Is Ferguson helping Mourinho?? United hierarchy’s top secret revealed!!
Sep 21, 2016 at 1:53 PM
Manchester United are reportedly backing manager Jose Mourinho in his criticism of Luke Shaw.
The Portuguese called out the defender for failing to close down Watford’s Jordin Amrabat prior to the Hornets scoring their second during the 3-1 win over United.
However, there have been reports that the England international was actually playing through the pain of a groin injury when this happened, and that the criticism has shocked members of the squad.
According to The Guardian, the Red Devils hierarchy are still backing the Portuguese regardless, believing that these antics are part of the technique which has brought the 53-year-old such huge success in the past – and even think that it is reminiscent of legendary ex-manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferguson regularly got on the wrong side of the media and referees, but did tend to avoid criticising his own players in public.
This will be a major boost to the former Chelsea boss, who has lost his last three games in charge after a flying start to the season.
Another boon will be that Shaw’s injury now seems less serious than first feared, with an appearance against Northampton Town on Wednesday evening beyond him, but a return to face Leicester City in the Premier League next weekend not out of the realms of possibility.
Manchester United players also fear that Jose Mourinho’s fiercely 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.
United face League One side Northampton Town at the Sixfields Stadium in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening on the back of three successive defeats before champions Leicester City visit Old Trafford in a crucial game on Saturday lunchtime.
Mourinho believes he has taken on a bigger job than he initially thought at United as he attempts to effectively “reprogram” players indoctrinated over the past two years by Van Gaal’s risk-averse tactics.
But while United’s squad are thought to acknowledge the scale of the task, they are increasingly concerned that process is being aggravated, not smoothed, by Mourinho’s tongue lashings.
Most have been taken aback by the sudden criticism given how Mourinho was described by prominent figures at the club as having a “hypnotic” presence over the players, who “stood a little taller” in his company during his first couple of months at the helm.