Apparent tension between José Mourinho and sections of Manchester United supporters continued on Tuesday as he implied some of them did not enjoy Saturday’s win over Tottenham.
A day after defending the striker Romelu Lukaku against apparent fan agitation after a five-game goal drought, the Portuguese used his programme notes before the Champions League clash with Benfica to make another point.
“I hope that you enjoy the game more than some of you did against Tottenham,” Mourinho wrote of the 1-0 Premier League win at Old Trafford.
The game was hardly a classic, but Mourinho used his notes to compliment his players, adding: “It was an extremely tight game between two big teams, but I think we got what we deserved for our efforts. They gave absolutely everything, so even if we hadn’t won, then I would have been proud of them.”
Twenty-four-year-old Lukaku scored 11 goals in his first 10 competitive matches after completing his move from Everton. The United manager said it was unfair that fans “don’t support him so much” saying that, whether he scores or not, the Belgium international makes a difference on the pitch. He repeated those frustrations before the Benfica match.
“The fans are the fans, and they pay their ticket and are free to express themselves however they want,” Mourinho said on Monday. “But my job is, when I feel they deserve, to protect my players and I feel Romelu is one of the players that should be untouchable in terms of the respect from everyone.
“It’s not one ball that hit the post or one save by the opposite goalkeeper that can make Romelu’s contribution below the top level. He’s playing extremely well for us and yes, I have to protect my players when I think my players deserve it.
“Romelu always deserves it because of what he does for the team, what he does for the team is fantastic. Playing football for a striker is not just about scoring goals. So for me he is untouchable for my team and untouchable also in the support and the respect that he deserves from the fans.”