Man Utd travel to Chelsea live on Sky Sports Premier League on Saturday at 11.30am
Friday 19 October 2018 23:18, UK
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been picking fights with the wrong people this season, according to Tim Sherwood.
Mourinho takes his United side to former club Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime with the Portuguese under huge pressure following a disappointing start to the Premier League season.
Before the international break, the Portuguese claimed he was the victim of a "manhunt" following United's 3-2 win over Newcastle after the Mirror reported he would be sacked regardless of the result at Old Trafford.
However, it is the disputes Mourinho has been picking with the club's board, and some of their players, as well as his constant battles with the press, that has most undermined the 'Special One', according to Sherwood.
"Sometimes you can create your own fires," the former Tottenham boss told The Debate. "You have enough problems putting them out, but if you are creating them yourself, and then putting them out...
"And at times I think he picks fights with the wrong people. You cannot pick a fight at Manchester United, it is an institution that football club. It is bigger than any individual.
"So why should you pick a fight with them? It is not going to work and Jose knows it has not been good enough."
And Sherwood's advice for Mourinho is simple - firstly, start winning games of football and then bring the Premier League back to Old Trafford.
"He is a winner, a serial winner, he wins everywhere he goes," he said. "He needs great respect for that, but what has happened in the past is in the past. Jose is still a football manager now and he needs to start winning things.
"He needs to win the Premier League for a club that has Man Utd's stature."
Sherwood does not believe the recent criticism of Mourinho has been over the top though.
"Jose is experienced enough to know, and he is no fool, that when managing Manchester United Football Club, one of the, if not the, biggest clubs in the world, you are going to get some stick if you do not win football matches," he said.
"To win the Europa League is good, to win the League Cup is good, but it is not what they want. They want to win the Premier League again. They want to start winning it, they used to win it every year.
"He has got them into second place last year, but they need to go one step further.
"I do not agree that it is Ed Woodward or the United hierarchy's fault, I think they have backed him and given him £350m, which is an awful lot of money.
"And I think they should be doing a lot better than they are doing for that investment."
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