Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has asked fans and critics not to compare the current team to the club’s previous champions.
United drew 2-2 with Arsenal on Wednesday night as they now fall 18 points behind league leaders Manchester City.
The club now look set for their sixth consecutive season without a title and with just one win from their last five games, Mourinho has asked for his side not to be compared to some of the great Sir Alex Ferguson sides.
“I have to disagree with people who try to compare this to teams of Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Nemanja Vidic, give us a break and time,” Mourinho said. “I am happy with the soul and heart, but we are not consistent and uniform.
“Today was more the same, but with great spirit and people ready to have a go and fight hard, it was a credit to the team.
“They went to the limit and were really tired. Some of them had not played all season, Chris Smalling playing in very difficult condition, but Arsenal were only dangerous when we lost the ball in bad areas.
“This is a performance of big soul and heart, [Marcus] Rashford, just to give a name, gave everything for the shirt. But even from our bench you could feel the little panic when the ball comes to our defensive third.”
Mourinho has spent over £370million on 11 transfers since arriving at Manchester United in 2016 but has bemoaned his club’s lack of activity in the market, particularly compared to rivals Manchester City.
He missed out on securing a centre-back before the transfer deadline back in August but former defender Rio Ferdinand insists that the Portuguese manager must play the hand that he has been dealt by the club.
“I think Ed Woodward see himself as a person that can go out and secure signings,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
“You have to be honest, in the last few years he’s been called upon to go out and get players and he’s got them. I think Mourinho has asked for particular players, and yeah there’s been moments where he was unhappy that he didn’t get a centre-half, but let’s not forget that Fred came through the door, [Alexis] Sanchez came through the door.
“You have to be honest, in the last few years he’s been called upon to go out and get players and he’s got them. I think Mourinho has asked for particular players, and yeah there’s been moments where he was unhappy that he didn’t get a centre-half, but let’s not forget that Fred came through the door, [Alexis] Sanchez came through the door.
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“The point is he’s been backed in that sense and he’s got the players that he’s asked for. Maybe he didn’t get one or two but how many managers go out there and go ‘I want these five players’ and they get every player on the list? They don’t. That’s life. But you’ve got to make it work.
“It’s not about looking back and going ‘oh no I didn’t get so and so’ and moaning about it. What you’ve got there is a pack of cards to play with, now play with it and make it work. That’s what great managers do.”
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