Jose Mourinho questions if some Manchester United players ‘care more than others’ to turn their form around

Saturday’s Premier League defeat by West Ham stretched United’s winless run to three games ahead of the most important week of Mourinho’s tenure at Old Trafford so far

Jose Mourinho believes some of his Manchester United players “care more than others” ahead of a crucial week in his Old Trafford tenure.

United’s dismal defeat away against West Ham on Saturday has increased pressure on Mourinho, with Zinedine Zidane linked as a potential successor.

Mourinho has complained about the attitude of his players during their recent winless run, which now stretches to three games.

Ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Valencia, the United manager admitted some members of his squad were more invested in success than others.

When asked how his side had reacted to Saturday’s defeat, he said: “Every player is different, no player is the same.

“I see different actions but what you see is not really inside.

“I see upset people, some people that don’t look like they lost a game, I see so so but in the little two sessions of training we had everything normal, desire to work and play.”

Mourinho was asked to clarify whether he felt some of his players do not care about turning United’s fortunes around, and admitted: “I think some care more than others.”

The United manager refused to identify said players, however, and claimed he has always trusted professional footballers to be “honest”.

Jose Mourinho faced questions ahead of Manchester United's meeting with Valencia (Getty)

“I told already in one of the interviews I had outside was with BT, I told already that after 20 years of football, I am still the kid that I was 20 years ago and I am still naive but I still don’t believe that a player is not honest,” he said.

“And I told your colleague of BT – a channel with lots of men that were big players in the past – I told him ask these people with great reputation if any time in their career they went to a game not to give the maximum, not to help the club, not to make the fans happy, not to try his best. Ask them.”

Mourinho added: “If somebody tells them I was a football player and I didn’t give my best then I change my opinion.

“Until somebody who was a big professional player says I was a dishonest player, I will always believe the players.”