Mourinho on Manchester United- ‘I don’t have regret… I won and I learnt’

Jose Mourinho in Press Conference before Manchester United match

Jose Mourinho said he is eager to meet his friends in Old Trafford, when his team Tottenham Hotspur will meet Manchester United.

On his time in Old Trafford, Special One cited Nelson Mandela and said that he does not have any regret, as he won with Manchester United and learnt from the other matches.

Excerpts from the interview

Jose, 24 Hours before you are going back to Old Trafford, how are you feeling about that trip?

I feel good. I like to play. I like to play big matches. I like to play against the best teams. And that is the most important thing going back to pressure is to go back to a place where I was happy. I can say that I was happy. I have a great relation with the Manchester United supporters.

I went back as a pundit which is a different perspective. I was really humbled by such a beautiful reception.

Tomorrow I go back has the coach of the team that is going to try to beat Manchester United, and that may be gives a different perspective. So, I expect this respect that they always show towards me. But I understand that what they want is exactly the opposite that I want. I want Tottenham to win… They want Manchester united to win. So during the match. Of course I expect them to forget me. And I expect them to support their team to try to get the result they want.

What’s so in it for me now is in my book of experiences or, in my history book, like Mr. Mandela was was saying some time. “You never lose you win or you learn”. And at United, I won… And I learned, and my time after I left was, was a good time for me.

Jose you seemed very frustrated. This time last year towards the end of your time there was a surprise to the down as far down as ninth place and even when you left over in the top six.

This is a close chapter for me. I left the club. I took my time to took my time to process everything that happened. I took my time to prepare myself to the next challenge. And, honestly. What’s so in it for me now is in my book of experiences in my history book, like Mr. Mandela was was saying some time. “You never lose you win or you learn”. And at United, I won… And I learned, and my time after I left was, was a good time for me.

So it’s not for me to analyze united now now I analyze united as a team, as an opponent. The way they play… How can they beat us, how can we beat them. This is for me the important thing.

How do you look back on your achievements that you want to try to FA Cup Final up runners up in the Premier League, how do you think you’ll possibly be underappreciated.

These are things that they can do the season two. They can win Europa League, they qualify for the knockout. They can win the Carrabaro. Cup. They are still in competition, they can win FA Cup.

They got wolves in the first. In the first round, so they can achieve these tournaments, I did it… we did it in my time. We did it, that they can also do it.

This is what’s your biggest regret though from your time there in the Premier League was it perhaps not being backed by significant transfers.

Again, it looks like, – I left Manchester United yesterday, it was not yesterday; It was 11 months, almost one year ago… I am Tottenham. And again, if you want to speak about opponents. Let’s speak United as opponent… it doesn’t opponents about my history there… Go to my office upstairs there’s still a couple of pictures of my nighttime. And that’s it.

How much you got to do to get your defence right?

Yeah, but I think – in the last game, we were very very fine. And when they scored the goal. The first of all in the, in the dark tricky. I think we weren’t completely in control, we had zero problems in the second half of the game. You were very tired. We were pressing very well. You were totally in control, so that that goal come – I think, it was in in our best moments, and in Burma worst moment set piece, there is nothing you can you can do. When the kid has that talent. And after that, the second goal, yet, we can speak about Victor, Lucas concentration, a bit of an individual mistake. But overall I was thinking. In the last match. We were better defensively so sometimes you can see the goals. But that doesn’t mean that you had defensive problems.

How far do you think he can go in the game do you think he can compete possibly one day to be one of the best players in the world and maybe even pay for the Ballon d’Or?

I think he can do anything he wants. He has the talent, it has already the right age the right experience experience at the highest level playing Champions League playing national team in the biggest competitions. Lots of talent, young, It has everything. I think is just a question of motivation. Every day and. And again, this is not an individual thing; this is belongs to everybody. When we speak about Dele, we speak about me, we speak about my staff, we speak about the fellow players, we speak about the way the team is playing; a player is is an individual that in the end is not us not an individual is part of a collective so I think because of all of us. That is very important.

And speaking about players. I forgot because I should start with that. I want to congratulate song. Third time in a row. Asian Player of the Year. I’m here for on a stand 12. I’m in love with that guy, so I can imagine the people that is here within 3/4/5. years. Fantastic player fantastic boy. Regarding the club is so so happy with, with him. And at the same time.

Frank was already fantastic. Frank was a super professional and was fantastic player. And again, I think the reason why Frank went even higher was because of our team.

Comparison of Dele Alli with Frank Lampard

Frank was already fantastic. Frank was a super professional and was fantastic player. And again, I think the reason why Frank went even higher was because of our team. Because Frank, the potential shrunk the professional the mentality was was already that I did nothing for him. Then we did as a team.

