What Jose told his players at half-time: Be aggressive! Play like men, play with dignity
A CHAOTIC WEEK IN THE LIFE OF MANCHESTER UNITED
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29
A woeful United lose 3-1 at West Ham, making this their worst start to a season in 29 years. Jose Mourinho questions the players’ mental approach. Rio Ferdinand talks of ‘little wars in the changing room’. Patrice Evra sits next to Ed Woodward in the stand and is spotted talking to Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba by the dressing room. Pogba, asked by the press for a comment, says: ‘You want me dead?’ Players and staff discuss what the result could mean for Mourinho. As he gets on the coach to Euston, then the train to Manchester, there is an uneasy silence.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30
The atmosphere is cool as United’s players meet at 11am for a warm-down at Carrington. Mourinho says little. Ahead of their Champions League match against Valencia, they are told they must convene the following day at the Lowry Hotel at 3pm after training.
MONDAY OCTOBER 1
United hold an open training session. Ashley Young has a knock and receives treatment with Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Jesse Lingard. Mourinho tells the media he doesn’t believe his job is in jeopardy, but refuses to be drawn on whether he has had assurances from the club. Prior to dinner at the Lowry, Mourinho calls a meeting. It’s not unusual the night before a game but the expected 20-minute briefing turns into a 45-minute dressing down and Mourinho’s raised voice can be heard outside.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 2
At 12.45pm, Mourinho briefs on tonight’s opponents. He holds another summit at 5.40pm before United head to the stadium. The manager fumes as their coach is caught in traffic. Though a police car follows, they have no escort in front and take 45 minutes to arrive. UEFA delay the kick-off. Captain Antonio Valencia calls for a team huddle
ck-off. Woodward visits A the nervy dressing United room. draw 0-0. Pogba tells the media he has been told not to speak. A still irked Mourinho blames the police for not helping United get to the ground. The police say it had been agreed with the club there would be no escort. Paul Scholes calls Mourinho an embarrassment.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3
United’s players have been warned about using social media but Valencia mistakenlly ‘likes’ a tweet calling for Mourinho to be sacked. Abashed, he heads to the training ground early to speak to club staff. He puts out an apology and waits for Mourinho to arrive at 9am before going to see the manager face to face. He is dropped for the game against Newcastle. Mourinho holds a meeting with United’s head of corporate development, Matt Judge, and head of football development, John Murtough. The club seem unhappy at his comments regarding the police.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 4
Speculation intensifies that Mourinho’s tenure is nearly over. His mood is affecting some players. Backroom staff, wary of what the future holds, swap numbers to stay in touch in case the end comes. But United brief the media that Mourinho has the club’s backing.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 5
Mourinho calls a press conference for 8am. It is terse, lasting just over three minutes. He blanks a final question asking if he can assure fans he is doing everything to turn things round. He tells the squad to meet at Old Trafford for Saturday’’s kick-off. Juan Mata is on the training ground practising free-kicks. He takes three, scores with each, and calls it a day, not wanting to ruin his touch. In London, Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes meets Woodward, but only to discuss Gea’s proposed new contract.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 6
Mourinho gets a text from Woodward telling him not to believe what he reads in some newspapers. United brief the press that reports of an imminent sacking are ‘nonsense’. That is met with scepticism because United briefed similarly about david Moyes and Louis van Gaal before they were fired. The United crowd rally for Mourinho. The team go 2-0 down with one of their worst ever first-half displays. Mourinho makes drastic changes, hauling off eric Bailly and putting on Mata. At half-time he goes to a makeshift back-three and tells them ‘even if you don’t win, give everything, stop being afraid, be aggressive, brave and play like men, play with dignity’. Mata scores with a free-kick before misfits Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez cap a stirring comeback. Mourinho says he is a ‘better manager and better person for surviving this manhunt’ and heads home to London.
YESTERDAY
Zinedine Zidane’s agent Alain Migliaccio says: ‘I do not think he will manage in england. It does not really attract him. He has chosen to have a year out. He will not dive in again before that is over.’