Four Manchester United stars have been criticised by boss Jose Mourinho for lacking ‘character’ and ‘personality’.
The confrontational United manager is no stranger to controversy or falling out with his players at Old Trafford and picked out Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford in his latest rant.
Mourinho talked about young players being ‘spoilt kids’, growing up in an ‘easier environment’ and being less prepared for life.
He then went on to namecheck the quartet of United stars, insinuating that they do not have the ability to perform when the going gets tough.
After an international break that saw Rashford and Lingard star for England – Shaw and Martial missed out through injuries – it is a grim reminder for the players that they are back under the stewardship of Mourinho and know they could be, unfairly at times, criticised at any moment.
The biggest surprise, however, is that Paul Pogba, a player Mourinho has traded barbs with more than once, was not named.
“They are lacking maturity,’ Mourinho reportedly told Univision. “And let me be clear when I say maturity, I mean maturity on a personal level.
“We had more men, we were more mature, we were more prepared for life, we were less protected.
“They are spoilt kids now, the kids of today have a different life, an easier environment and I’m talking about the people around the players.
“These people give them too much affection and too many excuses. People mature much more slowly now.”
Mourinho then picked out the players he was talking about, saying Shaw ‘doesn’t know how to behave’.
“Luke Shaw, he’s got big potential but doesn’t know how to behave,’ he added. “Big potential, yes, big potential.
“We’re talking about Luke Shaw, Martial, Lingard, Rashford – young, big potential, but at the end of the day it results in the word I cannot say but you use it a lot here… character, personality, they lack a little.
