Rumor has it that Jose Mourinho has a soul. I am skeptical, myself, but according to the Express Jose got emotional when Wayne Rooney left Old Trafford after just fifteen starts and 1540 league minutes last term. This is the man that famously benched Real Madrid legend San Iker Casillas, regularly snacks on Arsene Wenger’s soul and is probably responsible for Pep Guardiola’s baldness.
But you know what, we knew our boy Wayne was special. He was special when he went to United and he’s still a singular figure in world football all these years and records later. If anyone in the English Premier League was going to find Mourinho’s minuscule heart, I guess it was bound to be him.
Mourinho also noted that Rooney, in his view, still has a lot in the tank, and is the kind of player whose drive and resolve will result in continued success for the player. The stats tend to bear that out. Rooney averaged 2.1 key pPasses per 90, got most of his shots on target, and even turned in his shift defensively with 1.2 tackles per 90.
Here’s hoping that Rooney’s days of making Jose cry haven’t come to an end, with the first opportunity coming up on September 17th at Old Trafford, Jose will have plenty of shoulders to cry on.
Heck, I’m sure Mourinho will find some reason that it isn’t his fault when we beat them at their place, he’ll probably even blame Luke Shaw even if the poor kid doesn’t get off the bench.