Jose Mourinho’s puerile gestures are an embarrassment to Manchester United

Massimiliano Allegri did his part. He lost with grace. Jose Mourinho, however. Deary me.

On the scale of puerile gestures a cupped ear and pulled face is not the greatest offence. The rictus nature of his contorted mouth even added a note of comedy. Any reasonable parent would have sent Mourinho straight to bed without his milk. That’s not an option when you are the parent.

It fell to the ever earnest Paul Scholes to administer the corrective medicine from the BT studio. “You need to win with a bit of class… I don’t think there is any need for that but that’s just the way he is,” lamented Scholes.

The travelling United fans loved it, of course. Tastelessly goading the opposition is a behavioural staple in the stands. When the coach gets involved it hardens the connection between the dugout and terrace. Good, old Jose, he’s one of us.

Crass stunt

Jose Mourinho has got the Juventus fans and players rattled at full time!

He's enjoyed that one A LOT! pic.twitter.com/Gcmuyd3sDo

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 7, 2018

It is, perhaps, Mourinho’s connectivity with the hard core of United fans that has kept him in his post. That and the cost of getting rid. Just three weeks ago at Stamford Bridge when Mourinho was on the opposite end of just this kind of crass stunt he created an alp out of a pimple. Some called for a sacking such was the offence taken by Mourinho to Marco Ianni’s brazen reaction to Ross Barkley’s late equaliser.

There is always a justification for Mourinho, always someone else to blame for the way that he behaves. Had he let Ianni get on with making a fool of himself, like grown ups do, the ensuing embarrassment would have been punishment enough. Everyone could see Ianni was being a pillock.

Mourinho is not compelled to react. He chooses to respond as he does. For the manager of Maidstone, never mind Manchester United, it would be conduct unbecoming. He said he was insulted and responded according to the rules of the playground. This is not evidence of emotional engagement, which is a good thing, but emotional immaturity, which is a bad thing. It leads to a lack of clarity, rushed judgments and erratic choices, all of which have played out in relation to his players.

Incremental improvements

This was a better night for United in Turin, a huge improvement on the passive surrender to Juventus in the first half at Old Trafford two weeks ago. I’m with Cristiano Ronaldo, the performance did not deserve the victory, but it was a measure of the incremental improvements being made. The second half against Newcastle at home, against Chelsea away, the first hour against Everton at home, the second half at Bournemouth, all pointing to a team that can play. Let Mourinho take credit for that.

In his more lucid moments post match in Turin, Mourinho was persuasive in identifying his vision, and the qualities required in a Manchester United team that he believes should play with chests out no matter who they face. Great, Jose. But if you really understood the traditions of the club you manage, you would know that representation starts and ends with you.

If Manchester United are to win friends as well as matches then be informed by the ancients. A little bit of Sir Matt Busby would go a long way. It’s Manchester City up next, as good a place as any to get your act together on and off the pitch.