5 players thrown under the bus by Jose Mourinho | Premier League 2019-20

4. Paul Pogba

Mourinho reportedly labelled Manchester United's Paul Pogba a 'virus'

French midfielder Paul Pogba had the ultimate love-hate relationship with Mourinho during the Portuguese’s time as Manchester United boss. The two seemed to fall out and then make up week after week, to the point that their saga became almost as dramatic as a storyline on Eastenders and threatened to overshadow everything else going on at Old Trafford.

Things started off brilliantly – with both player and manager expressing their excitement at working together when Pogba’s £89m move from Juventus went through – and throughout his first season at the club, Mourinho was right behind the midfielder, even when other sources were happy to criticise his performances.

However, things began to go sour when Pogba picked up a hamstring injury in the early part of the 2017-18 campaign – and flew to Miami to recover, rather than staying in Manchester. The season later saw the Frenchman hauled off early during defeats to Tottenham and Newcastle, and shortly after, he was dropped to the bench and was then stripped of his vice-captaincy.

By mid-2018, reports were claiming that the two were barely on speaking terms, and things reached an ugly conclusion in December 2018 when Mourinho reportedly labelled Pogba as a “virus” after United’s 2-2 draw with Southampton, stating that he didn’t respect his teammates or the club’s fans.

The Portuguese departed soon after, fired following a loss to Liverpool, but it doesn’t seem that Pogba will last much longer either; after a brief upturn in form following the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Frenchman has been injury-stricken and has reportedly been looking for a summer transfer.

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5. Tanguy Ndombele

Only time will tell how Tanguy Ndombele responds to Mourinho's criticism

The most recent victim of Mourinho’s tongue – and his first at Tottenham Hotspur – Tanguy Ndombele came under fire after Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Burnley, a game that saw the Portuguese manager haul the French midfielder off at half-time following a disappointing showing. When reporters later questioned if Mourinho’s tactics had led to his side being 1-0 down at half-time, he instead turned his range to the club’s record signing.

The Portuguese stated that Tottenham “didn’t have a midfield” during the first half of the game, and then defended youngster Oliver Skipp – who was also substituted – meaning only Ndombele was left in the firing line. He went onto state that the Frenchman needed to give more than he was currently giving, and that he wasn’t adapting to life in the Premier League well.

The outburst wasn’t the first time that Ndombele had been questioned by Mourinho; weeks earlier his fitness had come into question, but this time the Portuguese went further, suggesting that he couldn’t keep giving the Frenchman opportunities due to the overall importance of the team.

Spurs fans will be hoping that the £63m signing will be inspired by the criticism to up his performances – he’s clearly a massively talented player when he’s on form – but only time will tell how this story will end.