You’ve probably read snippets of Jose Mourinho’s interview with Portuguese newspaper Record throughout the internet, but there’s more intriguing lines to get through, as we discovered this morning thanks to Sport Witness.
Mourinho has even got fans in a tizzy after speaking out about the replacement of Manchester United assistant manager Rui Faria, with suggestions it could be John Terry because the indiviudal’s season has not yet ended and Mourinho has admitted to previously working with the person at a former club.
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The United boss has also spoken out about the difficulties he’s having at the club after receiving criticism from people who he believes should be supporting him.
“It’s only me, it’s only me… Assistants are not allowed to speak to the press, it must always be the main manager. Blackout is impossible. Escapes through the horse’s door, the same. High fines.
“Communications director doesn’t speak. President also doesn’t. Owner, don’t even think about it. CEO takes care of administration, not communication. Therefore, there’s one figure left, one voice. It’s a great wear, but they pay me to have that wear.”
But the Glazers have been asked to give interviews a number of times – always refusing – and it’s a shame Mourinho didn’t offer insight on that.
Commenting further, Mourinho was asked whether he felt more protected at Chelsea: “I don’t say that, but the truth is that we are in a new era. There are a lot of high-profile people in football, like old players, some of them have gone from players to weak and frustrated managers and they return to football with the status of high-level pundits. People remember more of what they were as players and not of what they were as managers. They are voices that influence public opinion.”
He went into greater detail on what these people (quite clearly Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and anyone else who has an opinion) have against him, saying: “I think it’s not against me, but against the manager of Manchester United. Not all clubs have Eusébios and Manuéis Fernandes, that is, not everyone has old legends who like the club more than themselves.
“There are clubs where the old legend doesn’t want the glory of the new. The old legend who thinks he’ll only continue to be one if the club isn’t without him what it was with him. United have a huge history, with a lot of legends. Fortunately, we have a ‘Sir’ who is ‘Sir’. He’s ‘Sir’ in everything. In behaviour, in the passion for the club.”
Now, this is the type of siege mentality I don’t like. Scholes and the rest want what’s best for United, so their opinions ought to be valued, whether Mourinho likes it or not.
Roy Keane is opinionated but good value and is worth listening to. He doesn’t enjoy the football Mourinho plays, but do you? The answer is more than likely no, although we’ll all stick by the manager because he’s currently the best fit for the club and will hopefully get United back to winning league titles.
