Jose Mourinho believes Sir Alex Ferguson would disagree with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s recent comments that trophies are simply for egos, ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Manchester United on Sunday.
The current Spurs boss spent two and a half years at the helm at Old Trafford, guiding the club to success in the Europa League and League Cup in the 2016/17 season, before being replaced by Solskjaer – initially on an interim basis – in December 2018.
Although there has seemingly been noticeable progression under the Norwegian, the Red Devils currently on course to finish in the top two for just the second time since Ferguson’s retirement, there remains the niggling issue of a lack of silverware, with the last trophy having come under Mourinho more than three years ago in the Europa League.
While United still have a chance to lift the same competition this season, they have already squandered plenty of opportunities for silverware in Solskjaer’s time at the club, the 48-year-old having seen his side slip up at the semi-final stage of cup competitions on four different occasions during his tenure.
The former Cardiff boss is seemingly unconcerned by that lack of trophies, recently saying that progression should be measured by his side’s league position, rather than a potentially ego-driven pursuit of silverware, his comments last month interpreted as a potential dig towards his Portuguese counterpart.
Mourinho recently insisted his desire to win silverware is not down to his ego and ahead of Sunday’s game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he was once asked about Solskjaer’s remarks.
“That’s his opinion,” Mourinho said at his pre-match press conference. “I’m pretty sure his big boss Sir Alex had a different opinion about it. I respect what Solskjaer thinks but I think different.
“Freedom of thinking, freedom of ideas and if that’s what he thinks that’s fine by me. It’s not a problem for me, he’s not being disrespectful to anyone.
“But I believe his big boss, and the biggest in Premier League history has a different view in relation to that.”
Spurs take on United on Sunday afternoon, Mourinho’s side having inflicted a devastating 6-1 defeat on the Red Devils when the two sides met earlier this season.
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