Mourinho on ‘crying’ for a CB at Man Utd: ‘I was not an idiot’

Jose Mourinho thinks he has been proved right for “crying for a central defender” in his final season in charge at Manchester United.

The Portuguese coach was sacked last December after high-profile clashes with star players Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, while there was apparent discontent over the club’s failure to sign a defender in the summer.

United invested heavily in Harry Maguire – who Mourinho was reportedly keen to buy – over the summer as they tried to shore up their central defence and Mourinho thinks that purchase proves he “was not an idiot”.

Mourinho told Sky Sports: “First of all I agree with Roy [Keane], it’s not about one more million or two less, it’s that they needed to buy him in the moment.

“If they didn’t buy Maguire they would be playing Lindelof and Tuanzebe or Lindelof and Phil Jones. And to play Lindelof and Maguire it is a different picture.

“He has physical qualities – as Gary Neville was saying and is totally right – Lindelof is very good in some aspects of the game but he can be bullied in the one vs one and he’s not especially good in the air.

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“Maguire has that kind of presence and that physicality that is very important. He is not the fastest one but I think he is quite mobile for his huge body and he has very good quality.

“You know, I was not an idiot in the previous season when I was crying for a central defender.”