The former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has batted away criticism of the philosophy he brought to the club.
During a lengthy appearance on BeIn Sports, which marked his re-emergence into the public sphere following a break after the end of his spell at Salford’s Lowry Hotel, the Portuguese was asked to comment on the view, put forward by his old foe Gary Neville, that all future managers appointed at Old Trafford should share the values of the club.
His interviewer Richard Keys put it to him that the former United defender Neville had insisted that: “Never again should a manager be appointed at Manchester United whose philosophy is different from what Manchester United supporters have grown up watching.”
Mourinho, showing all the combative nature of old hasn’t been worn away, suggested that the faults of his work at Old Trafford were due to the demands of instant results there, supposedly in contrast to those of two of his former rivals in the north west.
“My philosophy depends,” he said. “I’d love to go to a club and be in conditions to do what Jurgen and Pep did. When Jurgen is in the club and wins absolutely nothing for three and a half years, still has the trust, confidence to keep going.”
Perhaps what old Jose struggles to grasp is the good feeling engendered by Guardiola and Klopp around their respective football clubs by their positive attitudes are a large part of what has afforded them that confidence from their boards during bad times as well as good.
