Jose Mourinho's last couple of weeks have really shown how his world can turn itself upside down in an instant.

Wins over top-four rivals Chelsea and Liverpool appeared to put the Manchester United manager back on his pedestal  - only for Wissam Ben Yedder and Sevilla to drag him off it and put him back in the dirt.

The Sevilla defeat came just three days after beating Jurgen Klopp's side at Old Trafford, and the stagnant display has left Mourinho desperately fighting to protect his reputation once again.

Mourinho has said some bizarre things over the last couple of days - explaining how United leaving the Champions League at the last-16 stage isn't bad because he's eliminated them twice arguably being the strangest - but this kind of pressure isn't something new for the two-time champion of Europe.

Both spells at Chelsea and his term at Real Madrid quickly ended with Mourinho trying to hold his reputation in place - he left all three jobs just a year after winning a league title - and his place at United looks precarious now that he's delivering 12-minute monologues in press conferences.

All the pressure revolves around his philosophy towards the game, of course, with pundits and fans questioning whether he actually gets the best out of a side.

Mourinho usually wins, of course, but the free-flowing success of Manchester City has highlighted how stifling his teams can be, both for players and the general atmosphere at the club.

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro knows exactly what it's like to play under Mourinho, having been handed his debut during the final few months of the manager's time at the club.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Cope, Casemiro explained exactly how it was working under him.

"[He told me] 'I know you, you are good, and you are going to be the best central midfielder in the world'," said Casemiro. "He gave me this confidence, I left the dressing room believing that I was Cristiano Ronaldo.

"With the energy that he gave me, I was left believing that he was the best in the world.

"The confidence and energy that he gave me was incredible."

They're words that very much go against the grain at a time when Mourinho's negative impact on players in under such a strong spotlight.

Mourinho was going through a season that he would claim to be 'the worst of [his] career' but still had what it took to inspire a young midfielder enough to leave a lasting impression.

Perhaps things with Mourinho aren't quite as simple as they're being made out to be.