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Ex-Manchester United staff member Rod Thornley has lifted the lid of Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Manchester United.
Thornley spent 19 years at the club, working under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, and Louis van Gaal before Mourinho’s arrival in 2016.
And in an interview with Under the Cosh, the former physio admitted to feeling better under the Portuguese manager than he did under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“The best way I can explain Jose is on his good days, he was amazing to work for and he made me feel brilliant,” Thornley said.
“It made me feel better than Sir Alex [Ferguson] ever did. He made me a part of his little close circle and I loved it.”
But those who know Mourinho know that times are not always great, and Thornley revealed just how difficult the man was to work with when things did not go his way.
“On his bad days, God he was a nightmare. He knew I’ll talk to a player and knew well to p*** a player off and stuff,” Thornley added.
“It just depended on where he was at, not just that day, but that part of his contract and towards the end he was really hard work. But at the start, he was the first two years really Jose was brilliant.
“He was a prankster. So like when you get on a plane going on pre-season and stuff, he’d be one of them putting like whipped cream in people’s hands so when they wake up people they’d go like that [makes splatting motion].”
It all ended in tears with Mourinho after the manager fell out with several members of the club and alienated a huge chunk of the playing staff.
Now in Italy, the divisive coach is enjoying a fine campaign with cash strapped AS Roma, for whom he has already secured their first trophy in 14 years.
Should results tomorrow go a certain way, Mourinho could be set to face Manchester United in the Europa League this season.
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