“?Jamie Carragher has defended Jose Mourinho after the Manchester United manager was criticised for publicly slamming some of his first-team stars.
“?The ex-Liverpool defender took to his Daily Mail column to question why Mourinho had received so much flak for demanding more from his charges after last week’s run of three consecutive defeats.
Paper reports suggested that Mourinho has criticised left-back Luke Shaw for his performance in last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat away to Watford, and a source close to Shaw then reportedly told a leading national newspaper that the 22-year-old was unhappy over Mourinho’s public criticism.
Carragher, though, was left baffled as to why Mourinho’s criticism had caused such a furore, and remarked that other managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson had regularly called out their under-performing stars to elicit a response on the field the following week.
Carragher wrote: “Do you remember how everyone thought he (Mourinho) was a breath of fresh air? Jose was box office then. He was new to the English game but he delivered home truths and his honesty struck a chord. He was tough but he was a winning machine. If he singled out a player in public, what was the problem?
“Now fast forward to last Sunday. Mourinho was angry and could no longer contain his feelings. So, after a crucial match had ended, he walked into a packed press conference, chose his words carefully and publicly criticised one of his players.
“Luke Shaw was the player in question. Mourinho was right in his assessment of the goal that led Manchester United to lose at Watford. I’m not condoning this happening every week but there is nothing wrong if a manager publicly criticises someone now and again to get a reaction.
“Yet Vicarage Road presented a problem for Mourinho, one that showed how football has become a game of double standards. Managers aren’t allowed to say anything bad about players now, not even if their criticism is valid, in case they get upset.
“I couldn’t believe someone chose to inform a newspaper on Shaw’s behalf that England’s left back was unhappy at the way Mourinho spoke about him. I was equally amazed to read a report that other players were “?shocked’ by some of his words behind closed doors.
.@Carra23 column: Sir Alex did it, so why can’t Jose Mourinho criticise his players? https://t.co/92jbuX3Pqi pic.twitter.com/XtD4yB2dDp
“Wouldn’t it have been refreshing if Shaw had actually come out and said Mourinho was right? Shaw is there to stop crosses coming in from the wing and help his team keep a clean sheet. Against Watford and Manchester City, he didn’t do his job.
“His reaction, however, means Mourinho has to contend with accusations that he will lose the dressing room. It’s absolutely pathetic. He was tough in 2006, when he took off Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joe Cole after 26 minutes of a game against Fulham. Now he is portrayed as a tyrant.”
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