Mark Hughes backs Jose Mourinho over respect for managers

Thursday 30 August 2018 16:22, UK

Southampton boss Mark Hughes agrees with Jose Mourinho that Premier League bosses deserve more respect from the media.

Mourinho stormed out of his press conference on Monday following United's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, demanding respect for his past achievements.

While former United striker Hughes accepted the relationship between manager and media was a "two-way thing", he was sympathetic towards Mourinho.

"It's a difficult job that we have," Hughes said. "We're the figurehead of the club in terms of football and we're there to be questioned.

"I think sometimes there has to be a little bit more respect of the role that we have and what we have to do to protect our team, individuals, the club itself and sometimes that's not really recognised as well as it should be."

"Sometimes we have to do certain things and act in a certain manner to protect other people and not least our own position."

Hughes, who spent the bulk of his playing career at Old Trafford, started his managerial career with the Welsh national team before taking the Blackburn job in 2004 and has since been a near ever-present in the Premier League.

The 54-year-old Welshman has managed Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and most recently Stoke, who sacked him in January.

Mourinho was left frustrated by his perception of unfair criticism from the media after Monday's loss to Spurs condemned United to their worst Premier League start since 1992.

Hughes appeared to suggest that Mourinho's frustration could have been caused by his inability to express his true feelings on the situation at United.

"You've got to be able to give your honest answer sometimes," Hughes said.

"Other times you're not at liberty to give all that you know away and sometimes that can grate on people."