Respectful Jose happy to follow the master

Jose Mourinho has set himself a target of following in Alex Ferguson’s footsteps by managing well into his 70s; so perhaps that is why he avoided the temptation to turn yesterday’s pre-match press conference into his usual fireworks display.

Just when the world was expecting the Special One to hog the limelight and entertain the hordes of reporters and television crews who had come to Manchester to hang on his every word, he chose to turn the event into rather a damp squib instead.

The Real Madrid manager, who has often been tipped as a long-term successor to Ferguson when the Scotsman eventually decides to quit, was almost at pains to calm the hype that has turned tonight’s match into one of the most keenly awaited in recent history.