Jamie Carragher speaking Sky Sports Monday Night Football
‘I have no doubt from his comments today in the press conference when he said “some players are trying and some are trying harder than others” that he’s lost the dressing room.
‘I mean that’s not rocket science and I don’t even think that’s a controversial thing to say. The problem with that is that it’s now the third time it’s happened.
‘It started at Real Madrid with Casillas and Ramos then it happened at Chelsea with Hazard and all the players there and now there’s talk of a group led by Pogba. So there’s no doubt there’s massive problems there.
‘People keep saying, the players or the manager? Mourinho’s not a builder of two or three teams. Every club he’s at he builds one team and it’s very successful and then he moves on because his style of management is very confrontational.
‘He’s had success doing that but after three years I think everyone’s burnt out. Himself, the club, the players. So if you’re Manchester United owner or CEO, you’ve got to look at that and think “Pogba, Martial, Sanchez, Eric Bailly”, different players there.
‘If you’re going to get rid of all them and keep a manager who never normally lasts more than three years at a club or are you going to change the manager and keep those players? Because you can imagine the financial hit the club’s got to take to get rid of those players and bring other players in.
‘So I think he’s got a huge problem. I didn’t think he’d be manager next season, I said that after the Tottenham game, but it may be quicker than that. And certainly with two international breaks coming, one in a couple of weeks and one later on with more difficult fixtures I think he may have a huge problem if he doesn’t turn it around very quickly.
‘It doesn’t bear thinking about for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United if they were to lose to Valencia and Newcastle. It could become untenable then. But I actually feel they’ll win both of those games.
‘Another thing I should mention about this start to the season, Manchester United had an easy start on paper. It’s not been a tough start. They’ve only played Spurs of the top teams at home also.
‘But when they come back from the international break and you see starting with Chelsea and finishing with Manchester City, that’s why you bring Jose Mourinho to your club, to win big games.
‘And I think at the end of all those fixtures if they have defeats away at Chelsea and away at City and the Champions League and anything can happen I think it’ll be a lot clearer of what could happen.
‘It’s OK saying you can’t get rid of the manager and who comes in and all these different things. I’ve been at clubs myself when it just gets that untenable and that much friction in the squad [and] something has to happen.
‘Unfortunately — and it sickens me to say it — about players downing tools because I hate that but unfortunately it’s always the manager who carries the can for that.
‘And that’s what Jose Mourinho is paid big bucks for to manage a squad and at this moment he’s not managing a squad.’