José Mourinho has always been a master of deflecting attention away from his team. The Portuguese was back to his old tricks on Sunday after watching his Manchester United ripped apart by none other than Chelsea at his old stomping ground, Stamford Bridge. United received plaudits for their defending in the goalless draw against Liverpool just a few days ago, while they were criticised for the lack of any impact on the forward positions. Against Chelsea, United were poor in almost all areas of the pitch and were rightly punished for the numerous defensive mistakes.
At the final whistle, Mourinho had a lengthy conversation with his counterpart Antonio Conte. The talk certainly did not seem friendly with Conte clearly taken aback and muted during the same. It was clear that Mourinho did not enjoy such a humiliation upon his return to the Bridge, less than a year after his sacking. However, the Portuguese did not reveal the exact conversation that took place. There were reports of a bust-up in the tunnel between Chelsea and Manchester United staffs after the latter reportedly rejected the offer of a handshake from Conte.
According to BT Sport, Mourinho said after the game:
“I speak to Conte, I don’t speak to you (the media).
“It was me and Antonio and stays with me and him. Unless he wants to share.”
Incredibly, the Portuguese boss could have had this conversation with his Italian counterpart in the privacy of the dressing room or any other area. Yet, he chose to have this conversation in front of the 41,000 supporters and the prying eyes of the media.
Conte also failed to reveal the exact words from Mourinho, but his explanation suggests that the Portuguese was unhappy with the way Conte tried to arouse the crowd when the score was 4-0. Conte said:
“I’ve been a player too and I know how to behave.
“I always show great respect for everyone, including Manchester United.
“There was no incident, it was just a normal thing to do. I wasn’t mocking anyone, I wouldn’t do that.”
Mourinho is no stranger to clashing with managers, but only with those who managed to outwit him. Conte clearly managed to get the better of Mourinho in all areas of the pitch. The Italian went with a 3-4-3 formation which has been so successful for Chelsea in the last few matches. United lined up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, which has been the preferred choice for Mourinho at the last couple of years. Clearly witnessing his team being unable to cope with the challenge, Mourinho brought on Juan Mata and went with a 4-4-2 in the second half.
Conte was still able to position his team as the dominant force in the game but in a different way. The blues moved into a counter-attacking mode in the second half – albeit with the same formation – and were rewarded with two more goals.
It was a very tough night for Mourinho, but the Portuguese has once again managed to deflect the attention from his team and lead everyone into talking about ‘that conversation.’
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