Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba during training. (Source: Reuters)
After getting knocked out of League Cup with a defeat against Derby County via penalties, and then the 3-1 drubbing at the hands of West Ham in Premier League, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho’s future at the club has become a subject of discussion in the past week. Ahead of United’s Champions League clash against Valencia on Tuesday, the Portuguese manager said that there are some players who do not care about the ongoing situation with the club.
“I think that some [players] care more than others. The reason why we don’t win matches is the same as why we win matches. It’s down to everybody. The performance on the pitch is down to many factors,” the 3-time Premier League winning manager said.
Mourinho added that some players remain unaffected after defeat. “I see different reactions, but sometimes what you see is different from the inside. You see some people on the outside look like they haven’t lost a game, but in training they are working hard,” he said.
The comments from the two-time Champions League winning manager came at the time when rumours regarding his tensions with Paul Pogba are making the rounds. A video was leaked last week from United’s training in which Mourinho and Pogba were seen engaging in a frosty conversation.
After two back-to-back defeats, Mourinho remained positive about his future at the club. On being questioned whether his job was on the line, the manager said – “No, I don’t think so.” When the reporter asked if he had a conversation with club’s vice-chairman Ed Woodward following West Ham loss, the 55-year-old replied, “That’s a private matter, I don’t ask you who your last phone call was with this morning.”