European Leagues

Inside Jose Mourinho’s mad Manchester United reign

Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho reacts as he leaves at full time in the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 28, 2018. – Manchester Utd won the game 2-1.

He fell out with everybody, was doused in milk and vilified for a whole season – yet, Jose Mourinho reportedly wants to do it all again at Manchester United.

The three-time Premier League winner has been linked with an audacious return to Old Trafford, after Erik ten Hag watched his sorry Red Devils lose 4-0 away to Crystal Palace. Ten Hag, 54, is hanging on to his job at Old Trafford, and new United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is believed to be considering other options.

One of those not on their list is ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Mourinho, who has been linked with a return to the red side of Manchester six years after he was unceremoniously booted out by the club. Mourinho is currently a free agent and is believed to be keen at a second chance with United, having been dismissed by AS Roma at the start of the year.

Following the news he would relish a return to United, Mirror Sport looks back on some of the maddest moments of his tumultuous reign at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola go head to head in the Manchester derby on Sunday locked in a battle for the Premier League title

After being thoroughly outclassed by Manchester City in a 2-1 home defeat to the Citizens in 2017, Mourinho was rather unhappy with opposition goalkeeper Ederson Moraes. Instead of stewing on whatever the Brazilian had said, the Portuguese boss decided to confront the ex-Benfica shot-stopper.

His only problem was the heavy door of the away dressing room blocked his path of destruction. It’s understood Mourinho forced his way into the Citizens’ changing room and shouted: “You f****** show respect. Who are you?”

City players responded by throwing water and ‘a one pint carton of milk’ at the manager, who was left drenched. Reports from The Guardian also claimed police had to ‘separate up to 20 players and staff members’ as Mourinho’s players came charging in to support him.

Mourinho throwing water bottles
Jose Mourinho slams a load of water bottles into the ground after Manchester United beat Young Boys in the Champions League.

Every now and then, there were signs the Manchester United job was getting a bit much for Mourinho. The Portuguese boss completely lost control of himself after Marouane Fellaini scored a late winner to gift United a 1-0 Champions League victory over Swiss side Young Boys – a fixture which was expected to be a routine victory for the Red Devils.

Considering the financial dearth between the sides, the result, on paper at least, should have been comfortable. Yet, United were tepid, lacklustre, slow and were close to losing to the European minnows.

When Fellaini scored, Mourinho took out all the pent up anger and frustration on the water bottles next to his technical area. He picked them up, lifted them over his head and slammed them into the Old Trafford turf as if he was holding a pickaxe. As well as amusing the football world, it was another perfect demonstration of how frustrating the role had become.

Awkward facetimes
Jose Mourinho films the action on his phone during day six of the Fever-Tree Championship at the Queen’s Club, London
Mourinho appears to be someone who spends a lot of time on the phone ( Image: PA)
If Mourinho is to replace Ten Hag; Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund and Co will quickly realise their time with Mourinho does not end after training and matches. Ex-United star Jesse Lingard claimed the 61-year-old is always looking to keep in touch with his players.

So much so that he will start FaceTiming you, without warning, leading to a series of awkward exchanges. In an interview with the Players’ Tribune, Lingard said: “He also liked to have a personal connection with his players. Sometimes I’d look at my phone and I’d be getting a random FaceTime from him. Just out of nowhere — just to check in.

“I used to find it so strange at first. He’d call and be like, ‘Hey Jesse, what are you doing?’ And I’d be like, ‘Erm, just chilling, watching TV … (awkward silence) … what are you doing?’ I found it funny. And, to be fair, it showed how much he cared about us.”

‘Respect, respect, respect’
Mourinho often deployed his tried and tested defence mechanism when posed with awkward questions in press conferences – his three Premier League titles. Cracks began to form early on in his third season in charge at Old Trafford. After his side were soundly defeated 3-0 at home by Tottenham Hotspur, journalists were surprised to hear Mourinho serenade his team’s display.

When posed with some cutting questions about his team’s display, Mourinho held three fingers up and said: “Just to finish, do you know what was the result? 3-0, 3-0. Do you know what this is? 3-0. But it also means three Premierships and I won more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me and two for them two [Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini]. So respect man, respect, respect, respect.”

If he does takeover, he will not be able to deploy his tried and tested argument – if things in the Premier League continue as they are, then Guardiola will boast double the number of Premier League titles.

Mocking Conte’s hairline
Guardiola vs Mourinho was the rivalry everybody was excited for – until Antonio Conte and his 3-4-3 philosophy came and barraged both managers. In his debut season at Chelsea, Conte won the Premier League in dominant fashion. After the Blues overcame Mourinho’s Red Devils 4-0, Mourinho and Conte came to blows in a heated exchange after the match.

At the start of the following season, Conte launched a huge dig at his counterpart, saying Chelsea could not afford to have a “Mourinho season”. Conte was referring to the Portuguese manager’s dismal title defence in his second stint at the club, which saw him dismissed with the Blues languishing in 10th position.

