Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has defended his style of football after ex-United captain Gary Neville said that no one should be allowed to come in and try change the philosophy at the club.
Neville said on his podcast that United teams should play fast, attacking football in an entertaining way and that that style of play and bringing through young players at the club should form the foundations of Manchester United.
“No one should ever be allowed to enter Manchester United’s training ground or Old Trafford ever again to shape their own philosophy. That is done,” said Neville.
“Manchester United’s philosophy is so deep and so meaningful, it’s like Barcelona’s and it’s like Ajax’s. At Manchester United you play fast, attacking football in an entertaining way. You bring young players through and give them belief. And you win.
“To be honest with you, the third one sometimes goes in cycles. The winning actually comes as a result of doing the first two right. The third one doesn’t always happen. Sometimes you can go years without winning trophies. You can go years without winning things and picking up titles.
“I supported David Moyes, I supported Louis van Gaal and I supported Jose Mourinho. I thought they would win at the football club and I said it at the time. I’m not sitting here backtracking, thinking Manchester United made a bad decision by appointing Jose Mourinho.”
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Mourinho’s transfer disputes with United were well documented and he indicated that both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were able to build and mould their teams to their liking, despite United trailing only Manchester City in spending.
“He doesn’t know my philosophy,” Mourinho said on BeIN Sport.
“My philosophy depends. I would love to go to a club and be in a position to do what Jurgen [Klopp] and Pep [Guardiola] did.
“You look at the Liverpool team that started today [against Crystal Palace], how many of those players were there before Jurgen arrived? A couple.
“And when Pep arrived he was not happy with the four full-back he had and he bought four full-backs he liked.
“And then he bought a goalkeeper in Claudio Bravo and when he was not happy with Claudio Bravo the next season he bought Ederson.
“Jurgen was in the club for three-and-a-half years and has won absolutely nothing he still has the trust, and the confidence and the conditions to keep going and going and probably this season they have a big chance to do it but it will be the first time they have a chance to win a trophy
“That’s why in my next job I will not be starting a conversation with a club unless I know what the club wants and what the club can give in terms of structure and in terms of the club’s objectives.”
Mourinho also added that his Chelsea teams last decade played brilliant attacking football at times and that his philosophy changed depending on the game and circumstance.
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