Contrasting reports.
The Manchester United squad are either sick of Jose Mourinho and his abrasive manner, comparing it unfavourably to former manager Alex Ferguson.
Or they’re not bothered by Mourinho’s public barbs, because they remind the players of Fergie.
There’s been a lot of leaks out of Old Trafford over the past few days, but the latest set of stories tell contradictory tales.
Mourinho usually encounters problems with his squad during his third season at a club, but it appears to have taken just three months at United to get on the wrong side of his players, if some reports are to believed.
United are on a three-game losing streak, and in that time Mourinho has publicly criticised Jesse Lingard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Luke Shaw. Following the team’s 3-1 loss to Watford, Mourinho blamed Shaw for Watford’s second goal.
According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, United’s players aren’t happy with Mourinho criticising players in public, and are particularly displeased with the manager’s criticism of 21-year-old Shaw.
They believe Mourinho’s public utterances are eroding the confidence of the squad, and compared his approach unfavourably to Alex Ferguson, who wasn’t prone to taking pops at his players in public.
Mourinho is said to be “nastier” than Fergie.
According to the report:
“Manchester United’s players fear that Jose Mourinho’s fierce private and public criticism is damaging confidence and already having a destabilising effect on their season.
“The squad have been left shocked not only by Mourinho’s public censure of individual players, including Luke Shaw, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard, but the personal nature of criticism behind closed doors as the United manager faces an early crisis in his reign.
“Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘hairdryer’ treatment became infamous at Old Trafford but Mourinho’s rebukes are believed to carry a nastier edge that has not gone down well in the dressing room.
“The public remarks aside, the private criticism has also been savage.
“‘His delivery of criticism is nasty,’ one source said. ‘It is far more personal than Fergie ever was’.”
However, according to a report in The Guardian, the players have no issue with Mourinho’s abrasive methods, as they remind the players of Ferguson’s approach.
“It is understood, however, that United have no problem with their manager’s methods, seeing them as part of the approach which has brought the Portuguese so much success over the years including league titles in four countries and two Champions League triumphs.
“United believe Mourinho’s attitude is reminiscent of the club’s most successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and are happy to allow the 53-year-old to employ whichever methods will be beneficial to the team’s development.”
What seems certain is that there are, as Gary Neville suspects, an awful lot of leaks coming out of Old Trafford.
Who is your money on? https://t.co/kC6jra16xA
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) September 21, 2016
