Transcript as Portuguese storms out demanding respect after heated exchange with journalists
Tuesday 28 August 2018 10:29, UK
Read through Jose Mourinho's heated exchange with journalists in his post-match press conference following Manchester United's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham on Monday Night Football.
Q: What is your message to supporters after the 3-0 defeat?
JOSE: "My message was the same message as the supporters. The message that the supporters gave to the players, that was my message, it was the same.
"When you play the way you play, when you create what you create, when you miss the chances that we missed, at half-time, everybody was frustrated but totally convinced that we were going to win the match.
Neville: Why Man Utd can't sack Jose
Nev on Jose's 'biggest' challenge'
"Even with the unexpected 2-0 result, the way the team kept playing until the third goal arrived, my message to the players has to be a positive message. I am really happy, humbled by the way the supporters reacted to the boys, it was very much deserved.
"But sometimes players deserve and they don't get what they deserve, so we have to be humbled by the supporters' reaction to the team."
Q: Are you concerned by the two defeats in the first three games? Is there a worry your team could be on the slide...
JOSE: "I wouldn't be worried if at half-time we were winning 3-0, 3-1, 2-0. We were so, so much the better team in the first half I wouldn't be worried with that."
Q: Everything looked on track at half-time. What went wrong in the second half?
JOSE: "Did you see the goal?"
Q: Do you know what your best back four is at the moment?
JOSE: "No. In the first game I played [Victor] Lindelof and [Eric] Bailly and today played [Phil] Jones and [Chris] Smalling.
"Now Jones is injured and in the next match it will be Smalling with another one. And when Marcos Rojo comes it will be another option. I don't know my best back four."
Q: Is it affecting them by changing things a lot, taking players in, taking players out? Is that affecting the confidence in the way they defend?
JOSE: "No."
Q: If you play a midfielder ahead of Lindelof in a back three, does that not affect Lindelof's confidence and suggests you don't trust him in a back three?
JOSE: "My team played so well, strategically we were so good, and you want to try and transform this press conference into a situation of 'let's blame the guy'."
Q: You didn't defend very well Jose, you conceded three goals.
JOSE: "I'm sorry, you have to tell me what the most important thing is because I don't know."
Q: It's the result.
JOSE: "When I win matches, I come here many times and you are not happy that I won matches and you say the most important thing is the way we play.
Q: I'm just asking about the defenders.
JOSE: "No, you have to make a decision in relation to that because I need to know from you what is the most important thing, to play well or to win matches? If it is to play offensively or for a certain result.
"Today we were aggressive, we pressed high, Tottenham couldn't make two passes from the back, they made lots of mistakes because of our high pressure, we project the full-backs, we had Valencia and Shaw arriving in dangerous positions, we missed goals with an open goal, we missed chances and we were unlucky with rebounds in both goals.
"We lost a game because we conceded a goal from the first corner of the match against us. In the first half zero corners, zero free-kicks, on minute 50-something they had one corner and scored a goal, and you want, with that goal, you want to transform the story of the game.
"But don't lose your time. Today I had the proof the best judge in football are the supporters."
Q: But many of the supporters walked out towards the end.
JOSE: "I would do the same, losing 3-0 and taking two hours from here to the centre of Manchester, because that's where I live, and I know that after matches it takes two hours. So I will do the same.
"So keep trying. Keep trying. Keep trying.
"We lost last season here against Sevilla and were booed because we deserved it, because we were not good, because we were not dangerous enough and Sevilla deserved to win the match. Today the players left the pitch after losing at home and they were applauded because they deserved it. So keep trying.
"Do you know what the result was? Three-nil. Do you know what this means (holding up three fingers)?
"Three-nil but it also means three Premier Leagues and I won more alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me and two for them."
Mourinho then left his seat repeating "respect, respect, respect" as he stormed out of the press conference.
