The title of Europa League champion or Premier League runner-up are the glories of Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, too few compared to the scandals and crises he created for the Old Trafford team.
“Manchester United thanks Jose Mourinho for his contributions in the past. Wishing him much success in the future.” The short, cold and very formulaic announcement on the MU homepage officially ended nearly two and a half years of Mourinho’s work at Old Trafford. The ending is sad for the Special One, but even sadder is that it should have come sooner, instead of only happening when it was too late.
What can Mourinho do for MU?
It would be unfair to deny all of Mourinho’s merits. Accepting to sit as MU head coach in the twilight period was a brave decision of the “Special One”. Half a year after being painfully fired by Chelsea, Mourinho wants to prove to the world that he is not out of time. MU also wants to show that they are not “ashes” after Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
They find each other, in a “love affair” where both sides crave recognition.
What can Mourinho do for MU? A Community Shield title in the first official match. Although this is just a formal title, defeating Leicester City to raise the silver shield after only a few weeks in office is a more promising start.
The 2016/17 season did not go very smoothly for MU in the Premier League, but winning the English League Cup after a breathtaking final against Southampton and the Europa League title was enough for Mourinho to make his mark on the season. Firstly. He is the first coach to win a double title right after leading the Red Devils, in a season where he was just “drafted”, but did not have much time to make his mark.
The expectations placed on Mourinho only peaked in his second season, when he conquered glory with Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea or Real Madrid. MU is supplemented with a series of great players such as Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof,… combined with the old players, the Red Devils are identified as the top championship candidates.
As a result, MU finished second, 19 points behind Manchester City. In fact, during the season coach Pep Guardiola’s team won 100 points and crushed almost all obstacles, MU’s runner-up performance is acceptable.
Mourinho’s team won against all opponents in the “Big Six” in at least one of the two encounters in the Premier League that year, typically the heroic comeback at the Etihad Stadium by Man City, causing the opponent to lose. Can’t celebrate the championship right after the Manchester derby.
Mistakes of Special People
That’s a credit, what about Mourinho’s crime?
The Portuguese strategist has three “black spots”. First, the Red Devils did not achieve significant results compared to the expectations and investments in the transfer market of the American owners. Despite spending a lot and bringing in many expensive players, MU only finished in sixth place in the first season, 24 points behind the leading team, Chelsea. In the second season, MU finished second (improved), but was left empty-handed in all competitions.
In the Champions League, MU lost painfully to Sevilla at home and was eliminated in the 1/8 round. FA Cup, Pogba and his teammates reached the final, but could not overcome the last obstacle, Chelsea. English League Cup, MU became the former king after losing to Bristol City – a small opponent from the lower division.
This season saw MU continue to be poor, but the pace of decline of the Old Trafford team has increased dramatically. Christmas hasn’t even come yet, MU has lost all hope of winning the championship, is 19 points behind the top and has been eliminated from the English League Cup. The Red Devils are ranked sixth in the Premier League, but their goal of qualifying for the Champions League is now described as “a miracle”. Last season, MU conceded 28 goals. After 17 rounds this season, De Gea had to go into the net to pick up the ball 29 times. That’s the reason why MU has a goal/loss difference of… 0.
An insult to a great team.
Second, Mourinho failed to create a unique playing style for the Red Devils. Under the Portuguese strategist, MU, despite having many good attackers, always advocates playing defensively and counterattacking and waiting for the opponent’s mistakes. Mourinho’s “sleeping” style of football may be suitable for Italian football or teams with modest potential like Porto, but not for MU.
When Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham, Liverpool or Arsenal all play with the style of a big team and perform high-level football, MU is still slow, boring and not much has changed. In the past, Mourinho could use achievements to justify his style of play. But now, with no achievements, the “Special One” has no reason to stay in office.
In the end, the broken relationship with both the board and the players left Mourinho without a “rear” in this vital battle. He criticized his superiors, causing conflicts with Pogba, Anthony Martial, Eric Bailly, and Alexis Sanchez, leaving MU’s dressing room in a toxic atmosphere. Mourinho does not help players improve or reach new levels. Under his guidance, most of the students are no longer themselves.