Jose Mourinho Offers More Defiant Remarks in Man United Press Conference
Jose Mourinho has hit back at journalists after being asked in his latest press conference if he will still be considered a 'great' manager should he leave Manchester United in the future without having won a Premier League title.
After Mourinho stormed out of a press conference on Monday after a 3-0 defeat to Spurs demanding respect from the media, the questioning ahead of this weekend's trip to Burnley appeared to be more poking from reporters in the hope of another explosive response.
And as the United boss listed his achievements as a manager, including a respectable Premier League finish in difficult circumstances last season, and enquired if they would ask the same of managers whose teams finished lower, he took the bait and gave them what they wanted.
"Did you read any philosophers?" Mourinho said (via ManUtd.com). "O.K., so, just as an example: Hegel says, the truth is in the whole. It's always in the whole that you find the truth.
"Do you ask that question to the manager that finished third in the Premier League last season? To the manager that finished fourth? To the manager that finished fifth?"
Mourinho's United mounted the closest challenge to a Manchester City side that set new Premier League records for points and goals last season. It was United's highest finish (2nd) and best points tally (81) since Sir Alex Ferguson retired - it was also a tally that would have won the Premier League title in 2010/11, 2012/13, 2014/15 and 2015/16.
"I had great success last season. That's probably not what you want to admit and you do what you want, I do what I want, I analyze my performance myself and for me, it's more important what I think then what you think," he continued.
"Two seasons ago we had a fantastic season by winning the Europa League and last season everybody thought Atletico Madrid did amazing, because they won the Europa League after being knocked out of the Champions League.
"We won the Europa League, because that was our level, and we are the last team in England to win a European competition.
"I have won eight titles. I am the only manager in the world that has won in Italy, Spain and England, and by winning eight titles - not small titles, not small countries, eight proper titles - my second position last season is one of my greatest achievements in football."
