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Published: May 4, 2021 3:32 pm
Last Updated: May 4, 2021 3:34 pm
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Mourinho’s tricky reunions
With the news that Roma will be appointing Jose Mourinho to become their new manager at the start of the 2021/22 season, narratives are already being written as to the future or some of the players at the club.
The club are delighted to announce an agreement has been reached with Jose Mourinho for him to become our new head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season.
#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/f5YGGIVFJp— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) May 4, 2021
Mourinho is not unfamiliar to tenuous relationships with players. Therefore when moving to a new team there is always the possibility that a reunion with some of his less favoured ex-colleagues can happen.
This could be the case at Roma with both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Chris Smalling, whom the Portuguese coach managed at Manchester United, both adorned with the shirt of the Giallorossi.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 16: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on December 16, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
‘It was very hard’ says Mkhi
Former Manchester United, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan played under Mourinho during his time at Manchester United and was sold by the coach.
His minutes at Old Trafford diminished and was replaced by Alexis Sanchez.
The Armenian international described how it was difficult under the Portuguese coach but how he also learned plenty during his tenure.
“It was very hard but I learned a lot as well,” he said.
“I learned how to defend, how to help the team. It was not only about scoring goals and making assists.
“It was more about the team winning so it doesn’t matter who scored, we had to win together. It didn’t matter who made the assist we must always be happy that we won the game.”
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 23: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Manchester United at The King Power Stadium on December 23, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
He said whilst it was hard, Mourinho brought trophies.
“What I want to say is that I had a hard time but after the first two or three months there, I had a very good time,” said Mkhitaryan.
“I won three trophies with the club, which was amazing. You know, some players have been playing in Manchester for ages but they haven’t won anything.”
Maybe he will do the same in Rome?
Toe-gate revisited for Smalling under Mourinho
Whilst Mourinho was at Manchester United he also coached Chris Smalling.
With Smalling, as the coach has had with many a player, there was no shortage of controversy.
During a difficult period for United, Mourinho claimed that his side, including Smalling, lacked bravery. Claiming that there is “a difference between the brave, who want to play at any cost, and the ones for whom a little pain can make a difference.”
The Portuguese was referencing that Smalling was not recovering quick enough from injury and could have played through the amount of pain he was experiencing but it turned out the then England international had in fact suffered a broken toe.
When Smalling was asked if he had received an apology he revealed no such message had come.
“No, it’s just professional,” he said. “All of us are professionals and no player wants not to play. That was all just [him being] professional – get on with the rehab and then get out as quickly as you can.
“I think that was directed at everybody. We had a lot of injuries at that time and he was frustrated that quite a lot of players weren’t available. He knew the picture in terms of liaising with the medical staff and he was just frustrated, the same as us players who wanted to be on the pitch.”
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Phil Jones (C) and Chris Smalling (L) of Manchester United celeberate their victory in the Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Smalling reiterated in defiance to Mourinho’s claims that he had showed unwillingness to play through pain barrier.
“I think in the Chelsea game I proved that I would play with injections,” said Smalling.
“I had done the injury, I played on and it turned out there was a break. I had a couple of injections but it got worse and that’s when I had the layoff. “
Smalling has performed brilliantly in a Roma shirt and has become an asset to the club. Will his history with Mourinho affect his years left in the Italian capital?
Chris Smalling and his family subjected to robbery at gun point at his home in Rome
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City FC | 34 | 47 | 80 |
| 2 | Manchester United FC | 33 | 29 | 67 |
| 3 | Leicester City FC | 34 | 22 | 63 |
| 4 | Chelsea FC | 34 | 22 | 61 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 34 | 22 | 56 |
| 6 | West Ham United FC | 33 | 10 | 55 |
| 7 | Liverpool FC | 33 | 16 | 54 |
| 8 | Everton FC | 33 | 3 | 52 |
| 9 | Arsenal FC | 34 | 9 | 49 |
| 10 | Aston Villa FC | 33 | 10 | 48 |
| 11 | Leeds United | 34 | -2 | 47 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 33 | -13 | 41 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace FC | 33 | -22 | 38 |
| 14 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 34 | -4 | 37 |
| 15 | Southampton FC | 33 | -18 | 37 |
| 16 | Burnley FC | 33 | -15 | 36 |
| 17 | Newcastle United FC | 34 | -20 | 36 |
| 18 | Fulham FC | 34 | -20 | 27 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 33 | -34 | 25 |
| 20 | Sheffield United FC | 34 | -42 | 17 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 21 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 20 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 16 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 16 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 15 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 14 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 13 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 13 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 13 |
| Gundogan, Ilkay | Manchester City FC | 12 |
| Wood, Chris | Burnley FC | 11 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 10 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 10 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 10 |
| Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick | Arsenal FC | 10 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 10 |
| Iheanacho, Kelechi | Leicester City FC | 10 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Pereira, Matheus | West Bromwich Albion | 9 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United FC | 9 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maguire, Harry | Manchester United FC | 0 | 10 |
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 9 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 8 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 8 |
| Luiz, Douglas | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 8 |
| Hojbjerg, Pierre | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 0 | 8 |
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 7 |
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 8 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 7 |
| Holgate, Mason | Everton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 8 |
| Soucek, Tomas | West Ham United FC | 1 | 6 |
| McGoldrick, David | Sheffield United FC | 0 | 7 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 7 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United FC | 0 | 7 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 0 | 7 |
| Reid, Bobby | Fulham FC | 0 | 7 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 7 |
| Alioski, Ezgjan | Leeds United | 0 | 7 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 7 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 13 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 11 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 10 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 10 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 10 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 8 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 7 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 7 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 7 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 7 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 6 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 6 |
| Pereira, Matheus | West Bromwich Albion | 6 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 6 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 6 |
| Harrison, Jack | Leeds United | 6 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 6 |
| Neto, Pedro | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 6 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 6 |
| Silva, Bernardo | Manchester City FC | 6 |
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