stature of Manchester United. However, the sight of the two players still playing for ‘The Red Devils’ is appalling for Jose Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho believes he had no backing at Manchester United
The Portuguese wasn’t given the signings that he wanted by the board. For a long time, the 61-year-old was made to work with a makeshift squad.
On the other hand, the fans of the English club too were pretty over-demanding with the results on the pitch. In the end, the mounting pressure on Jose due to poor performances, and the board’s poor backing led to the manager’s departure from United.
The 61-year-old still regrets the days when he didn’t receive enough support from the Manchester United hierarchy. He said, “I didn’t have that level of support. I didn’t have that level of trust. So I left sad, because I felt I was in the beginning of the process. In some moments, I felt if they trusted me and believed in my experience things could be different.”
Jose Mourinho believes that things could have taken a better turn if the Man Utd board had trusted them a little bit more. The Portuguese wishes that he received the same amount of backing and time that the current United manager, Erik ten Hag does.
Jose Mourinho details how he achieved success at Manchester United in his first season
The Portuguese’s legacy as a great manager can only be valued highly when one looks at how he managed to deliver success at Man Utd. Since the board was giving him the requisite talent, Jose Mourinho resorted to simple tactics on the pitch. However, even then the 61-year-old manager was able to deliver three trophies-UEFA Europa League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup in his first season.
He particularly detailed how his Manchester United team won in the final of the 2016 Europa League final against a press-heavy AFC Ajax team. In doing so, Jose also took a shot at those who undermined the success that Manchester United enjoyed in the 2016/17 season.
🚨🚨🎙️| Jose Mourinho on his time at Manchester United:
“I won the Europa League with [long balls from] Sergio Romero to Marouane Fellaini. Ajax were pressing, but they were pressing oxygen because the ball was not there. Ball to Fellaini’s chest. Play from there. Two-nil.… pic.twitter.com/nWHPCFWaue
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) April 22, 2024
He said, “I won the Europa League with [long balls from] Sergio Romero to Marouane Fellaini. Ajax were pressing, but they were pressing oxygen because the ball was not there. Ball to Fellaini’s chest. Play from there. Two-nil. Bring the cup home. Three titles. Disaster of a season.”
Jose Mourinho also finished 2nd in the Premier League that season, which he considers to be his biggest managerial achievement. Certainly, to achieve such a high finish in the League in addition to bringing silverware with a depleted squad, is nothing but yet another display of Jose’s wizardry.