Ashley Young has revealed that he was disappointed with Jose Mourinho during his time at Manchester United.
The Everton star played at Manchester United during the Portuguese manager’s stint at Old Trafford from the summer of 2016 to December 2018 when he was sacked.
Young was a guest on Monday Night Football where he discussed his playing career, including his decade-long stay with the Red Devils.
The 38-year-old said that despite the initial excitement of Mourinho coming in to replace Louis van Gaal, he was disappointed with the manager’s style of play.
He said: ‘I think everyone was really excited about Jose coming in. When you see what he did in his career you thought this is an appointment that could have happened years prior to when it did.
Ashley Young (left) admitted he was disappointed with Jose Mourinho at Manchester United
Young insists Mourinho got the team to play in a style that was not the Manchester United way
‘I say a little disappointing, as to what was to come.
‘You knew Jose from the Chelsea days and then he went to Real and then he’s come back and you see the style of football that’s being played.
‘I don’t think it was a style of football that suited the Manchester United way.’
When asked if that was something the players of that time talked about, he responded: ‘Yeah of course players always talk and even then us as players we could have taken it on a bit more.’
Young did go on to say that any managers that came in the years after Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2013 departure would have found it tough.
Presenter Dave Jones pointed out that it had been five years since the legendary manager left when Mourinho joined Old Trafford, to which Young replied: ‘Yeah it was, and I think there was too much surrounding the club and at times there were players who had been brought which under the boss (Ferguson) it was sink or swim.
‘And it was difficult times where I don’t think players gave as much as they could.’
Mourinho won the Carabao Cup and Europa League during his time at Old Trafford, finishing second in the 2017-18 season.
Young played for Mourinho during the Portuguese manager’s stint from 2016 to 2018
Young spent a decade at Old Trafford and the 38-year-old now plays his football at Everton
Mourinho went on to manage Tottenham and Roma but is currently without a job
A poor start to the 2017-18 season though led to Mourinho being sacked after a 3-1 loss to bitter rivals Liverpool.
Young joined Manchester United in 2011 from Aston Villa and won the Premier League title with the club two years later, in Ferguson’s final year with the team.
During his appearance on Monday Night Football, he also revealed that there was tears in the dressing room, when Ferguson broke the news of his retirement.
Mourinho, after finishing second with United in the 2017-18 season, was sacked in December of the following campaign after a difficult opening few months.
He has since managed Tottenham and Roma, but is currently without a club after he was sacked by the latter in January.
