Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho’s management style has always split opinion, but there’s one Sky Sports pundit who doesn’t sound too impressed with him.
The Portuguese tactician was back in the headlines last week after his reaction towards his players, specifically comments made by Ander Herrera, after their loss at Huddersfield Town, as seen in the videos below.
"I heard Herrera say the attitude was poor…all the players should explain why!"
Jose Mourinho is not happy with his team ?#PLTonight pic.twitter.com/wJiHS14M2T
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) October 21, 2017
Mourinho questions Manchester United attitude after loss to Huddersfield – video https://t.co/zVFqblQ8bA #¢MUFC #HTAFC pic.twitter.com/Bfb7SDUJSy
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) October 21, 2017
It’s not the first time and certainly won’t be the last that Mourinho openly talks about his players with the media and criticises them if he deems it appropriate, as we saw with him last season when discussing Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw’s recoveries from injury, as per BBC Sport.
There’s no doubt that it’s an ongoing part of his management style, and Charlie Nicholas believes that while he does it on purpose to get a reaction out of his players, it doesn’t always work in a positive way.
“He’s trying to deliberately agitate people and [he hopes] that agitation will get more from them,” he told the Sky Sports Debate Show, as reported by The Express.
“In the past we would have said ‘if I don’t play well I’m coming off after 60 minutes’ now I think you fear even half-times under Jose.”
Further, Nicholas also took issue with Mourinho’s lack of trust in his defensive options and believes that it’s merely just adding to the confusion at Old Trafford.
“I don’t think he trusts his defenders. How many times have we had this discussion? Ever since Mourinho got there, he doesn’t trust Smalling. As we know, Lindelof has had an almighty struggle.
“And then he brings in Young all of a sudden and you start to get confused. That’s what Mourinho does and you are left scratching your head.”
It really is quite alarming how the mood surrounding United has so drastically changed in a fortnight. Prior to their meeting with Liverpool at Anfield, many were raving about them being serious title contenders as they blitzed past teams with their powerful displays and clinical finishing.
Consecutive negative results and Mourinho going back to form with his treatment of his players when things aren’t going so well, and all of a sudden there are problems at Man Utd.
A win over Tottenham on Saturday will surely ease the pressure and lift the negative cloud at Old Trafford, but it’s clear that Nicholas does make some really valid and important points that could hold Mourinho and United back moving forward.