“Maybe I was too harsh with him and he was not ready for that.”
Jose Mourinho has finally admitted that he may have been too hard on Luke Shaw during the pair’s time together at Manchester United.
Mourinho tends to find a scapegoat or two at every club he goes to and Shaw was the one who arguably copped the worst of the public criticism from the Portuguese coach when he was in charge of the Red Devils.
It’s been almost three years since Mourinho left Old Trafford but he has not shied away from ridiculing Shaw in his role as a pundit in recent years.
Jose Mourinho on Luke Shaw
Mourinho dismissed suggestions that he has a personal issue with the 26-year-old and praised Shaw for his performances at Euro 2020, where he was one of the stand-out performers for England.
“Because people think I don’t like Luke Shaw, I have to say, amazing tournament. A fantastic final,” Mourinho said on talkSPORT.
“No defensive mistakes. Very solid. On top of that he improved and improved and improved.
From @MoleseyFC1953 Juniors to the #EURO2020 final the with #ThreeLions.
⚽️ @LukeShaw23. pic.twitter.com/SXwaD0VcjE
— England Football (@EnglandFootball) July 10, 2021
“He scored a goal that doesn’t mean much now but for him, for his career, for the way he grew up, very good. Very good Luke Shaw.”
After one of the latest instances of Mourinho criticising Shaw, the United left-back opened up on his struggles playing under the famously polarising manager, prompting club legend Rio Ferdinand to tell Mourinho to leave Shaw alone.
Mourinho acknowledged that his particular style of man management might not have suited Shaw, who had suffered a broken leg the season before the Portuguese took over at United, and ‘The Special One’ admitted he may have been too tough on the defender.
“I always tried to find what I considered to be the weakness of the player and sometimes I’m successful, other times I’m not. Other times I can create empathy with the player and get the best out of them,” Mourinho continued.
“Other times the best way to get the best out of them is not to create empathy and is to try to to create some friction and to put pressure on the player.
“Maybe I was too harsh with him and he was not ready for that.
“The injury was such an incredible injury but I think in this moment where the country looks to him, and deservedly, as a left-back for the national team.
“From my side, I can only say congratulations to him because he did it by himself. For sure with the help and support of his coaches in the club and in the national team.
“I still think that he has more to give because his potential is good and now he is defending well, he knows how to defend space inside which was a weakness for him.
“His defence transition when he goes forward and the team loses the ball, his recovery back, he shows a much better intensity. Going forward he is more confident, better crosses.”
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