Jose Mourinho claims Manchester United “big boss” Alex Ferguson would dismiss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s theory that cup trophies can be “an ego thing” for managers.
In almost two and a half years at the Old Trafford helm, Solskjaer has yet to deliver silverware for the club, and he says the team should be judged by their league progress.
United sit second in the Premier League table, which suggests there has been achievement on that front, and they remain in the hunt in the Europa League.
The latter is a tournament that Mourinho won with United, and he also landed an EFL Cup triumph to make it a double in the 2016-17 season.
United lost only five times in the Premier League in that campaign but a league-high 15 draws meant they could only finish sixth, yet in the following campaign they were runners-up to Manchester City.
Mourinho’s United career began to unravel, but he left knowing he had helped to replenish the trophy cabinet, and he disagrees with Solskjaer that such moments can be ego-stroking moments for managers and clubs.
“It’s his opinion. I’m pretty sure that his big boss Sir Alex has a different opinion about it,” Mourinho said, speaking ahead of his Tottenham side’s clash with United on Sunday.
“But I respect what Solskjaer thinks. I think different. Freedom of thinking, freedom of ideas, and if that’s the way he thinks that’s fine for me.
“It’s not being disrespectful for anyone. But I believe his big boss and the biggest of Premier League history has a different view in relation to that.”
Ferguson’s first United trophy was the FA Cup in 1990, which led to a European Cup Winners’ Cup the following year, and in 1991-92 his team added a League Cup success.
It was the beginning of an era where United harvested trophies season by season, moving on to the Premier League and peaking at the end of the decade with their most famous Champions League triumph, Solskjaer famously scoring a stoppage-time winner against Bayern Munich.
It was an empire that was built on a foundation of cup success, with that essentially being United’s entry level to the most dominant period in their history.
Mourinho and Tottenham had their tails up in October as the visitors rampaged to a 6-1 win at Old Trafford, but they have since slid from title contention to their current sixth place.
They have an EFL Cup final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City coming up on April 25, however, which could see Spurs secure their first major trophy since 2008, when they won the same competition.
Needing a strong run-in to barge into the top four, it would be hugely helpful to Spurs this weekend if they could end United’s 22-match unbeaten away record (W14 D8) in the Premier League and complete a first league double over the Red Devils since the 1989-90 season.
Should they achieve that feat, Mourinho would be the first former United manager since Dave Sexton in 1981-82 with Coventry City to manage such a double.
United will inevitably be wary of the threat posed by Tottenham’s Harry Kane, who scored a double in the Old Trafford game and is one goal short of hitting 20 in a Premier League season for the fifth time.
Kane would be just the fourth player in the Premier League era to achieve this feat after Alan Shearer (7 times), Sergio Aguero (6) and Thierry Henry (5).
If anyone gives Tottenham value for money, it must be Kane.
Mourinho spoke about the financial muscle of Manchester City, who rewarded Kevin De Bruyne with a bumper new contract this week, reportedly worth over £16million per season.
The Spurs boss has no problem with De Bruyne doing so well out of his City career, and only wishes he could pay Tottenham’s biggest stars such money.
“Good for him. He deserves it, he’s a fantastic player,” Mourinho said.
“If Pep [Guardiola] or any coach of the top teams has X millions to spend, good for them. No problem. I enjoy to work in my club, I enjoy to do what I’m doing, and I’m not jealous of the ones that can do other things. I would love my players to get the same contract as David de Gea or Kevin De Bruyne.”
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