Drive-by shots at Jürgen Klopp, the self-proclaimed greatest and a delve into philosophy - it was another quintessential Jose Mourinho presser

It was a fighting performance from Mourinho, who was defensive even when asked the tamest of questions

When it was put to Jose Mourinho that he and his team were in “fighting mood” after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur , as they seek to get this already difficult season back on track, he initially responded by just saying: “No, playing football.”

You wouldn’t have guessed from the rest of his press conference that football was the only way back, as the Manchester United manager very quickly proceeded to get combative. That brought some deflecting parries, too, this time in the form of a philosophy lesson to go with yet another history lesson. They were accompanied by the more typical drive-bys and sideswipes, as well as a literal proclamation of his own greatness, as Mourinho then doubled down on the far less credible claim that last season’s second-place was one of his greatest achievements in football.

And yet such desperate responses just reinforced the perception of a man who now badly, badly needs the only response that really matters in football: a win, this time against Burnley on Sunday.

Mourinho needs a win above all else this weekend (Getty)

That match was barely discussed because Mourinho’s press conference so quickly degenerated into another back-and-forth about whether he is past it, with that then so quickly just cut off by the United press officer.

For his part, the opening question had been about the Tottenham Hotspur fans singing “you’re not special any more” during their 3-0 win at Old Trafford.

Mourinho had come out seeming content, chirping a hello, and couldn’t resist the opportunity presented.

“Yeah, but they didn’t have that song when we beat them at Wembley a couple of months ago, that final they had a big dream to go, a title they had a big dream to win, because they don’t win many. In that night at Wembley the United fans were singing the special one and of course they were not singing that.”

Mourinho’s own tune soon became very different. What was all the more remarkable, and all the more reflective of his hair-trigger mood at the moment, was that the question that really set things off was so soft, so tame. He was simply asked to talk about the privilege and challenge of managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Except, having last week said none of this was about him, he instantly made the question about him rather than the club.

Mourinho was asked about how it was managing one of the world's biggest clubs (Getty)

“I am the manager of one of the greatest clubs in the world but I am also one of the greatest managers in the world.”

That naturally prompted a back-and-forth about such a status, and whether he can continue to call himself one of the greatest in the world if he doesn’t win a title at United - let alone whether this season goes as badly as many are now worrying.

It also prompted his latest appeal to authorities beyond most recent results: this time the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Georg Hegel was invoked by Mourinho (Getty)

“Of course,” the Portuguese had answered. “Did you read any philosopher or in your information you never spent time reading Hegel? Just as an example Hegel says the truth is in the whole, is always in the whole…”

It is a particularly interesting reference, not least because he hasn’t exactly applied such an approach in the past. He didn’t apply it when he called Arsene Wenger “a specialist in failure”. It’s also an interesting choice of philosopher, since Hegel’s “great man” view of Napoleon is doubtless something the manager would like to think of himself.

The rub here is that Mourinho wants his career to be judged as a whole, but no one is criticising anything he did in the past. It’s whether present performance falls short of it, but that is doubtless why he made this bizarre argument that last season’s second place is one of his finest feats, having again referenced those eight titles.

Mourinho needs a result this weekend at Turf Moor (REUTERS) (Reuters)

“I repeat, I won eight titles, I am the only manager in the world that won in Italy, Spain and England and by winning eight titles - not small titles or countries - my second position last season is one of my greatest achievements in football.”

Within and around all of this, there were comments that could be inferred as drive-bys at Jurgen Klopp for never winning an international trophy, at Tottenham Hotspur for going so long without a trophy, references to “small titles” - which he has implied in the past means the Bundesliga.

It’s just a pity for him that no other inferences can be taken from bad results. They speak louder than anything.

Mourinho just badly needs a good one.