Chronicle EditorMANCHESTER (AFP) – Jose Mourinho has demanded the media pay him more respect. The Manchester United boss was asked about his relationship with Arsene Wenger ahead of today’s clash with Arsenal.The pair notoriously clash on the sidelines but Mourinho instead chose to concentrate on the press.
He said: “I think Mr Wenger has the respect of his achievements from all of you, I don’t think I get that respect.
“I want to win a ninth championship and a fourth Premier League.
“I have been champion with four different clubs, I want to do that at Manchester United.”
Mourinho is unbeaten in 11 English Premier League games against Wenger – but the Special One is refusing to read too much into the record.
He said: “That’s not important, I don’t play against managers.
“It’s a team versus a team, In the end a match is an isolated event.
“It is just one more match.
“For me the only thing that matters is what you get globally as a team, our results, our CV.
“In the Premier League tomorrow (today) is a match between the two managers with the best record in the Premier League.
“Between us we are speaking about six or seven Premier League titles, I have three and Mr Wenger has three or four.”
Meanwhile, Mourinho refused to be drawn on the drinking controversy affecting his captain Wayne Rooney when asked to comment on the matter yesterday.
Rooney (31) apologised this week after being pictured looking the worse for wear as he mingled with guests at a wedding party at the England team hotel last weekend.
Mourinho said Rooney was fit to face Arsenal today after withdrawing from England duty with a minor knee injury, but did not want to discuss the specifics of what had happened.
“Over the last two, three days, nothing happened. He trained like everybody else, he wants to play like everybody else,” Mourinho told reporters at the United training centre west of Manchester.
“He’s ready. What happened in the national team happened in the national team. I don’t comment.
“My players, when they go to the national team, they belong to the national team. What happens there — for good, for bad — I don’t interfere and I don’t like to comment.”
Some media reports suggested Mourinho had been unhappy with the Football Association for not supervising Rooney more closely after England’s players were given a night off last Saturday.
But he said he just wanted to draw a line beneath the affair.
“Sometimes they come back stronger than when they left us because something positive happens there; good performances, good results,” Mourinho said.
“Other times, injuries, sometimes big injuries. Other times frustrations because they didn’t play, because the result was bad.
“In this case we know what didn’t go well, but the national team is a different chapter and a chapter that is closed now until March or the end of February.”
Rooney played in England’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Scotland last week, but was withdrawn from the squad due to a knee injury and missed Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Spain.
He has struggled for playing time for United of late, although he started their last two games prior to the international break.
Online Reporter