Mourinho admits to being 'a specialist in failure’ in one area

The self-proclaimed “special one” confesses about one particular weakness he has as a manager.

Jose Mourinho admits he is “a specialist in failure” in penalty shootouts.

Mourinho’s record in penalty shootouts as a manager is simply inferior. The teams he managed in the Premier League tasted failure in all but one shootout, with Chelsea losing to Charlton and Stoke in the League Cup, to Liverpool in the Champions League, to Manchester United in Community Shield, and to Bayern Munich in Super Cup.

Manchester United also lost out on penalties with him at the help while Spurs’ 5-4 win to Chelsea marked the only time he was on the right end of a penalty scoreline during his time in England.

“All coaches are learning all the time. Gareth Southgate did amazing work – work to be praised, to be trusted in a way where we say: “Come on, keep going Gareth and a happy day will arrive” – but I am sure he is also learning,” Mourinho told The Times.

“More even than with the penalties – because I am a specialist in failure at those – we can look at the Italy corner right near the end, when Gareth takes off Henderson and Kyle Walker to bring on Sancho and Rashford.

“It left England exposed in the air and England were lucky not to lose from that before it went to penalties. It’s a basic thing and I don’t think he does that again. We learn.”