He's back! Jose Mourinho was never going to stay out of the limelight for too long after his sacking at Manchester United, and he has returned to our television screens today. The Portuguese manager appeared as a pundit on the beIN SPORTS for the Asian Cup clash between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and his own career was sure to take centre stage in the pre-match discussions.
Mourinho's style of play was widely criticised during his time at Old Trafford, with the team playing quite a slow and uninspiring brand of football for large periods of his tenure. It is something he has battled against during other periods of his career, most notably at Real Madrid, but it was intensified in Manchester.
He has not been one shy to self-promote in the past, and he took the opportunity to do so today. He claimed that football is a results driven business, and that a style of play means nothing if you are not winning matches.
He also has a cut off some of the young managers in the game now who play 'the right way', but have yet to make an impact in terms of winning trophies.
Mourinho defends his style of football from criticism.#beINMourinho #beINAFC #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/vUB99WwxBk
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) January 17, 2019
It's very easy to play 'well' and not win, it's very easy to be behind a certain idea with certain football without results.
The people that win, and the people that win consistently, because you can win in isolation and then disappear, obviously have a different idea about that. If you speak to Guardiola, Ancelotti, or the ones where obviously I belong, that have career of victories for long long periods.
Where are the young ones with a real impact in terms of results? Where are they?
This seems to be a thinly veiled criticism directed towards Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who Mourinho has questioned openly in the past. While the German has been widely praised for his style of play since arriving in the Premier League, but has yet to win a trophy.
He told the Manchester Evening News last summer that Liverpool had been getting away lightly in terms of criticism despite their spending, saying they 'had to win.' He also said similar things about Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino and his lack of trophies.
While many commentators would hold the opinion that you should develop your philosophy and that success will follow, Mourinho holds the opposite view. He believes that up and coming managers should focus primarily on the outcome of matches, as that is what people will remember.
Mourinho urges young coaches to prioritize results!#beINMourinho #beINAFC #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/jdX2GUwuyM
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) January 17, 2019
What I wish is the ones that are starting their career, like I was a few years ago... I hope they transform their image and their reputation in results, because that's what stays.
That's what stays forever, and makes you belong to a certain level.
He also defended his own time at Real Madrid, pushing back on the 'lies' that have been told about his tenure. While it has been claimed they played a negative brand of football, his side actually broke a number of records in their La Liga winning season.
Mourinho defends his Real Madrid record.#beINMourinho #beINAFC #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/jqyoq3zoam
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) January 17, 2019
Real Madrid people sometimes forget because the Champions League is something that is worldwide, but we won the Spanish cup and the league of records. 100 points, to get 100 points you need to win matches, a lot of matches, and the record of goals scored.
When people tell a lie many times, people think it's true. But you can tell a lie one thousand times, it's still a lie. With Real Madrid, we have the record of goals scored in Spanish football.
Mourinho will continue his stint on beIN on Saturday evening, when he will appear in the studio for the Premier League clash of Arsenal and Chelsea.
