UPDATE: the Football Association has officially charged Jose Mourinho, and he has accepted the charges. Jose Mourinho will serve a one match touchline ban for the incident this past Sunday.
The Special One is indeed showcasing some of the traits that we usually see in his so-called “third season syndrome.” Obviously, Mourinho thrives on drama and controversy. It is his well established modus operandi, and often it serves to rally the troops in an “us against them” mentality.
Usually we don’t see it in his first season at a new club though. Most of the time it happens right before he’s ready to walk.
Yes, United probably got hosed Saturday with a questionable diving call on Paul Pogba. Maybe it was a penalty, maybe it wasn’t but Mourinho needs to do a better job controlling himself, as he kicked a water bottle on the touchline and got himself sent off to watch the rest of the game in the stands.
Whatever ultimate goal Mourinho has in mind with his theatrics, he still does no good to his team when he’s banned. And now he serves a second touchline ban this season. He was given a one-match touchline ban and fined £8,000 following an outburst in the Burnley match last month.
Mourinho was also given a £50,000 fine over comments he made about the appointment of Anthony Taylor to referee United’s rivalry match against Liverpool earlier this season.
Mourinho’s getting sent off on Sunday led to his failure to complete his media duties, meaning his #2, Rui Faria, had to handle the post-match news conference.
Faria said in postgame:
“The referee explained it to Jose and there is nothing more to say. I think [it was] frustration from Jose after the yellow card for Pogba. It should be a foul for us but the referee understood it in another way.”
“I don’t take over. I follow the normal procedure. The boss is Jose all the time and he passes on what is the best for the team and we just try to make it happen without having him there.”
Mourinho has a right to be frustrated; and I do like his passion and zeal. However, he’s got to do a much better job controlling it.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
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