In response, Mourinho smiled and said: “I could answer in many different ways but I am not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio’s comments.” Conte has reportedly had some hair transplants over the last 20 years. Mourinho’s comments would have surely dug into the Italian.

Freezing out Schweinsteiger
When Paul Pogba arrived at United for a then world record £89m, a mouth watering partnership of the mercurial Frenchman and World Cup winning legend Bastian Schweinsteiger looked to be on the cards. Yet, the two talismen were seldom deployed with each other, as Mourinho decided he did not want the German in his side.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5Live, the Bayern Munich legend said: “I didn’t play a lot [under Mourinho] unfortunately, but I still respect him. He’s a great manager who has won a lot of trophies. It was a weird and difficult situation, he never really explained to me why [I didn’t play].

“It was maybe because I played under Pep Guardiola and had played Pep Guardiola football, which he doesn’t like so much, I think. Still, I also liked how Mourinho was, actually, coaching. Of course the game style is different – I think that is why Zlatan left. It was not so much football, sometimes it was more direct. But he had success with his teams. It was just a strange feeling.”

Taunting Juventus fans
Of course, there were many high points during Mourinho’s time with United. One of the most memorable moments was his masterful 2-1 away victory over Juventus in the Champions League. A wonderful free-kick from Juan Mata and an own goal from Leonardo Bonucci cancelled out Cristiano Ronaldo’s second half wonder-goal.

When the final whistle was blown, Mourinho cupped his ears to the furious Juventus fans, who he claimed were abusing him the whole match. It was a classic moment of Mourinho at his mischievous best.

Pogba battle
Finding the Paul Pogba who plays for France and sticking him into a Manchester United shirt was a conundrum that defeated Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. Mourinho had the first stab at making Pogba a United legend. Unfortunately for the ex-United manager, he was unable to get the best out of the ex-Juventus hitman, who won the World Cup while he was a United player.

Their relationship soured as time went on before it completely collapsed in Mourinho’s final few months. When pressed about Pogba’s ailing United form, Mourinho consistently shifted the burden onto the Frenchman, claiming it was the player’s job to deliver their best performances.

The ex-Juventus midfielder had also become a global superstar off the pitch and was being offered endorsements from all angles, including his very own emoji. This appeared to frustrate Mourinho who was always demanding more from Pogba. In their final weeks together, an uncomfortable looking exchange between the pair on the training ground was captured and sent to the press. It saw Pogba jog onto the training pitch and greet his team-mates, before Mourinho uttered something to the midfielder, who looked shocked and confused by what was said.

Related Topics:Featured Manchester United

Click to comment

Premier League

BIG SHOCK! AI Predicts Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City Final Premier League Positions

The race for Champions League football remains wide open with Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Brighton, Fulham, Aston Villa and even ninth placed Bournemouth still in the mix.

The technology then predicted a tighter battle for the top four.

“Manchester City, the defending champions, have had an uncharacteristically poor season,” it said. “However, with players like Erling Haaland and a history of late surges, they could climb back to third or fourth, likely ending with around 75-80 points.

“Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, have shown a resurgence and could sneak into the top four, possibly third, with their attacking flair and a solid finish to the season so far.”

Grok also stated that Brighton are in with a chance for European football but face some serious competition in the remaining matches.

“Nottingham Forest have been a surprise package,” Grok said. “Their 7-0 thrashing of Brighton in February highlights their potential, but maintaining that form might see them settle in fifth or sixth rather than cracking the top four.

“Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Brighton are also in the mix for European spots, with Newcastle’s recent upturn and Villa’s Champions League distractions possibly influencing their final positions.”

Brighton and Hove Albion are still in the mix for Champions League football as the Premier League reaches the final stages.

The Seagulls, who along with the rest of the top flight have paused for the international break, are currently seventh in the table and just one point off qualification for Europe’s elite club competition.

There are nine Premier League fixtures remaining for Fabian Hurzeler’s team and they are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup where they face Nottingham Forest on March 29 at the Amex Stadium.

Albion’s next league clash is at home to Aston Villa on April 2, with their remaining matches Crystal Place (a), Leicester City (h), Brentford (a), West Ham (h), Brighton (h), Wolves (a), Liverpool (h) and Tottenham (a).

Hurzeler’s men are however on a good run of form. They have won five and drawn once of their last six and a strong finish could well see them in Europe once again.

The fixtures against Aston Villa, old rivals Palace and Graham Potter’s West Ham could be key to their chances.

It’s a tight race to predict, so Sussex World asked Grok AI, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, for a Premier League prediction.

Unsurprisingly Grok praised Liverpool and Arne Slot for an “outstanding season” so far and tipped “valiant” Arsenal to finish second.

