Mourinho says he is still THE GREATEST JOSE TURNS TO 19th CENTURY PHILOSOPHER TO DEFEND HIS RECORD
JOSE MOURINHO has claimed he is still one of the greatest managers in the world ahead of tomorrow’s big Premier League clash at Burnley.
The Manchester united manager takes his team to Turf Moor knowing he must find a win to relieve the pressure after back-to-back defeats by Tottenham and Brighton.
And during another unmissable press conference, during which he quoted philosophy and said last season’s second-placed league finish was one of his best achievements, Mourinho came out fighting once again.
Asked how it feels to manage united, he said: ‘i am manager of one of the greatest clubs in the world but i am also one of the greatest managers in the world.’
This was the continuation of a theme he struck after Monday’s defeat by Spurs when he reminded everybody of the three Premier League titles he won while at Chelsea.
Mourinho was then asked if he would still be one of the greatest managers if he didn’t win a league title at Old Trafford. he said: ‘Of course. Did you read any philosophers in your formation (upbringing)? You never spent time reading, for example, hegel?
‘As an example, hegel says the truth is in the whole. it is always in the whole that you find the truth.’
Georg hegel was a German philosopher who died in 1831 and is recognised to have been influential in the concept of idealism. Mourinho was clearly using this left-field reference to encourage people to look at his own career over the last decade-and-a-half rather than focus on his current problems.
Still, though, he couldn’t resist a dig at current rivals Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs.
‘Do you ask that question (about greatness) to the manager who finished third in the Premier League last season?’ he asked. ‘Or the manager who finished fourth? To the manager who was fifth?’
it was then put to him that Klopp, for example, has never claimed to be one of the world’s greatest managers. Mourinho said: ‘That’s his problem. i tell you what i think. Jurgen tells you what he wants. i answer the question. That’s easy.’
united ended last season under a cloud after losing the FA Cup final to Chelsea and finishing second in the Premier League, 19 points behind winners Manchester City. But Mourinho, who won the League Cup and Europa League with united in 2016-17, said: ‘i had last season great success even though that’s what you probably don’t want to admit.
‘You do what you want, i do what i want. i analyse my performance myself and for me it is more important what i think than what you think.
‘i think that, two seasons ago, we had a fantastic season by winning the Europa League. We are the last team in England to win a European competition.
‘i have won eight league titles. i am the only manager in the world to win in italy, Spain and England — not small titles or small countries. Eight proper titles. But my second position last season is one of my greatest achievements in football.’
Mourinho was taunted by Tottenham fans after Monday’s defeat as they sang that he was ‘not special’ any more. he said: ‘Yeah, but they didn’t have that song when we beat them at Wembley (in the FA Cup semifinal) a couple of months ago, an FA Cup final they had a big dream to go to, a title they had a big dream to win, because they don’t win many.
‘On that night at Wembley, the united fans were singing the special one and of course they were not singing that.’
having gone on to the field at Old Trafford to thank united fans for their support on Monday night, Mourinho is clearly trying to develop a siege mentality ahead of tomorrow’s game.
‘i know most of the stadiums are used to the winning manager jumping around and going to the crowd and putting his face in front of the camera,’ he said. ‘With me, that is not happening. When i win i am first to leave but after an important defeat at home, that’s not the way i am.
‘i had to go to the pitch and see the reaction and it could be both ways but it went to a way where i felt humbled and the team felt supported and because of that this week was not a difficult week at all.
‘it has been a week where people are positive and convinced we deserved more than what we got last Monday.’