Mourinho Lashes Out at Critics Claiming Anyone With a Brain Can Understand Transition
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has lashed out at critics this week, suggesting that anyone with a 'brain', 'common sense' or 'any knowledge of what sport is', can clearly see that the club is in a period of transition.
United are expected to finish in the Premier League's top four this season for the first time in three years and could yet win the FA Cup. But disappointingly early Champions League elimination, failure to compete with Manchester City domestically and perceived negative football have led some to suggest it is just the latest in a growing list of disastrous campaigns since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
But Mourinho has very little time for such a view and was keen to point out that anyone who thinks like that is lacking a brain when interviewed by American broadcaster CNN.
"I understand the frustration, I understand the sadness of being knocked out in the Champions League, but I don't understand anything more than that," the United boss said.
"In the history of football all around the world, not just in England, you had the biggest clubs with the moments of transition, you have the biggest clubs with moments of continuous and permanent victories and these are phases in the club," he continued.
"And I think really at this moment looking to us in the Premier League we have one team, one club clearly better prepared than us in the past few years to be first and we have 18 clubs behind us. One in front of us, 18 behind us.
United won the EFL Cup and Europa League last season, adding to the FA Cup collected by Louis van Gaal during his final season in charge. Another FA Cup in May would mean United have won four major trophies in just three seasons.
"Of course in the future we want to have 19 clubs behind us [in the Premier League] but this is the reality. And the reality is for people with brain, with sense, with common sense, with knowledge of what sports is, we are in a moment of transition," Mourinho said.
"Being in a moment of transition and still manage to do what he did last season and win trophies and to do what we are trying to do this season, which is still trying to win a trophy, and try to be second, because in this moment it's the only top position that isn't possible for us to get.
"I think we are in a good position."
