Tottenham head coach unhappy with comments by Manchester United counterpart following United’s 3-1 win at Spurs; Jose Mourinho: “Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole”
Jose Mourinho has reacted angrily to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the Manchester United boss hit out at Heung-Min Son following the visitors’ 3-1 win at Tottenham.
Solskjaer complained Son had “conned” the referee with his part in United’s disallowed goal during the first half, going down after being caught by the stray arm of Scott McTominay before Edinson Cavani scored.
VAR reviewed the issue, sending referee Chris Kavanagh to the pitchside screen, with the goal disallowed. Son then put Spurs ahead, but United fought back with goals from Fred, Cavani and sub Mason Greenwood to secure three points.
The United boss told Sky Sports: “I have to say, if my son stays down like this for three minutes and gets 10 of his mates around him… if he gets that in the face from one of his other mates and he needs 10 of his mates to help him up, he won’t get any food.”
But speaking in his own post-match press conference, an angry Mourinho responded: “Let me tell you something. I am very, very surprised that after the comments that Ole made on Sonny, you don’t ask me about it.
“And I told Ole already this, because I met him just a few minutes ago. If it’s me, telling that player A B or C from another club, ‘If it was my son I wouldn’t give him dinner tonight,’ or something like that, what would be the reaction?
“It is very, very sad. I think it’s really sad that you don’t ask me about it. It’s really sad that you don’t have the moral honesty to treat me the same way you treat others.
“I just want to say, Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole, because I think a father – I am a father – you have to always feed your kids, it doesn’t matter what they do.
“If you have to steal to feed your kids, you steal. I am very, very disappointed, and like we say in Portugal bread is bread and cheese is cheese, I told Ole already what I think about his comments.”
Both Solskjaer and Mourinho looked to have been involved in a heated clash during play in the first half, too, but the United boss said after the game that he had spoken with Mourinho at half-time.
“Sometimes some words are being said,” said Solskjaer in his post-match press conference, before Mourinho had reacted to his comments about Son. “But the most important thing is we’re colleagues and friends. Before, during or after a game, you can have a bit of a dispute.
“I think we’ve got the utmost respect for each other, and I think that’s the point here. Sometimes it’s some words being said. I had a couple words I could take back at that time.”
Pundits on Mourinho’s angry response
Sky Sports’ Roy Keane: “There is definitely a bit of needle between the two managers, which is great. They are challenging at the highest level and now there’s a bit of needle between Mourinho and Ole? Great, bring it on.”
Sky Sports’ Micah Richards: “It’s the pressure…the pressure is getting to everyone. This is the business end of the season and this is where it counts the most. Spurs have not been doing as well as they would have liked and this is just a reaction.”
In pictures: The incident behind Manchester United’s disallowed goal
Pundits on disallowed United goal: ‘Embarrassing, ridiculous, not football’
Sky Sports’ Roy Keane: “I’m amazed. If this is a foul, we should all go home. It’s bizarre for a player like Son to be rolling around. It’s embarrassing. It’s not just Son – Rashford did it too about 10 minutes earlier – but that can’t be a foul. The referees are under pressure, they’re now questioning themselves and he’s got it wrong.
Sky Sports’ Micah Richards: “This is not football anymore. I can’t recognise the game anymore. It’s a ridiculous decision and it’s spoiling football. The players didn’t help, surrounding him.”
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp: “That’s what you do in football, you’re always trying to use your arms as leverage to get away from people. Son tries to grab him and [McTominay] tries to push him away; he just flicks him. It’s never a foul.”
Dave Jones: “The PGMOL have said it wasn’t part of McTominay’s natural running movement and was careless.”
What’s next?
Tottenham now go to Everton in the Premier League on Friday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 8pm, while Manchester United host Granada in the Europa League quarter-final second leg at 8pm on Thursday, leading 2-0 from the first leg.
