Breaking up is so much easier
when you have found your new special one, when it feels so much like the end of
a topsy-turvy road, akin to a soap opera, with highs and lows to boot. He came as the Special one, or Happy one if you like, but from the outset, Mourinho never really felt like the right one for Manchester United.
Not so much a panic appointment, but certainly a knee jerk decison, after the appointment of Pep Guardiola by rivals Manchester City saw United in fear of being left behind by their neighbours – and now United have to look for another one. Their third in five years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. For Manchester United and Jose Mourinho, it is the end of the road. For the Portuguese, it was the end of another 3-year cycle at a previous club he has managed. A stereotype that has followed him for much of his storied career. The negative atmosphere in that third year, a stark contrast to the success usually recorded in the early part of his reign, is typical of the three time Premier League winner. It is like a game of two halves.
Not so much a panic appointment, but certainly a knee jerk decison, after the appointment of Pep Guardiola by rivals Manchester City saw United in fear of being left behind by their neighbours – and now United have to look for another one. Their third in five years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. For Manchester United and Jose Mourinho, it is the end of the road. For the Portuguese, it was the end of another 3-year cycle at a previous club he has managed. A stereotype that has followed him for much of his storied career. The negative atmosphere in that third year, a stark contrast to the success usually recorded in the early part of his reign, is typical of the three time Premier League winner. It is like a game of two halves.
Jose Mourinho won the EFL cup in his first season in charge as his time at the helm got off to a great start.
The Europa League soon followed and ensured Champions League football for the 2017/2018 season.
Mourinho is a serial winner, but he comes with a package. Buy one , you get the other free. Trophies, confrontational style of management, a football not for the purists, a well-massaged ego, fiercely critical –no one is usually exempted even as far as the board. Mourinho’s internecine nature means he hardly shies away from controversy, and that earns him few friends. Certainly that was in short supply among the United squad, many of whom were said to be considering their individual futures should he remain in charge. Such was the suffocative nature around Carrington. Even those the Portuguese brought to the club –talk of Alexis Sanchez, Eric Bailly, Fred –and the biggest of all in Paul Pogba hardly saw eye-to-eye with their manager. Mourinho’s power tussle with the French World Cup winner was a constant headline in the media, but wouldn’t have gone down too well with those in the upper echelon of power at Old Trafford. Despite public denials, the writing was on the wall that all was not well between player and manager. A complete breakdown in relationship saw Pogba dropped from the starting XI for the last three games, before the axe fell on Mourinho.
Mourinho fell out with club record signing Paul Pogba. The Portuguese failed to get the best out of the £89 million midfielder.
Sir Alex Ferguson always managed to keep issues with players an internal affair, and when such news managed to sneak into the public gaze, they were cleverly managed , not to distract from the main matter at hand. Manchester United first over anything else. Therein lies one of the issues with Mourinho’s spell in charge. The Portuguese, somehow, always managed to get himself in the news, sometimes for the wrong reasons. He seemed to place his self-ego before United’s sustained long term development and the main task at hand –re-establishing United as a major force to be reckoned with at least on the pitch. Think of the “I have twice knocked United out of this competition with Porto and Real Madrid” after United’s abysmal display in the last-16 of the Champions League last season saw the Red Devils lose to a good, but far from excellent, Sevilla side. Suffice to say, that reminding your own fans of their club's past failures in a competition, masterminded by you, isn’t exactly the best way to silence unhappy tongues. That though was typical Mourinho. Successful, egoistic and curt, aiming digs at everyone but himself.
The Europa League soon followed and ensured Champions League football for the 2017/2018 season.
Mourinho is a serial winner, but he comes with a package. Buy one , you get the other free. Trophies, confrontational style of management, a football not for the purists, a well-massaged ego, fiercely critical –no one is usually exempted even as far as the board. Mourinho’s internecine nature means he hardly shies away from controversy, and that earns him few friends. Certainly that was in short supply among the United squad, many of whom were said to be considering their individual futures should he remain in charge. Such was the suffocative nature around Carrington. Even those the Portuguese brought to the club –talk of Alexis Sanchez, Eric Bailly, Fred –and the biggest of all in Paul Pogba hardly saw eye-to-eye with their manager. Mourinho’s power tussle with the French World Cup winner was a constant headline in the media, but wouldn’t have gone down too well with those in the upper echelon of power at Old Trafford. Despite public denials, the writing was on the wall that all was not well between player and manager. A complete breakdown in relationship saw Pogba dropped from the starting XI for the last three games, before the axe fell on Mourinho.
Mourinho fell out with club record signing Paul Pogba. The Portuguese failed to get the best out of the £89 million midfielder.
Sir Alex Ferguson always managed to keep issues with players an internal affair, and when such news managed to sneak into the public gaze, they were cleverly managed , not to distract from the main matter at hand. Manchester United first over anything else. Therein lies one of the issues with Mourinho’s spell in charge. The Portuguese, somehow, always managed to get himself in the news, sometimes for the wrong reasons. He seemed to place his self-ego before United’s sustained long term development and the main task at hand –re-establishing United as a major force to be reckoned with at least on the pitch. Think of the “I have twice knocked United out of this competition with Porto and Real Madrid” after United’s abysmal display in the last-16 of the Champions League last season saw the Red Devils lose to a good, but far from excellent, Sevilla side. Suffice to say, that reminding your own fans of their club's past failures in a competition, masterminded by you, isn’t exactly the best way to silence unhappy tongues. That though was typical Mourinho. Successful, egoistic and curt, aiming digs at everyone but himself.
