Jose Mourinho opens up on ‘rift’ with Manchester United chief Ed Woodward in terse press conference

Jose Mourinho has claimed there is no rift between him and Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Mourinho is known to be frustrated at Woodward’s failure to land all of the summer transfer targets he had identified, believing it has undermined United’s chances this season.

United only signed three players – Fred, Diogi Dalot and back-up keeper Lee Grant – and failed to recruit a central defender, a position Mourinho had made a priority, with Harry Maguire and Toby Alderweireld on his wish-list

A dismal 3-2 defeat at Brighton has increased the pressure on Mourinho and United ahead of Monday’s game at Old Trafford against Tottenham a match they cannot afford to lose.

But asked if his relationship with Woodward was fine, Mourinho said: “Of course.”

And the United boss claimed he had taken no notice of the backlash and talk about his position following the abject defeat to Brighton.

“Don’t ask me, because I don’t read,” said Mourinho. “I don’t know 10 per cent of what is written, of what is coming on TV screens, so I’m not the right guy to answer it.

Asked if he felt there had been an overreaction to United’s defeat at Brighton, Mourinho added: “You are pessimistic – I’m not.

“It’s always difficult after the match you lose, especially for people that really care about the job, about being a football professional.

“But after that you think about the next match. You do the same when you win, you have to move on and focus what next and when you lose you have to do even more.

“I feel we played well against Leicester and we won. I felt we played bad against Brighton and we lost.

“I would like to play well and win. It’s to play well and win, don’t make mistakes, that’s what we want.

“You have to play against 19 opponents at Old Trafford and away, you have to play against everyone, so I don’t know if it’s the right time [to be playing Tottenham].

“The time is now, the fixtures were decided this way and we have to play, Tottenham in the second match at Old Trafford, and then we go away twice in a row Burnley and Watford.

“This is what it is and of course it’s a difficult match, against a team that last season finished in top four. So a difficult match.”

Asked about Paul Pogba admitting his attitude was not right for the defeat at Brighton, Mourinho said: “Paul said it, he has to answer by his words.

“If you want any explanation about Paul’s words you must get him and ask him.”