I’m the worst manager in the history of football, jibes United boss

LONDON: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has sarcastically labelled himself the worst manager in the history of football after he faced criticism following a recent slump in form.

Despite winning his first four games in charge, Mourinho came under media scrutiny after the club lost three in a row before beating third-tier Northampton Town in the League Cup.

They are six points behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League and face champions Leicester City at Old Trafford today.

When asked about Claudio Ranieri’s side and their prospects, Mourinho took the opportunity to take a swipe at his detractors.

“It is very difficult to retain the title,” he said yesterday.

“History says that. Not many in the Premier League have done it. One team was Manchester United and another was managed by the worst manager in the history of football (Mourinho at Chelsea in 2005/06).”

United captain Wayne Rooney has faced fierce criticism after a string of poor performances in recent weeks but Mourinho said the forward should not be singled out from the rest of the squad.

“Rooney’s form is like Man United’s form. We are a team. We are not Wayne Rooney, we are a team,” the 53-year-old coach said.

“But the way we think in the group is (that) everybody is involved in every match, even the ones who are not playing.”

Mourinho, who recently lashed out at football’s “Einsteins” who have criticised United during their recent dip, said he was frustrated that he could not protect his players from media scrutiny.

“The only thing that upsets me a little bit is the kind of criticism for my players. I would love to protect my players, but from you (the media) I can’t,” Mourinho said.

“It is completely out of my control. That gives me a feeling that it is hard. That is frustrating.

“The Einsteins need money to live… They can speak, they can write, they can criticise the work of other people. But I am a good man. I am a man of goodwill. I do lots of charity work. I am helping so many people. Why not also help feed the Einsteins.”

Forward Anthony Martial, forced off in last weekend’s de- feat by Watford, will not feature against Leicester owing to a calf injury.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged forward Vincent Janssen to make the most of injured Harry Kane’s absence in today’s Premier League clash against Middlesbrough.

Dutch forward Janssen, who joined from AZ Alkmaar in July, has featured in all five league games this season and scored his first goal for the London club in Wednesday’s League Cup win over third-tier Gillingham.

“It’s not only his responsibil- ity now. It’s a team responsibility and he needs to feel free to play and try to help the team. It’s a big opportunity for him to show his real skill. He needs to enjoy the game,” Pochettino said yesterday.

“He has nothing to show; he just needs to play football. Always with a striker, they need to feel confidence and feel the net. It was a good opportunity for him to score his first official goal with us and that is always important.”

Kane, who ended last season as the league’s top scorer with 25 goals, was carried off with an ankle injury against Sunderland last weekend.

“Kane is out. We need to assess him every day. We need to do another scan and see (for) how long,” Pochettino added.

The former Southampton boss was unsure of the fitness of defender Danny Rose and midfielders Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier for the game at the Riverside Stadium.

Rose suffered a hamstring injury on England duty this month while Dembele and Dier left the field early against Sunderland.

Tottenham, who finished third in the league last season, are third in the standings with three wins from five games. – Reuters