CRY LIKE CONTE
Jose riles him again with injuries jibe
JOSE MOURINHO has stepped up his feud with Antonio Conte by vowing to start ‘crying’ publicly over injuries like the Italian does.
Ahead of what will be a heated return to Chelsea tomorrow, the Manchester United manager returned to his theme that rival bosses complain too much about absentees — a criticism which riles Conte.
The Chelsea manager wants more ‘respect’ from Mourinho and yesterday conceded their relationship is strained.
Premier League champions Chelsea have been hampered by the absence of N’Golo Kante, who may return tomorrow, while Victor Moses and Alvaro Morata have also had time out.
But Mourinho has been without Paul Pogba for the last 11 games, while also missing Marcos Rojo and Marouane Fellaini, and is adamant United’s strong start has been overlooked.
‘I know that I moan about a lot of things but I don’t with injuries,’ he said. ‘Probably I should cry every week about our injuries. Any other manager would be speaking
about Pogba every day, “Oh I don’t have Pogba, oh when (do) I have Pogba, oh all the Champions League group phase without Pogba, oh all the big matches against Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs without Pogba”.
‘I don’t speak about Pogba one single time, it’s only when you ask me about his situation.’
Mourinho insists United have not been afforded enough praise and was particularly downcast at the reaction to last week’s slender victory over Tottenham.
Conte, since initially rising to Mourinho’s jibes and questioning his constant glances back at his former club, has tried not to rise to the bait since.
But yesterday he spoke of how managers should respect one another ‘to do your work in the best way’ while also suggesting he has no friends in the Premier League.
‘It’s very difficult to speak about friendship with other coaches because, then, they become an opponent,’ Conte said. ‘I have respect for his job. He must have respect for my job.’
For both managers, this game is huge. A defeat for either, or a draw, does little good in terms of chasing runaway league leaders Manchester City — the team who are proving ‘a big problem’ for the chasing pack, as Conte puts it.
But the Italian has the greater concerns. He wanted his players to ‘suffer’ in training this week after a 3-0 Champions League defeat at Roma — to feel the pain he feels and his family see on sleepless nights.
That was the main subject of the champions’ crisis talks this week. Conte roared at his players and warned them that repeating their lack of fight at the Stadio Olimpico was not an option.
But he also bared his own weaknesses and admitted his own mistakes.
‘The way I suffer after a defeat is not for all, because I suffer. I suffer,’ he said. ‘Those who knows me very well, know I don’t like to lose, that I need a bit of time to digest this loss. But, then, those who know me know that, after this, I start stronger, with more hunger, more desire.
‘I try, also, to transfer my suffering to my players. In this moment, you can see if you are winners or losers. This is very important, this moment. If we are happy after a defeat, it means we are not so clear to understand and to suffer. It’s right to suffer.’
Conte admitted he was wrong to play Gary Cahill in a right-sided role in his back three in Rome. Chelsea’s captain will be restored to his usual left- sided position tomorrow. The pressure is on. Owner Roman Abramovich visited training last week — an occasion Mourinho would be familiar with from crisis situations — but Conte and Chelsea sources maintain the manager’s relationship with the Russian is good.
‘It is my task to try to understand why we lose,’ lose, said Conte. ‘ And then to find the right solu-solution to try toto improve, to avoid other situations like this.’
Meanwhile, Mourinho has suggested that meeting United fans over concerns about Old Traf-ford’s atmos-sphere is notot practical.
The United manager criticised supporters after hearing booing during last week’s victory against Tottenham. Mourinho construed that as being aimed at Romelu Lukaku.
Manchester United Supporters’ Trust responded by saying they would ‘appreciate the opportunity to engage with the manager’ about issues at home matches.
But that looks unlikely after Mourinho said: ‘I cannot meet a quarter of the planet. I think a quarter of the planet is Manchester United red.
‘The only thing I can do is what I have since day one — fight for the club and to give everything I have in terms of support to my players because we are fighting hard.’