Mourinho makes angry defence of his United work

ManchesterUnited manager Jose Mourinho unleashed an impassioned defence of hiswork yesterday as he responded to critics of his team’s failure to makethe last eight of the Champions League.United’s exit at the hands ofLa Liga side Sevilla on Tuesday has led to intense criticism of thePortuguese manager who is in his second season at Old Trafford.ButMourinho began a news conference, which was scheduled to preview today’sFA Cup quarter-final tie against Brighton and Hove Albion, by makinghis case that he took over a club that for all it’s oft-cited historywas not competing at the highest level.Reading from notes, a visiblyangry Mourinho went through United’s recent record in Europe, season byseason, staring at reporters after each point.He then listedUnited’s finishes in the Premier League, clearly annoyed at commentsthat his style was not suited to United’s ‘heritage’.“Seven yearswith four different managers, once not qualify for Europe, twice out inthe group phase and the best was the quarter-final, this is footballheritage,” he said.“And if you want to go to the Premier League, the last victory was 12-13 and in the four consecutiveseasons United finish seventh, fourth, fifth and sixth. So in the lastfour years the best was fourth,” added Mourinho, who said he had nointention of changing his methods.“I have an amazing job to do. Icould be in another country with the league in the pocket, I am here andI am going to be here and no way am I going to change my mentality.“Idon’t know if you know the expression but there is a code that I like:every wall is a door. I am not going to run away or disappear or to crybecause I heard a few boos,” he said, referring to the end of theSevilla game when some United fans vented their frustration.“I’m notgoing to disappear from the tunnel, running immediately. The next matchI will be the first to go out. I am not afraid of my responsibilities.”‘SAME PAGE’Mourinhoalso rejected the suggestion, made in some newspaper reports, thatsenior figures at the club were beginning to doubt if he was the rightman for the job.“The good thing for me, and the amazing feeling forme, is that I am exactly on the same page as the owners, as Mr (Ed)Woodward, Mr (Richard) Arnold, we are on exactly the same page, we agreeon everything, on the investments, we are exactly on the same page, solife is good,” he said.The United boss added that he had always had critics even when he was winning and that they were now enjoying his difficulties.“For10 months I win nothing. The last title that I won was 10 months ago. Ibeat Liverpool, Chelsea, I lose against Sevilla and now is their momentto be happy. I learn that in my religious formation, be happy withothers happiness, so be it, I am a really happy guy,” he said.Theformer Real Madrid and Chelsea manager believed that his work wascreating a better legacy for the next manager at Old Trafford.“When Ileave, the next Manchester United manager will find here (Romelu)Lukaku, (Nemanja) Matic, of course (David) De Gea from many years ago.They will find players with a different mentality, quality, background,with a different status, know-how.”