Man Utd News: Former United youth player opens lid on Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba. Claims senior players were delighted after Mourinho was sacked.
Manchester United has fallen off its pedestal ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. The team seemed to have recovered a bit under Jose Mourinho when they came second in the league and won the Europa League in 2017-2018. However, just when the fans began to believe in their club, United came crashing out of the top 4 and returned without a single trophy last season.
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Much of the blame, according to a former United youth player, falls on the shoulder of Jose Mourinho. He believes that the Portuguese’s attitude was detrimental to the side and played a huge part in players losing their morale. Speaking with the founder of AllAboutUnited , Jordan Clarke, a former Red Devils prodigy who wished to remain anonymous, revealed details of the Frenchman’s behavior behind closed doors.
On Mourinho’s treatment of youth players
“Despite having been included in close to 15 training sessions under Mourinho, he never said a word to me. The sessions I was involved in were all Kieran McKenna and Michael Carrick, Mourinho rarely spoke. Those that he did talk too were called ‘kid’, rather than by their name like the first-team players, which a lot of the youth players found a bit degrading.”
Mourinho’s inability to foster team spirit and constant holidays
It didn’t feel like a team and the first-team players would eat lunch either on their own or in two’s and three’s rather than as a collective.”
“During international breaks, when the players who weren’t selected for their country were still training in Manchester, Mourinho would go on holiday and the players would have to train with us [youth team]. He would always be on holiday. There were a good 8-10 players, such as Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Anthony Martial. They were all really professional about it, especially Herrera, who was the most professional player at the club.”
On Mourinho’s sacking
“A lot of the senior players didn’t like Mourinho. Some of them were bouncing around and laughing after he was sacked. The whole mood around the place changed pretty instantly but nobody expected him to be sacked, and everyone was surprised.”
Pogba’s reaction to Mourinho’s sacking
“The players you’d expect to be happier, like Anthony Martial, were happier. Pogba didn’t seem to be, though. I don’t think him and Mourinho ever properly fell out. Pogba was just becoming more frustrated with the way the team were playing and the results.
Pogba’s reputation at United
The narrative that Pogba is bad for the club is untrue, everyone at the club loves him. He will have a conversation with everyone, no matter who you are. Everyone has spoken to him, from the youth team to the cleaners. In training, he would always say ‘if you don’t know what to do, pass it to me even if I’m marked’.”
“Nobody at the club would have a bad word to say about him. From the chefs to the coaches, the teachers at college and all the other staff. He’s the perfect person at the club. Everyone was always impressed with the effort he made on the United Foundation days. He would always go the extra mile rather than just turning up, and made an effort to make their day.”
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