Why Manchester United must hold onto Jose Mourinho for the time being
Manchester United have always been in the news but in recent days, it has almost felt like the Red Devils are the news. A defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion was enough for the critics to come out with knives but a shock loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford sent a storm across the footballing world.
Within hours, there were reports linking Zinedine Zidane to Manchester United’s managerial hot seat (h/t The Metro). Only four games into the season, media and critics had already started writing obituaries for Jose Mourinho.
Even before the season had begun, Mourinho was in the news. It seemed like newspapers couldn’t sell a single copy if they didn’t mention either Manchester United or Jose Mourinho in their big stories. Mourinho’s words from his pre-season conferences were twisted and he was portrayed as the ultimate villain.
The mere idea of sacking a manager after four games in the season is preposterous. And this is not your everyday manager. This is Jose Mourinho, who is a serial winner. The Portuguese tactician has won two Champions League trophies, three Premier League titles, two Serie A titles, one La Liga, two Primeira Liga titles and numerous cup competitions.
The fact that he has lost just three out of 13 finals in his managerial career proves that he still has the Midas touch. At United, in two years, he has won the League Cup and the Europa League and also reached the final of the FA Cup last season.
Furthermore, United finished the 2017/18 season as runners-up, their highest-ever finish since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. Granted, United lost the title to Manchester City but they were heads and shoulders above anyone else in the league.
After years of mismanagement under Louis van Gaal and David Moyes, Mourinho is the man who must take the club forward. Most of his signings have adapted well and have made the squad stronger. Even before his first match as a United boss, questions were raised on his ability to provide chances to the youth stars.
Well, Marcus Rashford has played the highest number of games under Mourinho in the past two years. Apart from Rashford, Jesse Lingard has reached another level under the manager’s guidance. A player who had struggled during all of his loan moves and was a squad player under van Gaal has now become a force to reckon with.
Another youngster, Scott McTominay, who has been at the club since he was four, has emerged from the fringes to start league matches against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
There is a school of thought that suggests Mourinho’s playing style is not suitable for United. Well, people seem to have forgotten van Gaal’s snoozefest era already.
The idea of sacking Mourinho is plain stupid. If he leaves right now, what’s next for the club? Yes, Zidane is a champion manager. In fact, he scripted history by winning three back-to-back Champions League titles with Real Madrid. But the Spanish giants and the Red Devils are definitely not on the same boat.
Zidane had World Cup winners like Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos at the heart of the defence. He had the likes of Marcelo and Dani Carvajal at right-back. At United, he would have to start with the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as centre-backs. Furthermore, the club’s full-back options aren’t all that enticing.
No manager, however great, can win the league with this squad. Last season, Manchester City proved the importance of squad depth when it comes to winning the toughest league in the world.
There is no doubt that Mourinho is under immense pressure at the moment. But if there is one man who can get out of this with his head held high, it’s Jose Mourinho. He has thrived in adversity before.
At the same time, his teams have worked wonders by following his siege mentality – the mentality of the team against the world. Despite a poor start and a poor transfer window, one should write Manchester United and Jose Mourinho off at their own risk.
