By John O’Leary
No matter what you think about them, Manchester United have surely got to be admired for the number of clean sheets they have kept this season. It seems unfair that teams in the lower half of the table are praised for being resilient in defence, whereas Mourinho’s careful attitude with his team tends to be labeled as negative.
Mourinho himself spoke out after the 1-0 win over Tottenham. He argued that Spurs had achieved impressive victories over Liverpool and Real Madrid previously, and had only failed to score in one previous league game. Surely United deserved some credit for keeping the ball out of the net. It’s certainly true that, given their defensive strengths, United are one of those teams that you would use a free bet bonus no deposit required on, as a way of making it more likely you would benefit from it. But, is some of the lack of credit actually down to Mourinho himself?
Does Mourinho cause issues for his teams?
Many fans of other clubs may have disliked United while Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, but there was still a grudging respect. The problem with Mourinho is that he often has too much to say for himself. Even former Old Trafford favourite Roy Keane has recently criticised the United manager for his digs at supporters, and complaints about the lack of atmosphere in the stadium. Although, to be fair, Keane has himself been pretty vocal about the attitude of fans over the years. Keane is not the only one who has an issue with Mourinho. The Portuguese manager seems to enjoy being controversial.
Mourinho’s controversial moments
Mourinho announced himself to British football fans with his over the top celebrations of Porto’s win over Manchester United. It’s ironic that 13 years later he is now in charge of guiding United to victory. This is not the only moment of controversy for Mourinho on British soil. Who could forget the shushing action he made to Liverpool fans, during the Carling Cup final in 2005, amongst many other incidents.
Do United actually deserve more credit?
Mourinho could have a point, when he claims that United deserve more credit for being so difficult to beat in the current Premiership. Free flowing football is often more appreciated by fans, but it can be just as important to be solid defensively; ask the current Liverpool team. That being said, it does not appear as though Mourinho’s efforts are going down well with at least one section of fans. If you believe current news reports, many are keen for the rumours of his impending move to PSG to be true.
Looking at the situation overall, it’s easy to think that maybe the lack of credit being given to Manchester United at present is down to Mourinho, rather than the team itself. The controversial manager does not exactly make it easy for opposing fans, or the press, to like him.