José Mourinho is confident Manchester United’s attitude in last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield Town will prove “an isolated case”, with the manager claiming contentment at Ander Herrera’s post-game concession that David Wagner’s side had the more professional approach.
The loss was United’s first of the season and caused them to slip five points behind Manchester City. Mourinho was particularly unhappy, stating his players’ attitude was poorer than for even a friendly under him. After seeing Herrera’s interview immediately after the match Mourinho said all his players should publicly explain themselves. His side host Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s early game, with the north London side level with United on 20 points, but he is sure the attitude at Huddersfield was an aberration.
“To play badly and lose matches, I think that can happen again,” Mourinho said. “It happens during a season. You cannot play well all the time; you cannot win all the time; you cannot even be lucky all the time. So to lose again, I think it is going to happen but in terms of the attitude that we didn’t like and knowing the players and what good people they are, I believe it was an isolated case.”
Asked if he had taken exception to Herrera’s words, he said: “I was surprised but happy because it is not easy for the players to recognise and admit. So I was happy because again it shows dignity and it shows character and it shows intelligence to realise the reason why we lost the match. So, contrary to imaginary sources that tell you everything we do here, I can promise you that since the match I have not spoken one word, or spent a single second talking about that match. There is no need.”
Mourinho was also dismissive of claims made in Mauricio Pochettino’s book, Brave New World, that he had a “compromising” conversation with Eric Dier after United beat Spurs 1-0 at Old Trafford last season. Pochettino writes that Dier told him Mourinho had been interested in signing him since the previous summer.
“If it is Mauricio’s words or it is his ghost writer’s, I really don’t know,” Mourinho said. “What I do know, is that every season, during the summer, before every season he calls me and I call Mauricio and we ask about each other’s players to see if they are available or not. I don’t know why I should speak to Dier on a football match day in the tunnel, maybe it is to try and sell books. Maybe his ghost writer wants to make some money. I just have a very good relationship with him. He’s one of the guys I’ve known for many years and we’ve always had a very good relationship.”
Pochettino wrote: “Mourinho and I had finished our interviews at Old Trafford and the players were doing their warm-down. When José was done with the press, he stood by the entrance to the tunnel and regarded the returning players.
“He greeted Moussa Sissoko and hugged Dier. They passed by me en route to the dressing rooms, laughing, speaking in Portuguese. Maybe it is a common Mourinho tactic but he put Eric in a compromising position. You cannot do that after a defeat.
“‘Are you friends with Mourinho?’ I asked him. ‘No, but I’ve known him a long time, from my time in Portugal – one of his godsons coached me. He always says hello.’ As for the Mourinho incident, ‘What could I have done?’ Eric asked me. He [Dier] told me about United’s interest since last summer [2016] and I explained the situation to him clearly.
“Ever since that conversation, Eric admits that he could have waited for Mourinho to be out of sight before heading to the dressing room.”
Mourinho claimed on Friday he always wanted to sign Nemanja Matic, who joined from Chelsea in the summer, ahead of Dier. “I have the player that I really wanted to have, probably I have the player I didn’t think it was possible to have but we got the player I really wanted,” he said.
Mourinho added he was more concerned that the injured Marouane Fellaini sign a new deal than Luke Shaw do so. Fellaini’s terms expire in the summer. “I’m worried about Fellaini and not about Luke Shaw, because Fellaini finishes his contract and Luke Shaw doesn’t,” he said.