Mourinho vows to keep on
Jose Mourinho saw at firsthand on Tuesday night how far Manchester United have fallen behind the powers of European football.
Juventus won 1-0 at Old Trafford in their Champions League group stage match, a victory which was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
United remain one of the biggest names in the game, on a par with the likes of Juve, but in Mourinho’s eyes, they are lagging behind in the area that matters most – on the pitch.
The Italian champions have made no secret of their ambition. The summer purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo is intended to give them the extra push they need to conquer the Champions League after seven successive Serie A titles. But whereas the Turin club were clear in what they wanted in the market, United’s summer business left a lot to be desired.
So after nine games, the Reds are stuck in mid-table and face a real fight to finish in the Premier League’s top four with the team seemingly going backwards. Much has been made of the lack of a director of football at United. Mourinho will not discuss that, but he just wants everyone pulling together in the pursuit of victories. And maybe that would be enough to change his mood from permanent anger to one of happiness.
“I am not going to discuss the way I think Manchester United should be organised,” he says.
“One thing is to compliment Juventus, and another is to give you my opinion on how Manchester United should or