Siddharth Juyal
The past comments from Jose Mourinho resurfaced amid rumours about his potential return to Manchester United under Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Manchester United are planning drastic changes under the regime of Sir Jim Ratcliffe with Jose Mourinho rumoured to managerial return. Amid the rumours, the 61-year-old’s comments after his sacking from United after a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in 2018 resurfaced.
United are currently under the charge of Erik ten Hag but the Dutchman’s future is in doubt under Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe purchased 25% of the club’s shares, becoming a minority shareholder with control over football-related operations including managerial changes.
Ten Hag has struggled to build consistency in the current season as United suffered 14 losses in all competition. The Red Devils faced early elimination from the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, adding to their misery.
They currently occupy the seventh position in the Premier League table, trailing eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. United’s failure to finish top four would be another disaster, missing the Champions League spot for the next season.
Daily Mail reported that Mourinho wants to return to Old Trafford as he believes he has “unfinished business.” The Portuguese struggled to find cohesion with the past upper management, restricting his ability to succeed under Ed Woodward. However, under the new regime, Mourinho could focus on on-field issues without any distractions or obstacles.
The 61-year-old refused to criticize United after receiving a sack in 2018, keeping a good bond with the club. Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Mirror), Mourinho refused to play the blame game and burn any bridges to the club. He said:
“I keep the good things and I don’t speak about anything that happened in the club. I could speak about not as good but that’s not me. Manchester United has a future without me and I have a future without Manchester United. It’s over, that’s me and that’s how I’ve always been. I was always very critical of managers that leave clubs and then they come out and they speak about the details of what happened, who is to blame. That’s not me.”
Despite the good relationship, Mourinho’s path for any potential return to the Red Devils is not without further obstacles. Ratcliffe criticized the Portuguese in 2018 while talking to Telegraph about his treatment of Luke Shaw at that time.
Mourinho’s recent tenure with Roma earned him a lot of respect from the Italian club’s fanbase and players despite struggles. The 61-year-old operated in limited budget but managed to keep the club competitive, achieving trophies in the process.
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It is speculative to assume whether Ratcliffe’s opinion about the Portuguese has changed by now. Nevertheless, the link with Mourinho cast heavy doubt over the future of current manager, Ten Hag.
