FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAVE become less mature over the last 10 years, according to Jose Mourinho, who believes they put themselves into bad surroundings.
The Portuguese has been involved in coaching for over 20 years, a career which has seen him work alongside many incredible players as he won titles at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid.
Now at Manchester United hoping to lead the club back to the pinnacle of English and European football, Mourinho sees some key flaws in the attitudes of his players, insisting the kind of young professionals he worked with when he first turned up at Stamford Bridge in 2004 are just not there.
“I had to adapt to a new world. To what young players are now,” he told France Football.
I had to understand the difference between working with a boy like Frank Lampard, who, at the age of 23 was already a man, who thought football, work, professionalism, and the new boys who at the age of 23 are kids.
“Today I call them ‘boys’ not ‘men’. Because I think that they are brats and that everything that surrounds them does not help them in their life nor in my work.
I had to adjust to all that. Ten years ago, no player had a mobile phone in the dressing room. That is no longer the case.
“But you have to go with it because if you fight that, you are bringing about conflict and you put yourself in the stone age.”
The 54-year-old says he has a better understanding of young players now and feels doing so is key to bringing out the best of them.
If you stop a player from doing something, even something a little stupid on social media, you are going against nature,” he added.
“I admit that having a son and a daughter at that sort of age has helped me to understand the way they function and what the world is today.
I measured, from a methodological point of view, the nature of change. I worked as a result with my assistants to better, modify and adapt our work.
“Technology has given us new tools. Modernity and science too. But the key to everything, in terms of the leadership aspect, is to understand the people that you are working with today.”
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Some very strange picks in there….. Roy Hodgson, first manager to leave? Has done a great job at Palace and every Premier League club he’s been at apart from Liverpool.
Also, bottled it with the worst signing pick!
@Colm O’Donnell: Bruce for sure
Is that the Fintan O’Toole from d’Irish Times, or another scribe with an unfortunate name?
Wouldn’t it be great if “our” national league got such in depth coverage
@james burke: Plenty of LOI coverage out there.
@Alan McDonald: not compared to epl
@Luke Willis: it’s almost like the epl is arguably the biggest league in the world , where as the loi isn’t even within the top 20 leagues in Europe and has a part time league format . Go figure. Anyway for what it’s worth , loi gets lots of coverage on here. From europa league live treads, to after match reports , to ones to watch , etc etc. Can’t have it all lad
@james burke: it’s hard to take LOI seriously when teams don’t even play their home Champions’ League / Europa League games at their own ground
There’s biased predictions and then there’s claiming united will get top four this season
@Tom49: lol spot on
VAR is going to play a big part this season, so it might be closer the what everyone is predicting.The top clubs for years an years always got the decisions or the benefit of the doubt.
@Sean Seanie O Shaughnessy: not so sure on that. Top sides will have more possession, territory and chances, ergo they are more likely to be involved in decisions going their way but also not going their way. I reckon it’ll balance out.
Media are also more likely to hype up the time the underdogs were denied a decision.
United depending on rashford and Martial…..tell you now it could be a car crash for them….they are as consistent as my bowel movements.
@Peter Hughes: I hear ya, pal. Oh to be regular and consistent.
Was quite depressed reading this article until Ben Blake did *not* pick Sheffield United as one of his relegation picks. I really hope The Blades stay up this season. It’ll also be good for Irish international hopes if Sheffield United can hold their heads above water in the Premier League and John Egan (who has the strongest Cork accent imaginable) is very entertaining! Here he is celebrating the club’s promotion to the Premier League back in April:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UclIJTZKSJ8
Can’t get over how it’s almost unanimous that Sheffield will be relegated , they have invested and they play attractive football with an already solid looking squad
Norwich haven’t invested, Newcastle have let better players go than they’ve brought in and Brighton were saved by Hughton last year and I expect them to go down this time around
@Jason Oliver: good chance they will but I admire them for trying to change their style and play a more attractive style of football which is what people want to see. Let’s face it Brighton were pretty awful to watch for the last few years.
How can Danny Welbeck be classed as the worst signing of the summer when he didn’t actually cost anything?
Dread having to listen to the nauseating pro Liverpool pundits – Spitty, Pinnochio and a Redknob.
Think Everton will do well ( totally blinkered) . Lean could be s great signing.
Feel Ole G S could be the first casualty.
@Enda Layng: I’d say your a painful c u next Tuesday. Absolute flute .
@Enda Layng: Enda Laynger
Best & Worst signing and a ball hasn’t even been kicked yet, this app just keeps giving
Strange a lot of agreement on Arsenal for top 4. Can’t see it.