Why Mourinho was right about Manchester United

It has been half a decade since former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho famously pinpointed four players for lacking the “character” and “personality” he deemed necessary within the team – a critique that continues to echo as three of those individuals remain at Old Trafford.

In a turbulent period for United back in November 2018, Mourinho took a bold step amid the team’s struggles.

During an interview with Univision, a US Spanish-language TV channel, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ responded to questions from Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov about the younger players, referring to them as his “diamonds,” and highlighted the areas in which they fell short in competing at the highest level.

Mourinho specifically identified Luke Shaw, a player he had previously sidelined on multiple occasions, as someone lacking in competitiveness.

He also named Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Jesse Lingard, urging them to elevate their performance.

” They are lacking maturity,” Mourinho remarked.

“I mean maturity at a personal level. We [referring to himself and Stoichkov] are more men, more mature, more prepared to face life. We were less protected. In England, they call it ‘spoilt’.”

He further explained,

“Today, we’re talking about ‘spoilt kids’. Our children are more ‘spoilt’ than we were. I think kids these days have a different social life than us, and players have around them an ‘entourage’ that protects them more, gives them more affection, more excuses. They reach maturity more slowly.”

Mourinho emphasized that while these players possessed immense potential, they lacked a certain quality he deemed crucial, including character and personality, qualities that contribute to natural aggression and competitiveness.

A month subsequent to the interview, Mourinho was dismissed from his managerial position at Old Trafford following a defeat to Liverpool, leaving United trailing eleven points adrift of the Premier League top four.

Of the quartet mentioned by Mourinho, Shaw, Rashford, and Martial are still part of the United squad. Jesse Lingard departed from the club last year, joining Nottingham Forest on a free transfer, and currently remains a free agent.