Jose Mourinho named and shamed four Man Utd stars - two have left the club

Jose Mourinho's achievements at Manchester United become increasingly admirable with each passing season.

The Portuguese manager experienced a tumultuous period as manager of the Red Devils from 2016 to 2018. The 'Special One' won the Europa League and League Cup in his first season but, despite substantial spending, failed to sustain his success and was sacked midway through the 2018/19 campaign.

Mourinho's latter period at United was characterised by defensive tactics and frequent clashes with his players, several of whom he publicly criticised in press conferences. As a master tactician, the now-Fenerbahce manager attempted to motivate his players through harsh comments, but the strategy resulted in a toxic atmosphere at Carrington.

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One famous outburst in November 2018 saw him blast Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, and Jesse Lingard simultaneously, with the latter two having since left the club. Mourinho will reunite with Shaw and Rashford when his team hosts Erik ten Hag's side in the Europa League match in the Turkish capital on Thursday evening.

The two-time Champions League winner said about the four players: "They're lacking maturity. For example Luke Shaw. When I got here two years ago, the boy didn't even know how to compete. Great potential, yes, but he doesn't know how to compete.

“And when we talk about Luke Shaw, about [Anthony] Martial, about [Jesse] Lingard, about Marcus Rashford, we're talking about boys with great potential but who still are lacking a word I can't say but you like to say a lot having that [courage]. They're lacking a bit of this.”

Mourinho continued: "In English, in the United States, people might say 'spoiled' or 'spoiled kids'. Our children are more spoiled than we were by our own parents. We were more mature, we were better prepared. I think today's kids have a different social life than ours and today's players also have their surroundings, a word that was used a lot in Barcelona, the interior environment.

"Always making excuses makes you mature more slowly. [I mean] character, personality, like you] said in Spanish 'mala hostia' that natural aggressiveness that you had."

It appears that Mourinho's criticisms were warranted with Rashford struggling for form and Shaw still out injured. Lingard was sold by his childhood club in 2022 to Nottingham Forest and now plays for South Korean outfit FC Seoul, while Martial finally departed for AEK Athens earlier this year.

United's issues persist six years after Mourinho's exit and three managers later, while his message about unfulfilled potential remains as relevant as ever. Almost £2billion has been spent by the club since Sir Alex Ferguson won the Premier League in 2013 - yet Mourinho is still their most successful manager in the post-Ferguson era.

They finished last season with their poorest finish in both the Champions League and the Premier League (eighth) under Ten Hag's leadership. United, currently struggling in 12th place in the league, are eagerly seeking their first Europa League victory in three attempts as they prepare to face Mourinho's Fenerbahce.

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