Jose Mourinho's arrival at Old Trafford was always going to cause a frenzy in the football media.
You've got one of the most notorious managers in the world, hated by many, at Manchester United and everybody, regardless of who they support, is dying to see how it turns out. Will Mourinho rattle a few cages, fall out with everyone, and have resigned by Christmas? Or will he finally find his forever home and create a dynasty despised by all?
This intrigue has caused a lot of puzzling stories about Mourinho's methods since his arrival. The biggest example being articles published by the Daily Mail which claimed that nine players were ordered to train with the first team and told they could leave, including Timothy Fosu-Mensah, and then less than 24 hours later a separate article stating that Fosu-Mensah had been given assurances over his future.
What happened in the 24 hours in between? Manchester United fans shared the first article in their droves while declaring how upset they would be to lose Fosu-Mensah. It must be just a coincidence then that a very shareable article stating that the very same player would be going nowhere was published the next day.
The first story fit the narrative that Jose doesn't give youth a chance, the second was done purely based on the reaction to the first.
The other narrative being pushed about Mourinho is that he always falls out with a senior player, and now it's Bastian Schweinsteiger that's getting the treatment, and I must admit I laughed when I saw this headline regarding the news that Bastian Schweinsteiger has been told he did not feature in Mourinho's plans.
Completely humiliated.
You'd get visions of Mourinho forcing Schweinsteiger to train in his underpants before the U18s line up one by one to spit on him.
Instead, this total humiliation (and it is absolutely not just the above headline, these stories are all over the place) is telling him he did not fit in his plans, that he can find a new club, and that for the time being he must train with the U21s.
How is this any different to any player being told they are surplus to requirements? Because it's Bastian Schweinsteiger.
A legend of the game should be treated with more respect, at least according to whoever is writing these stories and, of course, his brother Tobi.
no respect
— Tobi Schweinsteiger (@tobits7) August 1, 2016
After all that Schweinsteiger has done for Manchester United, how can he be treated like this?
Hang on, this is the same Schweinsteiger that was unavailable for the vast majority of the season, and declared himself unable to play the final months so that he didn't miss Euro 2016 with Germany. Manchester United owe absolutely nothing to Schweinsteiger.
Don't get me wrong, he genuinely is a legend of the game, but for Bayern Munich and Germany. It's not like Mourinho took over, walked into the dressing room and told Michael Carrick he was too slow and had to train with the U21s. Jose did not sign Bastian Schweinsteiger, it was Louis Van Gaal who did so much to the delight of Pep Guardiola who was fully aware that the German would be unable to complete a full campaign.
That's not to say that Schweinsteiger can't still offer something to United, but Jose doesn't see it this way and he wants to build his own team, without the once great midfielder. Is that so unreasonable?
All of this is before considering the German's wages which are astronomical considering what has offered the team. Bastian Schweinsteiger's wage at United is believed to be almost twice that of what Mesut Ozil is earning at Arsenal, and while United are clearly throwing money about in the transfer market, keeping one of their highest earners on the wage bill when the manager doesn't have him in his plans is idiotic.
Schweinsteiger has to go, and there is no alternative to asking him to train with the U21s while he finds a new club. Allowing him to train with the first team makes absolutely no sense once the decision has been made, so suggesting that Mourinho owes him that virtue is absolute nonsense.
It's understandable that his brother is pissed off, because he's his brother. Aside from that, if you actually look at the situation is it no different to any other player being deemed surplus to requirements.
