MANCHESTER, England -- Jose Mourinho has suggested he cannot say what he really thinks about the situation at Manchester United because it only gives detractors in the media something else to criticise him about.
The Portuguese coach watched United draw 0-0 with Valencia on Tuesday night to extend their winless run to four matches.
Mourinho insisted the performance had been better than during the dire defeat to West Ham on Saturday but gave a cryptic answer when asked for his summary of the problems facing his team.
"I think there are things that are difficult for me to say and if I say [them] it's not good for me and even yourself would be getting another reason to criticise me," he told a news conference.
"I think you have had enough, so I prefer just to say when last season we finish second, runners-up in the FA Cup, we won our group in the Champions League, I said it was a fantastic season and I knew why I was saying that."
Before a ball had been kicked against Valencia, Mourinho had been branded "embarrassing" by former United player Paul Scholes. He'd also seen the team bus delayed on its way to the stadium forcing the kick-off to be delayed for five minutes -- something he blamed on Greater Manchester police refusing to provide an escort from their meeting place at the Lowry Hotel.
"I don't need to know what he [Scholes] said," Mourinho added. "He said what he wants to say, I'm not interested, honestly, I'm not interested. Freedom of speech, free country, you can say what you want."
He gave a similar response when asked about the scattered boos from United supporters at full-time.
"Freedom of speech, especially Manchester United fans that I respect 200 percent," he said.
"I'm pleased with the effort, the commitment, the improvement [after West Ham], but I'm not pleased of course with the result which is not a good result but is not a bad result."