Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his side's progress should not be based on whether they win the Europa League; Jose Mourinho: "I believe his big boss, and the biggest in Premier League history, has a different view in relation to that"
Saturday 10 April 2021 07:55, UK
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says he disagrees with his Manchester United counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's opinion that trophies do not determine success.
Ahead of Sunday's Tottenham vs Man Utd showdown, live on Sky Sports, Mourinho added that he thinks Solskjaer's manager during his playing days at Old Trafford - Sir Alex Ferguson - also saw the value in silverware.
Solskjaer said that his side's progress should not be judged on whether they win the Europa League this season and claimed that obsessing over winning silverware is an "ego thing" for some.
But Mourinho, who has a hugely impressive haul of trophies on his CV - including the Europa League and League Cup during his own United tenure - does not share that view.
"It's his (Solskjaer's) opinion," said Mourinho. "I'm pretty sure his big boss Sir Alex had a different opinion about it.
"But I respect what Solskjaer thinks. I think different.
"Freedom of thinking, freedom of ideas, and if that is what he thinks that is fine by me. It's not a problem for me, he's not being disrespectful to anyone.
"But I repeat I believe his big boss, and the biggest in Premier League history, has a different view in relation to that."
Mourinho is unhappy with the press coverage he has received this week in the wake of Sunday's 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
After the match, Mourinho criticised his players and also claimed that Toby Alderweireld did not train with the squad until the Saturday beforehand - despite the club putting out pictures on their club channels of the Belgian being with the group from Wednesday onwards.
Asked at his Friday pre-match press conference if he wanted to clarify those remarks, Mourinho chose not to, before escaping to play in a staff match at the club's training ground.
He said: "I can't clarify and I can't clarify because you spoke about it for the whole week.
"You play the game, enjoy the game during the whole week and now I want to enjoy my game at 1pm and now I'm here to answer to the question that you already answered for the whole week.
"There is nothing for me to clarify.
"If I have to clarify I clarify with my people and not with the people who knows everything and wrote and spoke and sold papers and with audiences on radios and TVs.
"You don't even pay me a percentage so I'm not going to play the game.
"Let me play, I've been working in the gym for two weeks for this game and now I'm going to arrive late."
