Manchester United: Jose Mourinho asks for fair treatment from referees after second sending off

The United manager received his marching orders in last weekend's 1-1 draw with West Ham

Mourinho could find his team 11 points off a Champions League position by the end of the weekend (Getty)

Jose Mourinho said he would accept being sent off twice in the space of a month but only if all other managers are treated the same.

The Manchester United manager said it would be wrong if he were singled out for special treatment by referees because of his reputation.

“I would like to think it would be the same rules for everybody,” he said discussing Sunday’s dismissal in the 1-1 draw with West Ham that followed another sending-off against Burnley. “Let us go back to the last one. I kicked a bottle of water. I cannot do it and, if I do it, it is a sending-off and a punishment.

“I accept that and, if you see the images when the referee (Jonathan Moss) comes over, I go with not a word or a complaint. I accepted the one-match suspension. It is as simple as that but it has to be same for everyone.”

Mourinho said he was not comparing himself to Arsène Wenger, who was dismissed for kicking a water bottle at Old Trafford seven years ago. The FA apologised to the Arsenal manager and imposed no punishment. Mourinho said: “It was a long time ago and the rules have changed.”

On Sunday, when Mourinho takes Manchester United to Everton, he could find his team 11 points off a Champions League position. Mourinho has been a master at starting a season quickly – between 2002 and 2012 none of the sides he managed had fewer than 30 points at this stage of the season.

Asked why it had been so difficult to repeat it a club with the highest wage bill in world football, Mourinho argued that he was trying to radically overhaul the club he had inherited from Louis van Gaal.

“The most difficult thing in football is when you don’t start from zero,” said Mourinho. “Sometimes you change from one manager to another and the differences are not significant. You just pull a few strings, give a little touch and you can get a lot from what was already there.

“This is such a different Manchester United from what was there last season. What we want to do this season is so different. We could have probably got better results if we had not tried to go in the opposite direction.

“It is not about the tactical system because tactical systems are nothing. Much more important than tactics is the way you want to play.

“For us, it was really hard. You don’t know what it cost me to play a defensive zonal. How much we had to work, speak, analyse and prepare videos. You can’t imagine the difference between following your man and playing zonal - and that’s just an example.

“It was hard, is hard and will be hard but we know the destination. And we know the way we want to go. When I joined Manchester United, all of you were speaking about a certain way United had of playing football. I thought you were right.

“I realised that was the way to go. More important than what you write is what our fans say. When you have bad results at home and the people are with the team, the people applaud the team and stay until the last second and go to the next match, I don’t need to read what you write because the fans are more important than all of you.”

Mourinho heads to the stands after being sent off by Moss last weekend (Getty)

After a fourth successive draw at Old Trafford, Mourinho was no longer so bullish about winning the championship in his first season at a club, something he had done at Porto, Chelsea and Internazionale.

“The destination is for us to be champions,” he said. “Maybe not this year because there is a gap between us and the top of the table. I don’t know when; maybe next year, maybe in two years’ time, maybe when I am not here. But if you follow these directions, we will be champions.”

Whether Manchester United will close the gap on Sunday afternoon is questionable. Mourinho lost two of his last three games at Everton while Manchester United have won just two of their last eight matches at Goodison Park, a venue Mourinho treats with great respect.

“I have played against Martinez’s Everton and Moyes’s Everton and for me Everton is Everton and Goodison Park is Goodison Park,” he said.

“It is always difficult, always beautiful, great crowds, a great, historical stadium for my country – Eusebio scored four goals there in the World Cup in one match. I have had so many great matches there, losing, winning. I am looking forward to it.”