Mourinho criticizes unwanted players at Man Utd, hinting at professional profile

Jose Mourinho has hit out at several unnamed Manchester United players who 'he did not want' in his side, criticising them for not meeting the correct 'professional profile' of the club.

The Portuguese manager was sacked by the club in December 2018, after United had endured a disastrous start to the Premier League campaign. In the years since, Mourinho, who recently left his role at Roma, has been unable to resist a little dig at his former side and ex-players, including full-back, Luke Shaw.

The Portuguese manager held a frosty relationship with the England defender, notably throwing digs at the 28-year-old during his time as the club's manager and even after leaving the club - criticising Shaw for everything from his fitness to his professionalism.

Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, the ex-Man United boss criticised the standards of several stars who featured in his Man United team and have remained on the books at Old Trafford since his departure.

'There are still a couple of players still there I didn't want five or six years ago,' Mourinho said, adding that his professional relationship with former CEO Ed Woodward could have also been better.

'I think they represent a little bit what I consider not the best professional profile to a club of a certain dimension.

'But I did my job there. Time always tells the truth. I would love Manchester United to succeed.'

While Mourinho did not make it clear who he was referring to during the interview, several members of his squad from his final season at Old Trafford are still playing in Erik ten Hag's side.

Some of those names include, Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford.

Mourinho, meanwhile, enjoyed a successful two years at United winning the Europa League and the EFL Cup in the 2016-17 season.

But since then United have struggled to live up to their former greatness, with Ten Hag's side enduring a torrid 2023-24 campaign.

Ten Hag has been able to bring in some big players in recent years, including Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount.

'I didn’t have that level of support. I didn’t have that level of trust,' Mourinho said during the interview, reflecting on what Ten Hag has been given since he joined in 2022.'

He added that had United perhaps trusted him more, they could have been more successful.

United, meanwhile, have underwhelmed so far in comparison to their achievements of last season where they won the Carabao Cup and coming third in the Premier League, with Ten Hag's future at the club looking increasingly uncertain as more pressure mounts on the Dutchman.

While he could still win the FA Cup, with his side stumbling their way through to the FA Cup final on Sunday, there is some concern that winning the historic trophy would not guarantee his job security.

Alan Shearer yesterday claimed that Man United's new minority co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have already made their decision on Ten Hag's future, and that a victory against Man City in the FA Cup final will not buy him safety.

More to follow...