Recent media reports detail how Manchester United fell from grace in the post-Ferguson era, ruthlessly disclosing a series of damaging incidents from José Mourinho’s tenure as manager.
Excerpts from the article:
Before appointing Mourinho, Ed Woodward read eight books about him and thought he knew what he was getting into – he was wrong. A senior member of United’s internal media team revealed that every interview with Mourinho was “like confronting someone in a hostage cell.” Even in moments of victory, he couldn’t shake this sense of unease.
Mourinho regards finishing second in the 2018 Premier League as one of the greatest achievements of his career – this is complete nonsense. Having won eight league titles and five European trophies with various clubs, United finished a whopping 19 points behind champions Manchester City that year.
From many of Mourinho’s actions, it’s clear we’re witnessing a once-great manager complaining about the fading of his coaching brilliance. Mourinho fought against everything, including the club itself.
During his time at Real Madrid, he was accustomed to the club’s behind-the-scenes operations, leaking stories and briefings to the media to convey his intentions. Sometimes, he chose to act personally. During the 2018 US tour, he told the media at a San Jose press conference that he couldn’t guarantee Anthony Martial would stay at the club. He then left the venue but secretly gathered three journalists to reveal he would sell the French forward at all costs.
Mourinho’s toxic relationship with Paul Pogba ultimately became the backdrop for the collapse of his Manchester United career. Insiders compared it to Ferguson’s rift with David Beckham back in the day. Their conflicts escalated and went fully public. When Mourinho learned Sky Sports cameras were rolling, he provoked that training ground dispute. The altercation received the publicity he desired, but like many of his actions, it came at the cost of dressing room unity.
After dropping Pogba, Mourinho openly described his replacement Scott McTominay as “a humble kid with a normal haircut, no tattoos, no fancy cars, no expensive watches.” Even Luke Shaw, widely regarded as a model professional in football, didn’t escape. During the 2018 summer tour, as Mourinho returned from the Los Angeles training ground in a golf cart, he pointed at Shaw’s car and said: “I think I’ll need James Corden (host/known for being stocky) to drive this.” Taking a dig at Shaw’s weight.
Sources at Carrington described Mourinho as “smiling at you one minute and giving you the cold shoulder the next.” When it emerged that Mourinho deliberately distanced himself from players in training and used side doors to avoid contact in the canteen, the task of boosting morale fell entirely to assistant coach Rui Faria. By the time Mourinho left, even his former staunch supporter Ferguson barely wanted to mention his name.
In 2018, when Sir Bobby Charlton and Harry Gregg attended the ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster, senior United officials were shocked that Mourinho wore a hoodie instead of a formal shirt and tie at the public event.
