Jose Mourinho may be far from the most popular manager in north London but he can still make valuable footballing observations on occasion.
In March 2018, he was Manchester United manager and Sevilla had knocked his side out of the Champions League, beating them 2-1 at Old Trafford in the round of 16. In a press conference three days later, the Portuguese embarked on a rant about “football heritage”.
While some may view his infamous 12-minute monologue as comical or self-serving, his dissection of Manchester United’s performances in Europe over the seven years before his arrival was critical. It painted a picture of the rot at the club in that moment but also provided an objective view of their progress from which other teams could learn.
“The last time Manchester United reached the Champions League final, which didn’t happen a lot of times, was 2011…” Mourinho said. “In seven years with four different managers, once not qualified for Europe. Twice out at the group phase. And the best was a quarter-final. This is football heritage.”
Mikel Arteta knows about this Mourinho phrase and while he would prefer to use it “in relation to big trophies”, on Friday he recognised that clubs “have to start somewhere’”.
That is what the last few years have been about in…
