‘Mourinho didn't have Man Utd style & had to be replaced’ – Academy graduate Bohui bemoans lack of opportunities

Jose Mourinho “had to be replaced” by Manchester United, says former academy graduate Joshua Bohui, with the Portuguese not buying into the philosophies of the club that have been embraced by successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Throughout a distinguished coaching career, a man who has enjoyed success across Europe has faced accusations of not placing enough faith in youth.

He did give chances to the likes of Scott McTominay and Angel Gomes during his time at Old Trafford, but a pathway to the senior fold was not as clear as it could have been.

Bohui found that out to his cost and eventually took the decision to sever ties with the Red Devils in 2019 and link up with NAC Breda.

“When Jose was there, there were no opportunities for me, Mason [Greenwood], Angel or [Tahith] Chong, but now Ole’s in charge there’s a different vibe and spirit around the place,” Bohui told Planet Football.

“It was not that Jose did not treat me well, which some in the media speculated, it was just that there didn’t seem to be a clear pathway for me under him.

“On the training ground, he never spoke to me about what I had to do better and, sometimes, I could not understand what he wanted.

“I also felt that he was not approachable. If I knew I had done well in a training session, he was not there to be supportive – it was the same if I knew I had to improve on something.”

Mourinho was relieved of his duties by United in December 2018, with his departure coming as no surprise to Bohui.

He added: “It was better for the whole club – United have a style of play which he was not bringing, so he had to be replaced.”

Bohui was offered a new contract by the Red Devils, having joined their youth ranks in 2016 on the back of a spell at Brentford.

Despite having terms on the table and Mourinho out of the door, the 21-year-old forward believes he took the right decision in leaving England.

He said: “I was playing Under-18s and Under-23s football, but I was at an age where I felt I needed to be playing senior, first-team football.

“I wanted that step up and that experience of playing first-team football.”