Some things are inevitable in life, and Jose Mourinho ostracises certain players when he takes over a new club to send a message to the dressing room is right up there with death and taxes.
He doesn’t it everywhere he goes, it rarely seems to be successful and it comes back to bite him after a few months when he’s on the verge of being sacked, but that also feeds into the narrative that the game has passed him by and he needs to update his methods.
Football Italia have reported on some comments made by Amadou Diawara’s agent to Tuttomercatoweb, and it’s clear that Mourinho’s antics aren’t going down well with some after they were hammered 6-1 by Bodo/Glimt:
“I don’t understand the message he’s trying to get across. Is Diawara being made a scapegoat? Is he being made to pay a heavy price for an error? Or is it an attempt to force the club into acting on the transfer market?
“If it is for these reasons, rather than just poor fitness, or he feels the player is unable to understand the tactical requirements of the coach, then I think Mourinho is creating an uncomfortable situation.”
“It is inexplicable, but Diawara will adapt. Amadou is an exceptional professional.”
These comments seem to come on the back of Mourinho claiming that he only had 13 good players at the club and the rest weren’t on that level, while Diawara has been left out of the matchday squads completely since that defeat.
It’s a bold approach from Mourinho and there are also claims in the article that Premier League clubs could be interested in signing the midfielder, so there could be a bargain to be had here as this situation will kill any leverage that Roma have in negotiations.
Diawara is a good passer of the ball and a player who also has the ability to control a game and drive forward with the ball at his feet so he’s an interesting proposition, and it won’t be a surprise if he is moved on in January now.