Mourinho demands respect
MANCHESTER, England (AP): JOSE MOURINHO resumed his rivalry with Arsene Wenger today on the back of a simple message: Give me some respect.
The biggest subplot to the highprofile Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford today is the renewal of the often-spiky coaching relationship between Mourinho and Wenger.
The managers have clashed repeatedly over the years, either on the touchline – Wenger once shoved Mourinho in the chest following an argument in the technical area – or via verbal barbs in news conferences.
Mourinho is rarely short of an opinion when it comes to Wenger, having previously called the Frenchman a “voyeur” because of his regular comments about Mourinho’s former club, Chelsea, and a “specialist in failure” during Arsenal’s nine years without winning a trophy (2005-14).
Yesterday, Mourinho wondered out loud why, in his opinion, Wenger gets more credit for his achievements.
“Tomorrow (today) is a match between the two managers with the best record in the Premier League, now Alex Ferguson isn’t here anymore,” Mourinho said, referring to his and Wenger’s record of winning three league titles each.
“Does that mean we should be respected, even in periods where our results are not the best? I think Mr Wenger has that respect. I don’t think I have. Especially because my last Premier League title was 18 months ago, not 18 years ago. I don’t think I get that respect.”
TARGETED FOR CRITICISM
Mourinho’s most recent league title came in 2015, at the end of the second season of his second stint at Chelsea. Wenger hasn’t won the league with Arsenal since 2004.
Yet, Mourinho feels he is targeted for criticism more than Wenger. Some believe Mourinho is already losing his grip at United after a number of public outbursts towards his players and what some pundits believe to be his outdated playing style compared to some of the younger Premier League managers.
Mourinho said his track record of winning league titles at every top club he has managed – FC Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan – demands that he gets more time. And, that word again, respect.
“When I was sacked at Chelsea, I was not in trouble. I had lots of offers,” Mourinho said. “I could be working in some of the biggest cubs in Europe and I waited for the chance to work at a club where I wanted to be.”
The arrival of Mourinho in English football in 2004 is one of the major reasons why Arsenal declined as a major force, damaging Wenger’s reputation in the process. Fuelled by Roman Abramovich’s heavy spending, Chelsea became the best team in England the season after Arsenal won the championship by going through the 2003-04 campaign unbeaten.