Under-fire Jose Mourinho has told Manchester United‘s under-performing players that the badge on the front of their shirts will always be more important than the name on the back.
United face Valencia in the Champions League on the back of a bruising 10 days that has put Old Trafford in the eye of the storm.
Background shenanigans have been compounded by the home draw against Wolves and surprise Carabao Cup exit to Derby, before succumbing to an embarrassing 3-1 loss at West Ham.
The manner of the performance was as shocking as the scoreline, leading Mourinho to stress his “golden rules” before Tuesday’s Group H match.
“All of my life, I have followed certain golden rules,” he wrote in the matchday programme.
“One of them is that a team can lose matches – that is just a part of football – but the team must never, ever lose its dignity.
United’s manager is under pressure but many of his star players are under performing.
“The team must fight, work, compete, win duels, be humble, and then at the end of the game every player must be exhausted because of the hard work they have given for the club, for the fans and for each other.
“That leads to another pair of golden rules which must be followed: the team is always more important than the individual, and the crest on the chest is more important than the name on the back of the shirt.
“This is me. This is how I work. This is what I ask of my team, my group, my club.
“Tonight, as we welcome Marcelino, the Valencia players and their supporters to Old Trafford, we have to follow these golden rules.”
