Jose Mourinho has recently been peddling the theory that he doesn’t get the same respect as Arsene Wenger does for his achievements.
“I think Mr Wenger has that respect from all of you,” he told reporters before facing Wenger’s Arsenal earlier this month. “I don’t think I have, especially because my last Premier League title was 18 months ago, not 18 years ago,” he added, with the cheeky error in the time line slotted in as a deliberate mistake.
It’s a theme that some Manchester United fans have picked up on after Mourinho was sent off for kicking a water bottle during United’s 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday.
Many remembered back to when Wenger was sent to the stands for the very same offence back in 2009.
https://twitter.com/Footy_Jokes/status/802924506994118658
But after that incident, Wenger actually received an apology from the officials.
“I’ve spoken to Keith Hackett and he fully recognises the situation was an error and an apology will follow to Arsene Wenger,” said League Managers’ Association chief Richard Bevan at the time.
“Lee Probert totally failed to manage the situation and created a needless pressure point taking the focus away from the pitch in a big event with only a minute to go.
“Although correct in ‘law’, the decision was completely out of context in the game and it was followed by the nonsense which followed over where Arsene Wenger should sit.”
Cue United fans demanding the same apology for Mourinho, and crying conspiracy that instead he is facing a two-match ban.
https://twitter.com/UnitedPeoplesTV/status/803162342133559296
https://twitter.com/18sManUtd/status/803167663060979713
#Wenger received apology 4 being sent 2 the stand for kicking a water bottle. #Mourinho will be hit with sharp sticks for the same offence.
— George Shaw (@321GEO) November 28, 2016
But before you don the tin-foil hat and roll your eyes at the clear anti-Manchester United bias being displayed by the FA, remember that since the incident with Wenger, the rules have been changed.
Partly as a result of another touchline feud between Wenger and Mourinho, the FA brought in new behaviour rules in the summer of 2015 to try to reign in the increasingly unseemly scenes between rival bosses, as Mirror Sport’s chief football writer John Cross pointed out:
The touchline managerial code of conduct was brought in during summer of 2015. Water bottles were even referenced… https://t.co/Th9OmTe9z3
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) November 28, 2016
So cool your jets United fans. There is no conspiracy (at least not about this). It’s just the rules.
Catch up with this week’s episode of Football Friday Live
