The previous time Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur met at Old Trafford, the evening ended with José Mourinho twirling a red, white and black scarf in front of the Stretford End. He did so not in celebration — his United team had just lost 3-0, after all — but as an act of defiance against his detractors from outside the club who dared to question his greatness.

His mood had not changed by the time he had climbed the stairs to the press conference. “Respect, man. Respect,” he said, thrusting three fingers in the direction of a reporter who had asked him a perfectly reasonable question.

He was demanding respect because he had won three Premier League titles. It was a strange evening last August,