Manchester United legend Bryan Robson believes if Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho gets fined or banned after being sent to the stands on Saturday for continually stepping out of his technical area, it will be an absolute disgrace.
The Portuguese tactcian was sent off in the final minutes of his side's 1-0 win at Southampton at St Mary's Stadium. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss is waiting to discover whether he will face a Football Association (FA) misconduct charge.
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In the Premier League, we have witnessed Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp showcasing their aggresion during the course of the game. Robson has questioned their antics being labelled has "passion," while their United counterpart is being punished.
"I thought it was an absolute joke. Throughout the last year or so, I've seen managers like [Jurgen] Klopp and [Antonio] Conte run about like lunatics, out of their box, down the side of the pitch and not a thing has been made of it. It's called passion for the team," Robson wrote in his Daily Mail column.
"But because Mourinho stepped just over the touchline, they sent him to the stands. It'll be a disgrace if he gets fined or banned and made to watch games from the stands over the coming weeks."
Mourinho claimed after the game that he didn't know why he had been sent off, amid suggestions that he was ordered from the touchline by referee Craig Pawson after 'encroaching onto to the field' after being reported by fourth official Mike Jones, as he tried to get orders out to his players as they hung on to their narrow advantage, according to the Independent.
When asked why he felt he was sent off, Mourinho offered this explanation: "I don't know. I don't know. Craig told me to leave, and I left."
The United boss was sanctioned twice last season as he was given a touchline ban and a £50,000 fine for two incidents in November, while his long list of offences and fines from his two spells at Chelsea means he has paid out well over £200,000 in fines in English football.
However, if Mourinho was sent off for stepping on to the pitch, he is likely to be given a warning not to break that rule again.
Mourinho was delighted by what he called the "pragmatism" of his team in still achieving a result that maintains their unbeaten start and position level on points with Manchester City.
