Mourinho describes Manchester United resignation reports as ´garbage´

Jose Mourinho has described reports suggesting he will quit Manchester United at the end of the season as “garbage”.

United have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, prompting suggestions the Portuguese was growing disillusioned with life at Old Trafford and seeking a way out in June.

However, speaking ahead of Friday’s FA Cup third-round clash at home to Derby County, a forthright Mourinho insisted he was going nowhere.

Asked about the speculation, he said: “It depends what you want to know and what you want to speak about. If you want to speak about some news – I say garbage, I don’t find better words to define the talk.

“If you want to ask me directly, which I suppose you want, if I see myself next season at Manchester United, I say, I see myself.

“As I told myself when I arrived, I’m going to leave when the club wants me to leave, because I have no intention to leave, my intention is to stay, to work, to improve and bring the club to where it belongs.

“My desire is to stay until the owners and the board are happy with my work,” Jose says. “My intention is to improve and to bring the club to where it belongs.” #MUFC pic.twitter.com/lV7s2uDF1c

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 4, 2018

“I still have a contract, I am in the middle of my contract and my desire is to stay until the owners and the board is happy with my work.

“Speaking about my work and connecting it to the garbage news, the worst thing anyone can do is not to say I am a bad manager, underperforming, the worst thing someone can do is to put one inch of doubt in my professionalism, to my club, my job, my players.

“So yes, the garbage news affected me just on these aspects, because it’s something I don’t admit.”

Mourinho has not completed a fourth season at any of his previous clubs – Benfica, Uniao de Leiria, Porto, Chelsea (in either spell), Inter or Real Madrid – with his struggles labelled ‘third season syndrome’.

And, having joined United in May 2016, club insiders were reportedly concerned he was again considering walking away, with the side second in the Premier League but 15 points adrift of rivals Manchester City.

Mourinho, however, said: “If I’m going to sign a new one [contract] or not, of course depends on the club, but my commitment is total.

“I see myself here, it’s just a question of the club, the board, the owners, [chief executive] Mr Woodward and [if] they are all happy with my contribution and they want me to stay beyond the end of this contract.”

Mourinho has cut an increasingly morose figure in recent weeks, but he dismissed suggestions he had lost his passion for the job, adding: “Because I don’t behave as a clown on the touchline it means I lost my passion?

“I prefer to behave the way I am doing it, much more mature, better for my team and myself.

“You don’t have to behave like a crazy guy on the touchline to have that passion. That passion you see it every day.

“The way a person is dedicated to his work, not what you do in front of the cameras.”