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Jose Mourinho will have thought THIS during Man Utd win over Tottenham - Phil Thompson
JOSE MOURINHO would have been feeling sorry for himself watching Manchester United’s win over Tottenham last weekend, according to former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson.
Mourinho was sacked by United one month ago on Friday after a dreadful start to his third season in charge.
The Portuguese boss publicly challenged senior players, criticised the board’s strict control over the purse strings and bored fans with a negative style of play which culminated in his dismissal.
Mourinho was a pundit on beIN SPORTS on Thursday in his first TV appearance since being axed, and made sly digs at the way the club was run during his airtime.
“A club must have an owner or president, a CEO or director executive, a sports director or football director, and then the manager,” he said.
Mourinho will have been thinking: 'That would have gone against me, De Gea would not have saved that'
“And this is a structure that can cope with all the modernity that football brings us.
“For me the club must be very well organised to cope with these type of situations. Where the manager is only the manager and not the man that is trying keep the discipline and trying to get the players.”
United are shaking up their structure, as they intend to appoint a director of football.
But the austerity with which Mourinho spoke came off was interpreted as bitter by some watching.
And Thompson believes Mourinho would have been feeling sorry for himself last Sunday, when United pulled off a 1-0 win at Tottenham thanks to a virtuosic performance from David de Gea, in which he made 11 saves.
“Mourinho will have been thinking: 'That would have gone against me, De Gea would not have saved that,’” Thompson told Sky Sports, before lauding the atmosphere which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has created.
“Everyone had been waiting on the Spurs game to see if it was real.
“In the first half they were excellent but the second half they were hanging on and De Gea saved them.
“One of the things that happens when you are doing well is that you get away with things.
“There has been a massive improvement and they can finish in the top four. Earning 15 points out of 15 is hard work.”