Battling Pep’s no big deal
PAUL HETHERINGTON JOSE MOURINHO has revealed that Wednesday’s derby against Manchester City is not a priority game.
The great rivals meet in the EFL Cup at Old Trafford, where Pep Guardiola (below) and City have already recorded a 2-1 victory this season in the Premier League.
But United boss Mourinho said: “It’s the League Cup and, honestly, of the four competitions we are involved in, that is the least important.
“My approach to that match is secondary.
“We want to win the game and we want to win the League Cup – I have won it three times before and I will never throw it away.
“But if you ask me if my focus is on the match one little bit, I would say, ‘No.’
“The schedule has been tough but City also play on Sunday so Pep has the same problems that I have.” NOT
At Stamford Bridge he certainly was, with his achievements in two spells in charge including three Premier League title triumphs.
But Mourinho has said that he needs to deliver trophies at Old Trafford before the United fans will recognise him as their own Special One.
The United boss, who was controversially sacked by Chelsea last season, said: “Connections start before titles are won.
“But it is success that brings empathy between the supporters and managers and makes that connection become really strong.
“I have a three-year contract here and if I am here for three years, the people will know that I have given everything to the club and that I am a professional and dedicated coach who gives himself 24 hours a day to United.
“But if, at the end of three years, I don’t win a single piece of silverware for them, they will say, ‘Great guy, good coach, we like him but we feel nothing special about him’.
“However, I have loved every club that I have worked for. I have this professional heart that makes me connect 101 per cent with my club.
“When I was growing up in Portugal, I was not born a Porto supporter – but I still gave my life to Porto.
“I also gave my life to Madrid, I gave my life to Inter and I gave my life to Chelsea.
“Now, I give my life to United. That is my professional nature.”
Mourinho, who returns to Chelsea today with his team on a six-match unbeaten run, says he remains proud of his trophy-laden achievements at Stamford Bridge.
The United boss said: “Chelsea have won four Premier League titles in their history – three of them were won with me and the other one was won by the team I left behind.
“I took them to Wembley, I took them to Cardiff, I took them to cup finals.
“So there is a connection based on empathy – but built on success. In PAUL HETHERINGTON the end at Chelsea, when the last two or three months of my time at the club were a period of bad results, the fans kept that empathy and they remembered our relationship.
“That is something I don’t forget and is something I will always be grateful to them for as, with me, they always behaved in a fantastic way.
“But there is one thing that Chelsea fans can be sure of now – I am Manchester United 100 per cent.
“I want to win with United and make them the best but I will always be respectful to Chelsea. It doesn’t matter what happens, I will never lose the feeling of respect towards the club.”
Mourinho also praised the quality of new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.
He said: “In the Premier League, you don’t have bad managers. Even in the Championship, you have guys with lots of talent and League One is probably the same.
“The game here is full of very good managers and the Premier League has a lot of the elite ones.”
Mourinho hopes to have central defender Chris Smalling f i t t his afternoon after he suffered a knock in the Europa League triumph against Fenerbahce.