Football news - Antonio Valencia ‘barely speaking’ with Jose Mourinho, atmosphere compared to morgue
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Published 02/10/2018 at 11:30 GMT
Manchester United captain Antonio Valencia has joined a growing list of players who have reportedly fallen out with Jose Mourinho, while it’s claimed Paul Pogba is "embarrassed" by his manager’s tactics. Throw in that the mood after the West Ham defeat was compared to a morgue and you’ve got to ask the question: is this the end for the club's most famous duo?
Jose Mourinho, Antonio Valencia
Image credit: Getty Images
WHAT IS GOING ON?
Jose Mourinho is becoming increasingly isolated at Manchester United after it was claimed Antonio Valencia is "barely on speaking terms" with him.
The Ecuadorian was criticised for not attending the Carabao Cup defeat to Derby County last week, while he was absent from the 3-1 loss to West Ham on Saturday.
Tensions reached new heights after the match at the London Stadium, with a report from the Daily Mail saying:
There is understood to have been an awkward hush when Mourinho climbed on board for the short trip to Euston. The mood on the train journey home was described by one insider as 'like a morgue'.
Mourinho insisted his job was safe on Monday, but admitted that "some players care more than others" about the club’s current malaise.
United face Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday.
POGBA 'EMBARRASSED' BY MOURINHO
A separate report claims that Paul Pogba is growing "embarrassed" by Mourinho.
The Frenchman was stripped of the vice-captaincy after urging United to "attack, attack, attack" in the wake of the 1-1 draw with Wolves in September – a thinly-veiled barb about his manager’s conservative approach.
A video then emerged of a conversation between Pogba and Mourinho at a training session, which appeared to depict a frosty relationship.
And now The Sun claim the World Cup winner will force a move out of Old Trafford in January if Mourinho is not sacked. The story adds:
He feels he is being embarrassed by being played in formations and with tactics that none of the team can get to grips with. The player is sick of getting criticised in the media and has actually told people close to him he is better off not playing in a Mourinho team.
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Mourinho and Pogba
Image credit: Getty Images
WHO ELSE FEELS ALIENATED?
Alexis Sanchez is among those to feel aggrieved after being axed from the squad for the West Ham game, with the Mail adding that he is now contemplating his future at the club despite only arriving in January.
Meanwhile, Antony Martial, Eric Bailly and Marcus Rashford have all had their loyalty to the manager questioned in recent weeks.
The Mail report adds: "There are now serious concerns over just many first-team players remain loyal to the 55-year-old coach."
THIRD-SEASON SYNDROME… AGAIN?
Third-season syndrome is in full swing.
It’s an unavoidable cliché as Mourinho unravels at the same stage for the third club in succession. If allowed to carry on, his latest implosion could rival that of autumn 2015, when he steered Chelsea ominously close to the relegation zone.
He has swept to success at all the clubs he has managed, but – particularly in recent years – the price has been turmoil further down the line. The situation has an inevitable feel about it; we all know it will end sooner or later. United can cling on, but the damage already appears irreversible. Why not just end it now?
That isn’t to absolve the players. This dressing room are not of the ilk as Giggs, Scholes and Keane – they haven’t done anything to have a say in their manager’s future. The least they can do is try and, as highlighted on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, they aren’t even fussed about running.
Only those on the inside truly know how disruptive Pogba has been. Why he insists on filming silly reactions when his team is playing is obviously moronic, but it shouldn’t matter if he is performing. But he isn’t and you can’t solely blame tactics for that.
It looks increasingly like Sir Alex Ferguson was right to let Pogba leave, just as he was right to swerve Mourinho (albeit for David Moyes) when his job first became available. As the situation becomes more and more damaging, it may well be that both need to depart for the club to restore order.
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