Manchester United's Jose Mourinho says he deserves an award for 'best behaved manager on the touchline – I am serious’

But ahead of United's trip to Newcastle on Sunday, the 55-year-old believes he may have to moan more often to help safeguard his players

Jose Mourinho says he is trying to be on his best behaviour (Getty Images)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is converting himself from the Angry One into the Placid One. And the 55-year-old Portuguese wants an award for it.

Mourinho has been no stranger to touchline bust-ups with fourth officials and opposition managers since turning up on the English scene at Chelsea in 2004. He’s had history with the likes of Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger, Mark Hughes and Jurgen Klopp. TV shots of Mourinho spitting feathers are plentiful in the archives.

But no more, according to the man himself.

While opposition managers are still venting their spleen, as witnessed last Sunday when Liverpool manager Klopp strode onto the pitch to confront referee Jon Moss following the dramatic ending to the 2-2 match at Anfield with Tottenham, Mourinho is on his best behaviour.

“I am fully committed to win the award this season to win the award for the best behaved manager on the touchline. I am serious,” says Mourinho.

“There are so many awards, Performance of the Week, Manager of the Month, they should give the guy that behaves better on the touchline and they should give the vote to the fourth official and I am pretty sure I would win. I am serious.

“I didn’t create one problem to one fourth official on the touchline, apart from my red card at Southampton when I put my foot on the pitch. Now I prepare myself and I am very happy, I am not free of losing my temper or my control in one match. I am not free of that. I am not perfect.

“I am not going from the bad one to the perfect one, no way. But I try and I make an effort and I’m happy with the way things are going.”

Mourinho says Sanchez has received rough treatment (Getty)

The old Mourinho may have had a few strong words last Saturday when his new striker signing Alexis Sanchez was the target of some suspect challenges on the Chilean ex-Arsenal scorer’s Old Trafford debut against Huddersfield Town in the 2-0 win.

Ahead of United's trip to Newcastle on Sunday, the 55-year-old believes he may have to moan more often to help safeguard his players.

“Maybe his manager needs to cry a little bit more,” he said. “I always liked English football. I try to feel English football has some cultural thing with tradition and there are some qualities I really like in the game but maybe I have to cry a little bit and protect my players.

“Really you can see the way Alexis was ‘welcomed’ by the opponent. You are right he is a tough boy, a pure guy who can cope with that. He coped at Yeovil too with some bad tackles like against Huddersfield.

“The referees have to, I don’t like the word ‘protect’ the players because it looks like they have to protect only the top players but everybody on the pitch is the same. The referee cannot only look at the players and say ‘this guy is a talented one I have to protect him’, no he has to do it equally. They know the rules and if the card has to come then I am sure the refs will be in control of it.

“For the referees every player must be treated the same and according to the rules. So if the referee sees red card, then the red card comes, if they see a yellow, then the yellow comes and the second. We don’t need managers speaking about this. When they see an obvious thing the referee must take care of it which I think the try to do.”