Mourinho I’m one of the greatest managers
Under-fire United coach goes on the attack again Portuguese quotes Hegel to back up his claims
Jose Mourinho declared himself “one of the greatest managers in the world” as he staged another grandiose defence of his record by referencing philosophers and his trophy haul in the face of mounting pressure at Old Trafford.
United travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley tomorrow hoping to avoid a third successive defeat after Monday’s 3-0 capitulation at home to Tottenham Hotspur followed an insipid 3-2 surrender at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Mourinho reacted to the Spurs defeat by reminding everyone of how he had won more Premier League titles than his 19 managerial peers combined as he called on critics to show him the “respect” he deserves. And he went on the offensive again yesterday in another show of self-promotion after being asked what it meant to be in charge at Old Trafford.
“I am the manager of one of the greatest clubs in the world but I am also one of the greatest managers in the world,” Mourinho declared.
He was similarly defiant when asked if that would still apply if he failed to win the championship with United. “Of course, of course,” he said, before turning the question around by asking his inquisitor if he read philosophy and citing the German, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, in a theatrical attempt to reinforce his point at the same time as referencing Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp’s lack of silverware. “Did you read any philosopher or in your formation you never spent time reading, for example, Hegel?” Mourinho said. “Just as an example, Hegel says the truth is in the whole, it’s always in the whole that you find the truth.
“Do you ask that question to the manager that finished third in the Premier League last season? To the manager who finished fourth? To the manager that finished fifth? Because he [Klopp] never win anything international, for example.”
Mourinho has long felt the likes of Tottenham’s Pochettino, whose side finished third last term, Klopp, who took Liverpool to fourth, and Antonio Conte, who left Chelsea in the summer after the deposed champions finished fifth, get an easier ride than him.
When it was pointed out that Klopp was not declaring himself one of the world’s greatest managers and leaving himself open to such scrutiny, Mourinho launched into a further defence of his CV and cited last season’s second-place finish with United as one of his greatest achievements.
“That’s his problem,” Mourinho said of Klopp. “I tell you what I think, I tell what I feel. Jurgen tells you what he wants. And I answer you the question. I also had last season great success. I had great success last season and that’s probably what you don’t want to admit.
“We are the last team in England to win a European competition. I repeat, I have won eight titles. I am the only manager in the world that won in Italy, Spain and England and by winning eight titles – not small titles, not small countries – eight proper titles. But my second position last season is one of my greatest achievements in football.”
Mourinho received an unlikely ally yesterday when Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager and a long-standing adversary, said the Portuguese’s record deserved respect. “The history, the way Jose did in all the places he was – it’s hats off,” Guardiola said. “There is no doubt about his quality.”
Tottenham fans had goaded Mourinho with chants of “You’re not special anymore”. But he said: “They didn’t have that song when we beat them at Wembley a couple of months ago, they had a big dream to go to a cup final, to win a title because they don’t win many. On that night at Wembley the United fans were singing the Special One and they were not singing that.”