Again, the system we were playing that number eight. With all the, the freedom through that central channel we we gave him the conditions to be the player that after that he was that he was understanding the dreaded, it just, it just needed a better team to go to the next level, which of his he did. And then for 10 years he was. It was fantastic.

Dele, is it is younger than that is not as mature as that yet, amazing potential, again, we are going to try to help these talents to be consistent and to be great for club and national team. That’s what we are going to try. He wants. Clearly, he wants and clearly is doing everything to reach these. These level ups and downs will always happen especially with younger people. So when the observe need balance. When the down appear -We need also balance. So, we need to balance him. Fantastic boy.

Are you taking the fifth number of points difference between the cells and the top four in a matter of 10 days, you must be thrilled with. Now this month could be.

Yeah, but there are things you cannot control, and what you cannot control the opponent results. We did our job, we want to match is that then we cannot control. So, Chelsea last six points. Arsenal last I think for this kind of situation. We are not in control. So imagine we we know matches. But Chelsea also wins, we would be the same 12 points difference and that we cannot control, and that’s the problem when you are in a bad position that’s the same story when he was first in seconds, and then people always asked me is better to be first a second is better to be first. You don’t depend. so in this situation, we don’t depend of ourselves and Chelsea was six points, maybe in the next shot matches they do 12. So, we have just to play our matches and try to get maximum points and see where we end.

And a lot of the hands are on easy. So in a sense for a lot of the fans being saying we wish we still had you in charge. Remember that fear, a dynamic that your team can play off the fact that you’re not going to be a villain that tomorrow. In fact, most people there, a lot of fans that will still say, if we haven’t.

I’m not a villain I’m not an enemy but I am the coach that is trying to win against Manchester United. And that’s the way I think they’re going to look at me. And in relation to to Ole, Ole is the guy that tomorrow is going to try to win the game fanatic fans so of course they’re going to support him. And then, they’re not going to support me, when saying is a nice reaction. Now the thing is support so I think the nice reaction. Probably is to me. But then, during the game, the support will be to Ole, and that’s the nature of the game, and the nature of a place with an incredible history, and with fans that understand clearly what the passion for a club is they love the club, so they love Ole.

Jose, you mentioned about the Manchester United in the history books for you. Do you have much sentimentality in football or is there no room that as a manager. Just like sentiment, you know when you have fond memories and you have that ability to go back home, and want to see the club want to engage with the staff there and, but do you feel that you just have to put a blanket, no to that when you go back to football no

No, i did that with Chelsea, I never played against Real Madrid. The only in friendlies or winter but I did against torture. I did against Chelsea I’m going to do now against against united and, of course, I always say that before the game. And after the game, one thing is to be in the corridor, where I don’t know anybody. And another thing is to meet in the corridor – Good friends, people that work with me people that I have a very good relationship people that I keep a contact on on the phone on the SMS on the WhatsApp.

So that’s a different thing. So, before the game is a little bit different. And I’m happy with that. After the game is going to be also a little bit different, and I’m also happy with that, during the game, there is no space for any for any feelings at all.

and also at the beginning of the press conference she talked about wanting to be ready and have some big games. Do you still see this as a big game in recent seasons is Tottenham vs manchester united as big as it used to be.

I think so, and will always be six. I have no doubt that we are to be clubs. And in my case, talking on one of the reasons why I came here was because of Mr levy vision. Because if Mr levy ambitions for the future. And talking wants to be bigger than already is. And united is one of the biggest clubs in the world. And they have the potential at every level for the club to be back to, to what the fans expect.

We want to be big, we want to be bigger tomorrow than we were yesterday. Not compared with anyone. We just want to, to be better at every at every level and not looking to the others.

just want to be bigger than united.

We want to be big, we want to be bigger tomorrow than we were yesterday. Not compared with anyone. We just want to, to be better at every at every level and not looking to the others.

On match time for players

…it is impossible in in three matches to play, everybody there are other players that I liked very much, and I tried to give some stability to the team and there is no space for everyone so we look to two other boys, Ryan says no, no Celso work repeaters we have also players with potential to play that they didn’t have Yes, yes, he didn’t have that yet. The opportunity to, to play out say let’s wait for the end of December and for the accumulation of matches. And for sure opportunities will come for everybody.

On Chris Ericsen Future

I’m not going to discuss with you these individual things, if I tell you that I didn’t speak with Mr levy about Christian other violence or Tongan, I would be lying. So yes, as I’m speaking with Mr levy about it. At the same time, of course I speak also with the players with all of them. I speak, and we try to, to understand. Every detail, but it’s not something I’m going to, to discuss with you the important thing really is that great professionals. Big relation… Amazing understanding of what the club does and what we need from from them. So, ready to play.

All three ready to play. All three ready to forget the contractual situation. And that’s the most important thing now, because we are in in three competitions and specially in the Premier League. We are in a position that is not our position at all. So we have just to focus on trying to give a resync, and this was our great players and and Tottenham people,