Jose Mourinho’s claim that he is unfairly treated by the Football Association in comparison to his Premier League peers may seem petty and in poor taste from the outside, however, the former Chelsea boss may have a point.

Whenever the Portuguese is involved in a touchline incident or makes a stray comment in regard to a refereeing decision, the rule book is hurled in his direction, with hefty fines and suspensions thrown around without precedent.

There is an argument that Mourinho is a repeat offender and, thus deserves everything he gets having not learned his lesson the last time around.

However, the fact that the 54-year-old has previous should not, as it has within the corridors of power at Wembley Stadium, place a target on his back.

The pressure of taking the hot seat at Old Trafford is enough to deal with for any top professional, couple that with having to constantly keep in mind just how much you could be fined if you so much as look at that water bottle waiting to be kicked in the technical area, and you will undoubtedly end up as miserable as Jose has appeared in recent weeks.

The issue with the FA is something that has only escalated since taking over the reigns in the red half of Manchester.

The expectations of any manager at Old Trafford are sky high in comparison to any other English club, especially when you have to follow the comparative underachievement of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal whilst being heralded as a saviour.

Of course there was pressure on his shoulders at Stamford Bridge, however, considering the club were a relavitly new addition to the Premier League big boys when he first took the job, thanks to Roman Abramovich’s money, the pressures are different.

He could well have been sacked quickly had things not gone so well, but another job would have been waiting around the corner.

The pressures at the Theatre of Dreams do only come from a trigger happy chairman, they come from a history of unparalleled success within the English game and the men who brought such success sat 50 rows behind you watching your every move.

In short, the reasoning behind Mourinho’s claims that he is unfairly treated by those that run the game go deeper than a slap on the wrists, a fine and an excuse to sit in the expensive seats for a few weeks.

Mourinho is in the most pressured job in English football, add to that the rather prominent target on the back of his Manchester United blazer and a pretty uneven playing field is created between him and his title chasing counterparts.

Give the man a break.