Mourinho’s reign lurched from successful triumphs in the earlier part to issues in the latter. There was the Europa League, EFL cup and Community Shield triumphs in his first season, guaranteeing United Champions League football despite a sixth place finish in the league. To be fair to the Portuguese, he did attain United’s highest ever finish –second behind Manchester City –since Ferguson retired, although he finished nineteen points behind City while enduring a trophyless season after losing the FA Cup final to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. This season, with a meagre 26 points from 17 games, he has overseen United's worst start to a League season since the 1990/1991 campaign. But with three trophies in his first two years, it was difficult then and would certainly have been harsh to point the finger at Mourinho for the lack of swashbuckling football the fans yearned to see –especially when Liverpool, Tottenham , and City served up such almost on a weekly. After all, the second placed finish last term meant United were the best of the rest only behind a brilliant Manchester City . Who could lay a glove on them anyway? They were that good. Surely not out of place. But therein lay another problem. With trophies won masking the absence of a clear pattern or direction about United's evolution, there were bound to be questions from the dissenting voices once the trophies dried up – and league position suffered. There were teething issues. To begin with, it was puzzling why the United board expected the Portuguese to produce the kind of edge-of-your-seat football the club were accustomed to in the Fergie era. Mourinho is a pragmatic manager, he ticks the box in terms of trophies but he is not one for aesthetics.
Jose Mourinho seen here at his unveiling in the summer of 2016, was sacked as Manchester United manager after a disastrous start to the season.
As Liverpool, Tottenham and City thrilled their fans with exhilarating football, United served up some dreary displays and eked out narrow wins. When they played on the front foot, United were a joy to watch at times. A free scoring start to the last campaign raised hopes that a title challenge was in the offing, but as United travelled to Liverpool, Mourinho reverted to type as a drab 0-0 draw ensued. A creditable display yet one that saw the Red Devils fall behind Manchester City early on in a race that proved too much for them. Mourinho it would seem never trusted his players enough to cast off those handbrakes. Since the 2016/2017 season, Mourinho's team have scored 97 goals: the fewest of any top six side in that period. Not exactly the free flowing football fans had hoped for.
With goals not coming at a canter, solidity at the back was imperative. The defence let in just 28 goals last season, but David De Gea's outstanding saves obscured the true picture and papered over the cracks. As a remedy, Mourinho sought more funds. Throw money at the problem and make it go away. Which brought into focus the huge funds already spent on the likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly, who still have question marks hanging over them. Indeed it is curious to note that for a club lying sixth on the log, United have a greater net spend than all their top six rivals bar Manchester City since Jose's appointment. Simply put, Mourinho was failing to get the best out of the players at his disposal. Performances were mostly lethargic, ponderous, one dimensional, bordering on clueless at times. The last time United outran their opponents was against now relegated Swansea City, last year. This is not to exempt the underperforming stars from any blame. Players as professionals ought to give their all for the cause. Even if the manager isn't your cup of tea, do it for the fans and that badge. Still , it is hard not to think that Mourinho's distanced and openly critical style hardly imbued any confidence in his players. As cracks appeared, the current campaign was a crucial third season for Mourinho and United. Handed a new contract last January, the Portuguese wanted backing in the transfer market as well. With the board hesitant on delivering his preferred defensive targets, Mourinho reverted to type. Moaning about a lack of defensive reinforcements, in a summer that saw Tottenham fail to make a major signing yet are way up the ladder than United.
How United could have done with that smile and exuberance in what has been a turbulent campaign so far
The constant complaints and demeanour of the ex-United boss cast a gloomy shadow over United's campaign. Dumped out of the Carabao Cup at home by Championship Derby County, the League a forgone and now unrealistic target , and second place in the UCL group stage earning a last-16 tie against a star studded PSG, United's prospects for the remaining part of this season are not exactly encouraging. And for that some of the responsibility should lie with the Portuguese. He was the cheerleader, the orchestrator, but his Orchestra's tune fell below expectations. Time and again, they would cede possession and initiative to opponents in games. Little surprise his side averaged 55% possession --least of any top six side -- during his reign. By many parameters United lagged behind their rivals. Having spent over £350 million on players, results largely failed to match expenditure levels. With the largest wage bill in the league, it speaks of a bunch of players, good, but under-utilised. Yet something can be salvaged out of a situation that looks bleak.
With three managers gone in five years, the United job might seem like a poisoned chalice. But whoever walks in would meet a squad with brilliant players whose qualities belies what the table would suggest. Not the perfect squad, but a very good one. A squad in need of not just a coach, but a positive presence. One to lift the gloomy atmosphere. One to trust them and make them realise the potential that has only being seen in spasms. One the United fans can relate with. But for so many reasons, the Special One just wasn't that one. And as such, it was a marriage , with its peaks and trough, that was destined for an inevitable end at some point. There were few tears shed at the parting of ways. That in itself was emblematic of the type of union it was.
No comments:
Post a Comment