JOSE’S CANTONA MOMENT
Mourinho’s The Deep One as he insists he’s still the greatest and tackles questions about his future by talking about philosophy and quoting Hegel
JOSE MOURINHO produced his own Eric Cantona moment as he faced up to the crisis engulfing him at Manchester United.
With his position called into question after back-to-back Premier League defeats, the under-fire boss came out fighting ahead of tomorrow’s must-win trip to Burnley.
And in a bid to show he remains the Special One, Mourinho echoed Cantona (right) and his famous “When the seagulls follow the trawler” moment by turning to philosophy.
Referencing the 18th century German philosopher Georg Hegel, the Portuguese said his critics have short memories and are quick to forget the success he has enjoyed everywhere.
Having declared himself still one of the greatest managers in the world, the United boss was asked if he could still lay claim to that title if he did not win the Premier League with the Old Trafford club.
“Of course, of course,” he replied, with customary unshakeable self-belief. “Did you read any philosopher? Or in your formulation did you never spend time reading, for example, Hegel?
“As an example, Hegel says, ‘The truth is in the whole’, it’s always in the whole that you find the truth.”
Pressed on the issue of whether he could still lay claim to being one of the greatest coaches if he did not deliver the title at United, Mourinho focused on his current rivals – chiefly Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool.
Mourinho has made no secret of his irritation at the perceived esteem in which both are held, despite having failed to win trophies with their respective clubs and finishing behind secondplaced United last season, in third and fourth respectively.
“Do you ask that question to the manager who finished third in the Premier League last season?” he responded. “To the manager who finished fourth? Who finished fifth?
“Klopp never won anything internationally (a European trophy).” When it was suggested that Klopp does not declare himself to be one of the world’s greatest managers, Mourinho replied: “That’s his problem. I tell you what I want, I tell you what I feel. Jurgen tells you what he wants. I’m answering the question. That’s easy.” Mourinho has talked about nothing but himself since Monday’s shambolic 3-0 home defeat by Tottenham. It was the same yesterday. “I had last season great success,” he said, even though United ended it without a trophy. “That’s what you probably don’t want to admit. I analyse my performance and it’s more important what I think than what you think. “And I repeat that, two seasons ago, we had a fantastic season by winning the Europa League. “Last season everybody thought Atletico Madrid were amazing because they won the Europa League, after being knocked out of the Champions League. “We won the Europa League because that was our level. We are the last team in England to win a European competition. “And, I repeat, I won eight titles. Eight titles. I am the only manager in the world that won in Italy, Spain and England. “My second position last season is one of my greatest achievements in football, I think. You have the right to disagree. No problem for me.”
“Did you read any philosopher? For example, Hegel says, ‘The truth is always in the whole’... it is always in the whole that you find the truth”