Jose Mourinho takes swipe at Man Utd players he 'didn't want' but are still at club

Jose Mourinho has launched a scathing attack on his former Manchester United players who are still at the club, suggesting they are part of the reason for the team's ongoing struggles.

The outspoken Portuguese, who was dismissed from Old Trafford in December 2018, reflected on his time with the Red Devils, which included winning the League Cup and Europa League in the 2016/17 season. Mourinho's stint at United was marred by high-profile disputes with squad members and public disagreements with then-chief executive Ed Woodward over transfer support.

Despite securing the signature of Paul Pogba for a record £89million, Mourinho lamented the missed opportunity to sign Virgil van Dijk, who ended up at Liverpool, while United brought in Victor Lindelof from Benfica for £30million. Players such as Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, and Marcus Rashford, who were at United during Mourinho's tenure, are still with the club. Speaking to the Telegraph, Mourinho implied that not offloading certain players has contributed to United's lacklustre performance since he left, hinting at a decline.

"There are still a couple of players still there I didn't want five or six years ago," he remarked.

Sharing his thoughts on Manchester United, Mourinho conceded he didn't have the best of times there but insists he did his job. He said: "They represent a little bit what I consider not the best professional profile to a club of a certain dimension. But I did my job there. Time always tells the truth. I would love Manchester United to succeed," reports the Express.

Mourinho, who is currently without a managerial role following his departure from Roma earlier this season, also shared his insights into Ed Woodward's strategies and how Erik ten Hag seems to be enjoying more support at Man United compared to his tenure. He mentioned: "My relationship with Ed Woodward was good. Good as in the personal point of view."

He added: "But from a professional point of view it was not the best. I am a football man. Ed comes from a different background and what Ten Hag has in his time at Manchester United I didn't have. I didn't have that level of support. I didn't have that level of trust. So I left sad, because I felt I was in the beginning of the process."

Even though his stint at United was lined with challenges, Mourinho did steer the team to a respectable second place finish in his second season, something he considers one of his most notable victories in his illustrious career. Despite the turbulence, fans are yearning for similar heights today as Manchester United stands seventh ahead of their clash against Sheffield United.

Formerly of Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid, Mourinho has remained tight-lipped on a possible return to the dugout, but declares he's not officially retired. In fact, a group of Chelsea supporters are championing for him to be considered for a comeback at Stamford Bridge, especially amidst rising dissatisfaction surrounding current manager Mauricio Pochettino.