Why Mourinho for Old Trafford would have made no sense

The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and the subsequent appointment of David Moyes as his successor has resulted in a polarised view among certain United supporters. A section of their fans felt that only Mourinho could replace Ferguson and continue the good times at Old Trafford. Mourinho’s spectacular record with various big clubs across Europe forms the basis for this opinion. However, there is much more to what the eye meets when it comes to Mourinho.

While there is no doubt that a manger who has won league titles at four different countries and the Champions League with two different clubs is one among the best at the moment, a deeper introspection into his times at various clubs reveals a less spectacular side to Mourinho – one that definitely would have made a bad choice for the Old Trafford hot seat.

One of the most admirable aspects about Ferguson’s reign (besides the trophy count) has been the continuous blooding of youngster (specifically academy products) into the first team. There has been at least one home grown player included in the match day squad in United teams since time immemorial. In other words, Ferguson has built different generations of competitive squads (an enviable record under current commercialised circumstances). At clubs like United, Arsenal (under Wenger at least), and Liverpool, there has always been an emphasis on grooming academy products along with external big name signings. Every past manager in these clubs has given special attention to their academy in ensuring the continuation of this tradition.

While Mourinho does give youngsters their sporadic chances (Varane at Madrid is a stand-out), he is known to not rely on untested youngsters. Look at the case at Chelsea now. Only Ryan Bertrand is a product of their academy to have broken into their first squad in the past five years. His mantra has been simple and effective – get the maximum out of existing players, and make expensive signings to add further quality to the squad. His excellent man- management skills have ensured success. The problem with this approach is that, his successors always find it difficult to continue with his achievements. The reason may just not be that his successors are less talented than Mourinho, but more to do with Mourinho’s management style.

When Mourinho leaves a club, the squad he leaves behind is not in the greatest of shapes for his successors to continue with the success. At established clubs which promote the youth, such a predicament does not arise. Mourinho’s squad relies on a few established players who form the core of the squad (Cech-Terry-Lampard-Drogba at Chelsea, Zanetti – Cambiasso-Sneijder at Inter and Alonso – Ozil – Ronaldo at Real). The problem with this is that as the core ages or loses form; it is reflected upon the team’s results. The point of distinction between him and Ferguson (or anybody who offers stability over a long period) is that the other managers are efficient and successful in replacing the ‘core’ of the team. While it is unfair to blame Mourinho for not doing this (since he has not spent a long period with any club), doubts persist about his ability to do this.

While there is no doubt about Mourinho’s pedigree as a great manager, doubts continue to linger about his ability to build teams and re-build them to create a dynasty that is a requirement for clubs like Manchester United.