The 61-year-old’s time at the club was soured by high-profile fallouts with players. The club’s failure to land Virgil van Dijk, who instead went to Liverpool, was seen as a critical failure. In an interview with the Telegraph, the Portuguese boss implied that the presence of certain players whom he didn’t want in the team several years ago was a factor in the club’s current struggles, and he clearly believes that United have regressed since his departure. Mourinho expressed his disappointment with some of the players, stating that they don’t represent the best professional profile for a club of a certain dimension.
However, he also expressed his desire for Manchester United to succeed. Mourinho has been critical not only of the players but also of Ed Woodward, claiming that Erik ten Hag has benefited from a better structure than the one he experienced in Manchester. During his tenure at United, Mourinho achieved a second-placed finish in his second season, an accomplishment that he once labeled as one of his best in football. This contrasts with the current state of the team, which sits in seventh place in the league.
Mourinho has not ruled out a return to football despite leaving Roma earlier this season. Some Chelsea fans have even suggested a potential return to Stamford Bridge for Mourinho amid discontent towards current boss Mauricio Pochettino.