Desperate Mourinho tells critics to count his Premier League titles
Manager demands more respect from reporters Spurs defeat was tactical victory, Portuguese says
Jose Mourinho was showing growing signs of strain last night as the embattled Manchester United manager launched a desperate defence of his managerial record after suffering the heaviest home defeat of his career.
Mourinho walked out of his press conference after United’s resounding 3-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, demanding that reporters show “respect” for his achievements. The United manager left the room holding up three fingers which, as well as denoting the size of his side’s defeat, he said signified the number of Premier League titles he had won, a total he made a point of stressing was greater than the top flight’s other 19 managers put together.
It was a moment that smacked of desperation and came shortly after the Portuguese had walked on to the pitch at the final whistle and stood in front of the Stretford End applauding those supporters who had not already left Old Trafford in droves. Mourinho blamed the mass exodus of fans on their desire to beat the traffic home before embarking on his extraordinary tirade.
“I would do the same losing 3-0, taking two hours from here to the centre of Manchester,” he said. “It is where I live and I know that, after matches, it takes two hours. I would do the same.
“We lost last season here against Sevilla [in the Champions League] and were booed because we deserved to be, because we were not good, we were not dangerous enough, because Sevilla deserved to win the match.
“We were booed deservedly and today the players left the pitch after losing at home and the players were applauded because they deserved it. So keep trying and trying and trying. And keep trying.
“Just to finish, do you know what was the result? 3-0. What this means? [Holds three fingers up] 3-0 but also means three Premier Leagues and I won more Premier League alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me. Two for them. Respect. Respect. Respect, man.” By the other “two”, Mourinho was referring to Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager whose success across the road has served only to intensify the spotlight on the Portuguese, and Manuel Pellegrini, the former City manager now at West Ham.
United’s defeat was their second in a row following last Sunday’s wretched 3-2 loss at Brighton but Mourinho sought to put a positive spin on his team’s performance, despite seeing them conceded three times again and implode defensively. Mourinho had dropped Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof and switched to a three-man defence featuring Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and midfielder Ander Herrera in what appeared to be another clear case of making a point to Ed Woodward, the club’s executive vicechairman who had vetoed moves for Toby Alderweireld and Harry Maguire at the prices quoted by Spurs and Leicester respectively.
Asked if he knew his best back four, Mourinho said: “No. Why no? Because in the first game Lindelof and Bailly, now Jones and Smalling but now Jones is injured and the next match will be Smalling with another one and when Marcos Rojo comes he will be an option and I don’t know my best back four.”
Mourinho denied that the constant changing had affected his confidence before accusing his critics of trying to deliberately adopt a negative stance when asked about Lindelof ’s poor form as he rounded on his critics and his mood soured.
“You want to make the miracle of my team played so well and strategically we were so, so good and you want to try and transform this press conference into let’s blame the guy,” Mourinho said. “You have to tell me what is the most important thing. When I win matches I come here many times and you are not happy and you say the most important is the way of playing. I need to know what is the most important thing, if it is to play well or win matches?
“Today we were aggressive, we pressed high. Tottenham couldn’t make two passes coming from the back, we projected the full-backs we had, Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw were arriving in dangerous positions. We missed chances, unlucky in rebounds in both goals, we lost a game by conceding the first corner of the match.
“In the first half zero free-kicks, on minute 50-something they have one corner and score a goal and with that goal you want to transform the story of your game. The best judge in football are the supporters. By the strategic point of view we didn’t lose, by the tactical point of view we didn’t lose, but we lost the game.”
Mourinho had picked up a shirt and scarf thrown from the crowd as he stood applauding fans. Asked what his message to them was, Mourinho said: “The message that the supporters gave to the players was my message. I’m humbled by the way the supporters reacted to the boys Sometimes players don’t get what they deserve.