Michael Owen exclusive - Mourinho and Benitez share HUGE character flaws

Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez will renew their enduringly bitter rivalry in the Premier League this weekend and in the opinion of Michael Owen, the duo share one unfortunate character trait.

Manchester United boss Mourinho and Newcastle manager Benitez have sniped at each other time and again in the media over recent years, with the duo who have had spells in charge of Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea throwing some nasty barbs at each other that created headlines aplenty and highlighted the animosity between the pair.

Mourinho has poked fun at his rival’s weight, while Benitez’s wife even got involved with the goading of the outspoken Portuguese tactician, and it means that the handshake prior to kick-off United square off against Newcastle on Saturday is unlikely to be entirely warm, yet Owen – who played for both clubs that will do battle at Old Trafford on Saturday – suggests the duo are destined never to see eye to eye partly because of their joint expanding egos.

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“There is no question that both Benitez and Mourinho are outstanding tacticians, two of the best in the business, but they also have personality traits that are hard to like,” said BT Sport pundit Owen, in an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sport.

“Benitez is a master at setting at team up that will be tough to break down and Mourinho has shown time and again down the years that he knows how to take a sting out of a game as well, but you also hear a lot of stories that suggest the two men are also quite cold towards their players when they want to be.

“I didn’t work with Benitez for long before I left Liverpool to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2004, but speaking to friends like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, they would say that Rafa is not the warmest of characters around his players.

“Benitez gets the best out of teams and he has done well at Newcastle, but he does not appear to be a manager who puts his arm around players and gives them that kind of emotional support when they night need it.

“You hear similar tales about Mourinho being distant with his players and maybe that is a personality trait that has changed in him in recent years.

“When he first came to Chelsea, John Terry and Frank Lampard were telling us how great Mourinho was when we met up with them in the England squad.

“They said he was a great laugh, got close to the players and was wonderful to work for, but we have seen a few examples of the opposite from him in recent years.

“It seem that if you are in his team and part of his immediate plans, he will defend you to the hilt, but if you are out of form or injured, he ignores you.

“That kind of approach means some players will not be happy, but that is how football has always worked. When I look back at my career, I loved the managers who picked me and wanted me and didn’t have much time for those who didn’t. That’s natural I guess.”

Owen believes United and Mourinho have to beat Newcastle on Saturday to keep their Premier League title hopes alive, with local rivals Manchester City already being hailed by some observers as ‘champions-elect’ after opening up an eight-point lead with just 11 games off the season played.

“It is a real problem for Mourinho that his old rival Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City team are playing such fantastic football this season,” added Owen. “It means that United have to win week after week, even though it is clear that cannot match City in terms of the way they are playing their football.

“United have to beat teams like Newcastle and hope City slip up at some point, but that looks unlikely from what we have seen so far this season from both of the Manchester clubs.”

Watch Manchester United v Newcastle United on BT Sport 1 on Saturday from 5pm. BT Sport is where the best go head-to-head in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and Emirates FA Cup. For more info visit btsport.com