Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho is an expert when it comes to ruffling feathers.
The January transfer window has just opened and the Red Devils look some way off their local rivals Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side boast a 15-point gap over United after they comfortably beat Watford 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Mourinho last week urged the board to match Manchester City's spending, suggesting that the £260m he has spent since arriving at Old Trafford is "not enough".
“We are in the second year of trying to rebuild a football team that is not one of the best teams in the world," the 54-year-old manager said.
"Manchester City buy full-backs for the price of strikers. When you speak about big football clubs, you are speaking about the history of the club.”
When it was put to Mourinho that he has invested heavily since taking over in 2016, he responded: “It is not enough. And the price for the big clubs, the price for the big clubs is different from the other clubs. So the big, historical clubs are normally punished in the market for that history."
WHY THE BOARD AREN'T HAPPY WITH MOURINHO
According to the Daily Mail, some club chiefs believe Mourinho's comments about the club's spending was an attempt to pressure them into spending heavily in the transfer window.
The board accepted that the enigmatic manager would set his own agenda with the press but reportedly did not appreciate Mourinho commenting on the way they handle the club's finances.
However, in general, Man United's board are reportedly pleased with the progress Mourinho has made since taking over from Louis van Gaal.
He won the Europa League and the League Cup during his first season and the Reds recently progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League.
After beating Everton 2-0 on New Year's Day, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss was asked about the possibility of bringing in new faces in January.
“If somebody comes, welcome. If nobody comes, we are going to fight with the players we have," said Mourinho.
United host Derby County in the FA Cup 3rd round on Friday night.