Here’s Grok’s verdict
1 Liverpool – 94 points 2 Arsenal – 85 points 3 Chelsea – 78 points 4 Manchester City – 76 points 5 Nottingham Forest – 70 points 6 Newcastle United – 68 points.

7 Aston Villa – 65 points, 8 Brighton & Hove Albion – 62 points, 9 Tottenham Hotspur – 60 points, 10 Manchester United – 58 points, 11 Fulham – 54 points,12 Bournemouth – 52 points.

13 Crystal Palace – 50 points, 14 West Ham United – 48 points, 15 Everton – 45 points, 16 Wolverhampton Wanderers – 42 points, 17 Brentford – 40 points, 18 Leicester City – 34 points (Relegated) 19 Southampton – 30 points (Relegated), 20 Ipswich Town – 25 points (Relegated).

Source: sussexexpress

European Leagues

Lamine Yamal Slams At Rafael van der Vaart After Victory

Lamine Yamal has quipped back at Rafael van der Vaart’s “pants down” jibe after helping Spain beat Netherlands in Sunday’s UEFA Nations League quarterfinal.

Yamal scored Spain’s third goal in a pulsating 3-3 draw at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, with La Roja going on to win on penalties and set up a semifinal against France in June.

The 17-year-old missed his penalty in the shootout, but he still took to social media after the game to respond to former Dutch international Van der Vaart, who had criticised him for his attitude and for wearing his shorts low before the game.

“Shorts down, a goal, a missed penalty and INTO THE SEMIFINAL, COME ON SPAIN!” the Barcelona winger wrote on Instagram.

Yamal’s post included a series of photos, one featuring Van der Vaart’s face alongside an image of him walking off the pitch after the win with his shorts pulled lower than normal.

“I see things that are starting to bother me a little,” Van der Vaart said about Yamal after the first leg, a 2-2 in Rotterdam last Thursday.

“Pants a little lower, not making much of an effort, slightly superficial gestures.

“That’s when I think: if you’re that young, you should be happy with every minute you play for Spain. No matter how good you are, at that age, you have to prove it every minute and in every game.”

Despite his age, Yamal has never shied away from responding to criticism from senior or retired players.

He told Adrien Rabiot to “speak now” and “checkmate” after knocking France out of the European Championship last summer following comments made by the midfielder pre-match.

Yamal experienced some nervous moment in the shootout against Netherlands after seeing his spot kick saved by Bart Verbruggen.

However, Unai Simón kept out Donyell Malen’s penalty and Pedri then scored the winning kick to send Spain into the semifinals.

“I said to him ‘What a s–t penalty,” Barça midfielder Pedri joked of his message to Yamal after his miss.

“But no, you learn from these situations. He is not affected by pressure and you have to take a penalty to miss one.

“His calmness has always surprised us. It’s as if pressure doesn’t exist for him when you see the ease with which he dribbles and how he plays. He’s someone we have to take care of and, above all, enjoy.”

Pedri and Yamal are part of a group of Barça players who now face a quick turnaround as they race back to their club for Thursday’s rearranged LaLiga fixture against Osasuna.

“We are a little tired, but we’re Barça, if they say we have to play Thursday we will, and we will give everything to win LaLiga,” Pedri added.

The game could be decisive in the title race. Barça are currently tied at the top of the table with Real Madrid, four points clear of Atlético Madrid, but have this game in hand.

However, they are likely to be without Ronald Araújo and Raphinha on Thursday, with both players in action on Tuesday in South America in World Cup qualifying games.

The club’s other international players should all be back in time, with Spain’s Under-21 side allowing Fermín López, Pablo Torre and Gerard Martín to return to their club early and miss Tuesday’s game against Germany.

LaLiga

Wojciech Szczesny Ready For Contract Renewal With Barcelona

Wojciech Szczesny joined FC Barcelona following Marc Andre Ter Stegen’s serious injury that was expected to keep the German goalkeeper out till the end of the season.

The Pole had already retired at the end of the last season but came back from retirement to join the Blaugrana side. However, for several months after his arrival, it looked like he would not have an important role in the squad as Inaki Pena continued to be a starter.

However, Szczesny was working behind the scenes to regain the sharpness that he had lost because of the months spent in retirement. He got his first opportunity to don the Blaugrana jersey only after the turn of the year, but since then, he has never looked back and is currently the fixed starter for Hansi Flick over Inaki Pena.

Owing to his importance in the team, there has been speculation of a contract renewal for the Pole. Both Deco and Flick were reportedly ready to extend his stay at the Catalan team, but previously, the goalkeeper had made it clear that he would make a final decision in this regard only at the end of the season.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Szczesny has already given his go-ahead for a contract renewal with Barcelona. With this new contract, he will remain for another season at the Blaugrana club, while also having another optional year.

Thus, both parties agree that they should continue working together beyond the length of this season, and have already got down to work to make the renewal a reality. However, there are still some details on which the two sides need to agree before the new contract can be finalised.