Manchester United manager aims dig at old foe Arsene Wenger

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has refuted claims he is a short-term coach and aimed a dig at rival managers Arsene Wenger, who has not won the Premier League title since 2004.

The former Chelsea boss has never spent beyond four full years at any of the clubs he has been, confirming the notion that the Portuguese does not lay the foundation for long-term success.

But the United boss has rubbished those talks, quoting the successes a lot of his former clubs have enjoyed in recent years after his exit.

The Portuguese tactician also stressed that remaining at a cub for too long – (Arsene) Wenger, who was once called a ‘specialist in failure’ by Jose Mourinho, has been at the North London club for 21 years.

‘If people (fans) say that because I (Mourinho) win and leave (go), I (Mourinho) have to accept that because in a period of my career I (Mourinho) did that,’ he (Mourinho) explained in a recent interview with The Times.

‘When I (Mourinho) win the UEFA Champions League, at FC Porto, at Inter Milan, I disappear (Left). I (Mourinho) left Real Madrid when the (Spanish) club wanted me to remain. The only place (club) I was sacked was (at) Chelsea, but always after winning the (Premier League) title.

‘If you’re (a coach) in a (football) club one or two years (seasons) — or any job — if you leave a (proper) structure to be even (more) successful without you (coach) than with you (coach), that is not short-term. That’s long-term.’

Questioned if he is referring to European Champions Real Madrid, who have won three UEFA Champions League titles since the tactician left, he continues: ‘I (Mourinho) am, I am. As an example, short-term can be the guy (coach) that is at a (single) club 20 years or 15 years (seasons) or ten years and leaves (departs) the club in conditions for… what is the opposite of (the word) success? Failure.