...and boom team successfully divided. Now Shaw and Smalling come into the dressing room, wondering which superstar teammates thinks they are pussies. Mkhitaryan sides with them cause he does not like Mourinho anyway. Some players wonders whether they are next to be called out in public...et voila you have a locker room mess. And all that cause Mourinho could not keep his mouth shut after a victory.
What he should have said:
Shaw is a young player, who suffered a horrible injury, so we are careful with him. We are a TEAM of 25 players, and I expect United players (starters or reserves) to be ready and do a job against Swansea. We did the job, we won, onto the next game. Smalling? Yes small injury. Didn´t want to risk anything.
Mkhitaryan? He´s getting used to a new country, new language, it´s tough he hasn´t fully settled yet, but we know he´s a fantastic player, that´s why I, personally, signed him. I don´t doubt his quality for one second and he´ll come through for us.
Of course it would help to put him on the bench even if you don´t intend to use him initially. But at 3-0 at halftime against Swansea would have been the perfect opportunity rather than at 0-2 in istanbul with everybody playing like crap.
That´s how a good man manager would have publically handled this. What goes on behind closed doors is a different matter.
If they (Smalling/Shaw) don´t come good you sell them, but not as damaged goods. Who does it help to tell the other teams that Shaw is either a lazy player or mentally broken by his horrific injury? Mourinho hurt the value of the player for the club and not to underestimate the player himself, who´ll now likely have to take a pay-cut to leave. Neither of these things make Shaw want to go through the fire for Mourinho.
