Spurs manager Jose Mourinho on the touchline (Getty Images)
If a 3-2 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion wasn’t enough, then a 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur certainly was. It was a night to forget for all the Manchester United fans as Spurs tore them apart ruthlessly in the second half with 3 goals after an evenly-matched first-half which finished on level terms.
It is not only the disastrous result that would be a bitter pill to swallow for the United fans. In fact, it was the manner of the defeat that should hurt them the most. The way the Red Devils succumbed to the thrashing was shocking to witness as the team visibly lacked the desire and the eagerness to win, much like their manager, who does not seem to have any motivation left in himself.
Jose Mourinho cannot shrug off a share of the blame and criticism that comes from his inconsistent team selection. The pairing at the heart of the defence was changed to Phil Jones and Chris Smalling after previous pairing Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly made way too many errors against Brighton.
Jones and Smalling looked like fishes out of the water, being forced into the team all of a sudden. While Jones allowed too much space inside the box for Harry Kane to head home the first goal, Smalling lost his composure and dived into a reckless challenge to set Lucas Moura free for the third goal.
Mourinho’s choice of substitutions has been as inexplicable as his team selection and tactics. Marouane Fellaini seems to be his trump card but bringing in a defensive midfielder when the team is trailing isn’t the best choice and does not always pay off.
Moreover, Mourinho’s choice for a like-for-like change to introduce Lindelof in place of Jones when the team was already behind, came as a surprise. To make matters worse, the Swedish centre-back’s mistake almost let in Dele Alli for another goal only to be saved by David De Gea.
Hence, it is not only the porous backline or the lack of consistent strikers that is to be blamed for United’s lacklustre performances. It is high time for the management to look for a replacement because Mourinho’s tactics and style of play does not suit the team whatsoever. And they should do it soon to avoid the blushes of a horrendous season.
Here are three realistic options to replace Mourinho at Old Trafford.
One of the big managerial names in Ligue 1 currently, Leonardo Jardim took charge of AS Monaco in 2014 after helping Sporting Lisbon finish second in the Portuguese League in 2013. Since taking charge at Monaco, he led the club to a league win in the 2016/17 season, marking their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years.
Displaying an attacking brand of football with young talented players, Jardim took Monaco to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the same season.
He is known to back young players and plays an attacking and free-flowing style of football which would be suitable for the Red Devils.
Claude Puel took over as Leicester City’s manager late last year and turned their Premier League fortunes upside down, leading the club from a relegation battle to a respectable 9th-place finish. Puel is not only immaculate with his transfer reinforcements but also excels in bringing up new talents to the highest level.
Leicester have begun their campaign well with 2 wins out of 3 games under Puel’s stewardship. With his managerial acumen, he could work wonders for United since he won’t be short of finances to assemble a formidable squad.
After an era of dominance as a footballer, the Frenchman has already established himself as one of the most successful managers in Real Madrid’s history, winning three back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles.
Having enjoyed a wildly successful career as a player, Zidane could instil confidence and motivate United’s players to be hungry for success. He often tends to deviate from conventional and rigid managerial styles and assigns free roles to the players based on their abilities. Zidane could not only make optimum usage of the squad at his disposal but also bring about a much-needed change in mentality.
