Mourinho ´needed time´ at Man Utd but will be happy to fast-track Spurs success

Jose Mourinho signalled Manchester United were the club that did not allow him to achieve his targets as he pointed to Liverpool’s patience in building a team for Jurgen Klopp. 

Ahead of Mourinho’s Tottenham visiting Liverpool in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Wednesday, the Portuguese had worked out Klopp had spent 1,894 days in charge at Anfield. 

He also totted up his own time spent with Spurs to 390 days, as a means of comparing where the clubs were at in their evolution under each leader. 

Mourinho hoped to be the manager to put United back on top of English football, but his Old Trafford reign turned sour and he was sacked in December 2018, midway through his third season. 

Despite previous success at Chelsea, Porto, Real Madrid and Inter, Mourinho found he could not eclipse the likes of Manchester City in the time he was afforded with the 20-time English champions. 

“In certain periods of my career and with the profile of club I was getting, we didn’t need as much time to reach success,” Mourinho said, addressing the question of managers being given time in football. 

“We did it in Porto, Inter, Real, at Chelsea both times. We did it without that need of that longevity and also with my desire to try different things and my crazy desire to go to many countries, and to try to win and get different experiences. 

“It was perfect because it was about winning and goodbye and let’s try another thing. 

“The first club where I felt I needed time and time was not given was at Manchester United, because I felt that I left in the middle of the process, but I learned very early to respect decisions, which I did at United. 

“We did what we did and we did what it was possible to do and we move on. I am happy, they are happy, and we have a great relationship, which is something I am very proud of.”

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