Jose鈥檚 warning highlights extent of United鈥檚 fall
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The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford revived memories of much better times at Manchester United, when England鈥檚 biggest club had a slew of the world鈥檚 best players and no trophy felt beyond them.
It was only a decade ago, after all, that United was winning the UEFA Champions League and three straight English Premier League titles. Ronaldo was the poster boy of the generation that included Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes.
So, the manner of United鈥檚 0-1 loss to Juventus in the UCL 鈥 and the nature of Jose Mourinho鈥檚 comments after Tuesday鈥檚 match 鈥 were stark reminders of just how far the team has fallen.
鈥淪ince the draw,鈥 Mourinho said, 鈥渨e knew it would be a fight with Valencia for the second position.鈥
They were remarkable remarks from the manager of a club as huge as United, and it felt like Mourinho鈥檚 team took that inferiority complex into the game against Juventus.
United鈥檚 players looked in awe of their opponents 鈥 left back Luke Shaw acknowledged as much, saying his team gave Juventus 鈥渢oo much respect鈥 鈥 and had only 28 percent of the possession in the first half. United had only two shots on target in the whole match.
Yet Mourinho wasn鈥檛 finished there. In lavishing high praise on Juventus and the Italian鈥檚 club re-emergence as one of Europe鈥檚 top clubs, he also appeared to be sending a thinly veiled message to United鈥檚 board.
鈥淎 bit far,鈥 Mourinho said, when asked how far United was behind Juventus. 鈥淛uventus is (Italian) champion for seven years in a row, two Champions League finals in the last four or five years and not happy with what they have. They want more, they want more.
鈥淭hey had (Gonzalo) Higuain, (Mario) Mandzukic, (Paulo) Dybala, they want more. They want Ronaldo. They had (Andrea) Barzagli, (Giorgio) Chiellini, (Daniele) Rugani, they are not happy, they want more, they want (Leonardo) Bonucci. And they go for the best players in the world. A big, big club with a big past, but with also a big desire to have a big future.鈥
Just like Man U of yesteryear.
Mourinho said his team, essentially, was no longer in the same league as Europe鈥檚 powerhouses. 鈥淭o go to Juventus level? Barcelona level? Real Madrid level? How can we reach that level?鈥 Mourinho asked reporters, adding: 鈥淢an City level? How can we reach that level?鈥.
A reply came. 鈥淚nvestment?鈥
鈥淵es,鈥 Mourinho said.
Yet he had just put out a team containing a center forward costing US$97 million (Romelu Lukaku), a center midfielder costing a then world-record fee of US$116 million and signed from Juventus (Paul Pogba), while an offseason signing for about US$70 million (Fred) was on the bench, failing to make it on as a substitute.
Mourinho has spent more than US$500 million on players since joining United in 2016. Either the money hasn鈥檛 been spent well or Mourinho isn鈥檛 getting enough out of them.
Lukaku, for example, has gone eight games without a goal and looks short of confidence playing for United.
鈥淣o criticism at all, and a complete understanding that the player is a fantastic professional that wants to give everything for the team,鈥 Mourinho said. 鈥淏ut I have to agree his moment is not sweet, not just with the goals he is not scoring but in his confidence, movement, touch. But he鈥檚 our striker and a good striker and a striker we believe in.鈥
Mourinho finished the game by responding to the goading of Juventus鈥 fans by holding up three fingers toward them, denoting the UCL-Serie A-Italian Cup treble he won with Inter Milan 鈥 Juventus鈥 rival 鈥 in the 2009-10 season.
Just three days earlier, he was sticking three fingers up at Chelsea fans who were hurling abuse at him at Stamford Bridge, a reminder of the three EPL titles he won at the London club over two spells.
Mourinho continues to hark back to his trophy-laden past.
It鈥檚 the future he and United have to worry about.
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