Jose Mourinho has laid down the law with his players again –after some of his stars arranged for a hairdresser to visit their London hotel before they played Chelsea.
Mourinho was fuming that four of his players – believed to include Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero – paid for their stylist to travel from Manchester and give them a haircut at the team hotel the day before the game.
United ended the match being humiliated 4-0 by Antonio Conte’s side in Mourinho’s first visit back to Stamford Bridge as a visiting manager.
Mourinho was angry at United’s defensive performance and ripped into his stars post-match after they conceded a first-minute goal.
He also gave Conte a final whistle rebuke for the Italian’s exuberant touchline antics which Mourinho felt had disrespected him and United.
And when he found out his players had invited a hairdresser to the hotel the night before the game, Mourinho let rip again reminding them of their focus in the immediate lead-up to games.
But while Mourinho has presided over an erratic start to the season at Old Trafford, he retains the full backing of both Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman and, more crucially, the US-based Glazer family, who own the club.
Despite United refusing to publicly comment on Mourinho’s start to his United career, it has been made clear, privately, that they are right behind their £12million-a-year manager.
Woodward remains hugely impressed by Mourinho’s methods, his tactical acumen, attention to detail and his conviction that, given time, he will turn United into winners again.
And, although United sanctioned summer spending of £146m – £89m of it on a world-record fee for Juventus midfield star Paul Pogba – Woodward acknowledges it will take at least another two transfer windows for Mourinho to acquire the squad he really wants.
Neither will Woodward nor the Glazer family interfere in the way Mourinho handles his players.
Eyebrows are believed to have been raised by some United directors after his public comments aimed at England defenders Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw.
The Portuguese coach questioned their commitment to the team and intimated the pair were soft for not wanting to play through the pain barrier with injuries.
But while it is doubtful past managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Louis van Gaal would have been so publicly outspoken about their players, Woodward is not about to intervene.
Mourinho’s handling of the Bastian Schweinsteiger situation had no input from the boardroom either, although any transfer activity in January would be on the basis of moving players out.
A United source said last night: “The club appointed Jose to manage the playing squad and all team matters are his domain.
“There would never be any interference from the board in how he deals with his players. He will be left to run his squad as other managers at the club have been in the past.
“The board respect his record at top clubs around Europe and he’s been hired to bring success. He’ll be given all the support he needs to achieve that.”
United’s senior players, led by Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, are also right behind Mourinho.
And while they’d prefer individual criticism of players to stay in-house they have privately claimed talk of Mourinho being distant and unapproachable as off the mark.
They say Mourinho has engaged fully with United’s stars and happily laughs and jokes with them – when the time is right.
But the former Chelsea chief is quick to let them know he is boss – and they have no problem with that.
