Seventh place, fourth place, fifth place - these are terms that have never even dared to touch a club such as Manchester United over the last 2 decades under Sir Alex Ferguson's reign but have somehow managed to haunt the Old Trafford faithful for the last 3 years. First under the incompetent David Moyes and later under the watch of the army general-esque Louis van Gaal, United not only failed to secure a comfortable top 4 place but also lost their style and attacking instincts once so feared.
"Attack! Attack! Attack!" pleaded the Stretford End with the former Netherlands head coach, after growing frustrated by watching a combination of passing the ball sideways, backwards and passing the ball side to side. Mentioning the fact that they pass the ball sideways twice doesn't even begin to describe the frustration that the fans were plighted with.
Exit Van Gaal, enter Mourinho
A man who's Real Madrid still holds the record for scoring the most number of goals in the league in a solitary season. A man who's won trophies in every European top flight that he's participated in. And not to mention, a man who's ego that can be compared to that of the great Ferguson him, let alone the Scot's appreciation of the Portuguese.
The much maligned Jose Mourinho, who was even referred to as 'the enemy of football' in the past, appears to be the man who can make the Old Trafford faithful scream their lungs out with the aforementioned chants not out of frustration but out of sheer joy and pride.
Mourinho, though, always has a blueprint for how his side should look, like any other manager, with certain players of certain duties to fulfill the potential in his methods. At Chelsea, selling two-time player of the season Juan Mata and replacing him with Brazilian playmaker Oscar was a move purely for such reasons.
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The Spaniard, without a doubt, is a superior entity in terms of creating chances and supplying chances for his teammates but Oscar ticked more boxes in Mourinho's plans with regard to defensive contributions and a higher work rate.
Willian, one of Chelsea's shining lights from what was a scandalous 15/16 season at Stamford Bridge was a hit with Mourinho because of his excellent ability to maraud forward as well as recover the ball on the right flank covering for Ivanovic, who has had to endure his worst season in a blue shirt.
Other trademarks of a typical Jose Mourinho side include no-nonsense centre-halves such as John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe or the elegant Raphael Varane, and particularly a talismanic striker such as the great Didier Drogba, Diego Milito, or even the Diego Costa who scored 20 odd goals in his debut season in English football leading Jose's charges to the Premier League title.
Enter Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
An attacker who's adaptability to play fluently in any position behind the lone striker and who's work is very much from the mound of a central midfielder, Mkhitaryan was a shrewd buy from the comical Ed Woodward. Purchased from Borussia Dortmund, the Armenian captain was one of the highest assist-getters across Europe's top five leagues during the 15/16 season. Though not a proven quantity in the English game as of yet, Mourinho's system promises a huge role to play for the former Shakhtar man.
Eric Bailly is the typical robust centre-half that Mourinho has generally persisted with his teams. The former Chelsea manager publicly confessed his doubts about Bailly's adaptability to the English game and whether he is ready to start for a club of United's stature, but his display against Leicester City in the Community Shield which earned him a man of the match award shows that he will have an integral part to play for Jose's United.
Shutting out the likes of Jamie Vardy, Ahmed Musa and Shinji Okazaki in your first competitive match is quite the task.
And who else but the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic had to score the late winner in the aforementioned tie and steal the Community Shield. Ibrahimovic and Mourinho are one of the most feared player-manager duos in world football, and the latter has managed to coax the giant Swede to choose the Premier League instead of the cash-rich shores of America for his swan-song.
A realistic chance of glory
The post-Ferguson era, followed by the forgettable Moyes and LVG eras, promises big things for the Old Trafford club. Changes, departures and sentiments were all imminent in the process.
But now, Manchester United are going to make amends for what Alex Ferguson considers his biggest mistake in his career in the most spectacular fashion possible : bringing home the man they let go of for a mere £800,000 compensation fee for a world-record fee. The return of the prodigal son, Paul Pogba.
United have made a plethora of signings since the departure of greats such as Roy Keane and Paul Scholes in midfield, with Michael Carrick being the only handful of successful players in the process. Their spine in the centre of the park was something they struggled to revive since Darren Fletchers' and Owen Hargreaves' illness and injuries respectively in '08. Paul Pogba, albeit for a fee nothing short of 'ridiculous', promises to plus that midfield and bring it back to life.
The player that left the Carrington base for one last time has returned to his old stomping ground today after 4 years. In that period, the Le Havre man has transformed himself into one of the finest and complete midfielders in world football.
Studying the art of being a central midfielder with the legendary Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and even Sami Khedira, Pogba has acquired a number of weapons in his armory that very few players can boast. The scariest thought, though, is the fact that the mercurial Frenchman is far from the finished article. Pogba is the youngest player since Messi in 2009 to be named in the FIFPro Team of the Year, alongside the game's greats such as Andres Iniesta and Luka Modric.
The 23-year-old is on course to become one of the game's greats, according to his compatriot Theirry Henry, and can be the presence that United have lacked since nearly a decade. Whether his poise and grace to take on defenders and make them seem like Sunday league footballers, or his hard tackling style to recover possession anywhere on the pitch - Mourinho now has at his disposal one of the most exciting players in recent times.
Players such as Zlatan and Pogba will finally bring in the character and dynamism that has been missing for quite some time. Players who will do anything and everything to win, under the tutelage of a manager who has a reputation of going the distance to do the same.
Paul Pogba's return to Manchester is the perfect cure for the post-Ferguson era, albeit for a hefty price. The envy of Juventus is now going to become the pride of Manchester and this could be the start of something special under the Special One.
