Former Manchester United captain, Wayne Rooney, recently opened up about his clash with Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho over the standards at Manchester United. The incident occurred during Mourinho's tenure as manager of the club in 2016.
Mourinho took over the reins at Old Trafford in the summer of 2016. At that time, Rooney was not only a player but also served as club captain. He had been trained under Sir Alex Ferguson and was well-versed in his methods.
In his debut campaign with United, Mourinho led the team to win three trophies - Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League. Despite these successes, Rooney expressed doubts about whether Mourinho set up the Red Devils correctly behind-the-scenes.
Clash over standards
Rooney revealed on 'The Wayne Rooney Show' podcast that he had a disagreement with Mourinho regarding Manchester United’s “standards”. This left him questioning "what’s the point?" It is noteworthy that despite being an outspoken coach known for imposing strict rules on players, this wasn't always evident during his time at Man Utd or even previously at Chelsea.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United legend, said:
“I remember we went to the League Cup final and players were wearing the suits with big, bright yellow trainers and stuff like that. I went to Mourinho and said, ‘Listen, I've spoken to the players and you need to have a word here and to keep the standards. We can't have that going to Wembley into a cup final’.
“'He's like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I'll speak to them’. And then as we came down to leave, I've seen Jose there and he's got a zip-up top with no tie on. I was thinking, ‘What's the point?’ 'He was more relaxed on it, so, what's the point? Why am I even bothering with this? I think now it's just wear what you want and they have phones, caps, whatever trainers would suit.”
Rooney stated: "Mourinho’s methods did not come as a huge surprise to me." He further explained how he noticed that Chelsea players were not forced to abide by strict rules during Mourinho's stint there.
Wayne Rooney added:
“When you used to look at Chelsea, if you looked at the players who weren't in the squad, they were on the bench and they were all in their own clothes, and I thought it looked a bit scruffy. Whereas at United, it was really professional and everyone, even if you're not in the squad, would be in the club suits. It looked really professional, and it's gone now. I think now it's the same with every club, they just wear whatever they want. But I just always think, United looked really professional.”
Post-Manchester career
After leaving Manchester United following disagreements like these and others, Rooney has since embarked on a managerial career himself. However, it hasn't been smooth sailing for him across spells with Derby County FC, D.C United FC Birmingham City FC and Plymouth Argyle FC where he faced numerous challenges.
Currently back on punditry duty while enjoying more family time with wife Coleen and their children; they are preparing to star in an upcoming Disney+ documentary series which promises an intimate look into their lives off-pitch.
Rooney's revelations provide a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes dynamics at Manchester United during Mourinho's tenure. It also highlights the challenges faced by players and managers alike in maintaining high standards within a football club. Despite their differences, both Rooney and Mourinho have left indelible marks on Manchester United’s history, contributing to its legacy in their own unique ways.
