Jose Mourinho claims he didn't have same support from Man Utd as Erik ten Hag and insists there are still players at Old Trafford who 'don't have the best professional profile'

The Portuguese tactician achieved notable success during his tenure at Old Trafford as he guided the Red Devils to Europa League and Carabao Cup glory between 2016 and 2018, while also achieving a runners' up finish in the Premier League. However, he was ruthlessly shown the door in December 2018 after a Premier League defeat to Liverpool which saw the club fall down to sixth spot - 11 points adrift of a Champions League finish.

United are currently seventh in the table and 16 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, albeit with two matches in hand. They have won just once in their last five outings in the English top flight and required a penalty shootout to knock out Championship side Coventry City in the FA Cup semifinals, which highlights the poor vein of form that they find themselves in. Yet, Ten Hag continues to hold on to his position and is likely to keep his place at least until the end of the season.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Mourinho lamented the absence of robust professional support during his stint, which he feels that Ten Hag is now benefiting from.

"My relationship with [former chief executive] Ed Woodward was good. Good as in the personal point of view," Mourinho said. "Even now we send an SMS. But from a professional point of view, it was not the best. I am who I am. I am a football man. Ed comes from a different background and what Ten Hag has in his time at Manchester United I didn't have.

"I didn't have that level of support. I didn't have that level of trust. So I left sad because I felt I was in the beginning of the process. In some moments, I felt if they trusted me and believed in my experience things could be different."

Mourinho fell out with several senior players in the dressing room, including Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba and Bastian Schweinsteiger, as many did not agree with the manager's methods. Most of the players from his time have departed the club but Martial and Shaw continue to be on United's books. Although the 61-year-old coach did not explicitly mention names, he said: "There are still a couple of players still there I didn't want five or six years ago. I think they represent a little bit of what I consider not the best professional profile for a club of a certain dimension. But I did my job there. Time always tells the truth. I would love Manchester United to succeed."

Ten Hag could reportedly return to his former club Ajax for the 2024-25 season if he departs United at the end of the campaign. Meanwhile, the Premier League outfit are believed to be exploring options in the market and have been linked to current Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel - who will leave the club this summer.