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A team managed by Jose Mourinho starts to lose frequently, Mourinho is blamed by the media for his team's shortcomings, Mourinho gives a fiery press conference where he blames everybody but himself. We have all seen this movie before. And it always ends with Jose Mourinho getting sacked.
It has already happened twice before at Chelsea and once at Real Madrid. And now it seems that history is set to repeat itself at Manchester United. The third season syndrome has already set in.
The board seems to have lost faith in the Portuguese boss as he was not backed in the summer transfer window. And now with two losses in the very first month of the new season, Jose Mourinho seems to be on the brink at Manchester United.
Credit has to be given to the Manchester United fans for still having faith in Mourinho. After all, the club does seem to be in shambles at the moment with no big players willing to come and stars eager to leave. The fans might be with Mourinho, but they seem to be fighting a battle that has already been lost.
In all probability, there will be a new manager in the Old Trafford dugout by this time next year. Lets take a look at 3 candidates who are most likely to replace Mourinho at The Theatre of Dreams.
#3 Ryan Giggs
Not many people in the world know Manchester United than current Wales national team manager, Ryan Giggs. Giggs came through the youth ranks at Manchester United, and holds the record for most appearances for the club. He won 13 Premier League titles and 2 UEFA Champions League crowns during his long stay at the club.
Interestingly, Giggs was the interim manager at the club in 2014 after David Moyes was sacked and also served as assistant manager under Louis Van Gaal. But he was let go by Manchester United when Jose Mourinho took the reins as manager.
Since then Giggs has gone on to become the manager of his national team, Wales. And he has even denied claims of him taking over if Mourinho is sacked. But we know how quickly things can change in football. And even more so, when the club in question have the financial muscle of Manchester United.
While Giggs might not have the experience of the other candidates for the job, he knows the club better than anyone. Manchester United have already tried and failed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson with experienced managers like Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. But the man who spent years playing under United's legendary gaffer might just get the job done.
#2 Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte might not be the most popular choice to replace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, but the Italian's record speaks for itself. He took over a Juventus team that had finished seventh the previous season, and carried them to three consecutive league titles, and laid the foundation for the club's dominance over Italy.
Also despite being sacked by Chelsea, he managed to win major trophies in both seasons he was at the club. In many ways, he is what Mourinho used to be - a serial winner.
But the problem with Conte is that he is too similar to his Portuguese predecessor. He too plays the defensive style of football that has frustrated Manchester United fans under Mourinho. And if last season is anything to go by, he might have even bigger problems with the board when things don't go his way.
But that doesn't mean that Conte cannot succeed at Old Trafford. Instead, he has shown in the past that he is pretty good at cleaning the mess left behind by Mourinho. Remember, he took over a Chelsea team that had finished 10th under Mourinho and took them to a Premier League title win the very next season.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
Despite winning three Champions League titles in a row, question marks still exist over Zinedine Zidane's ability as a manager. Most of his critics will point toward the fact that he inherited one of the most talented squads assembled in history at Real Madrid, and also how many times his team managed to ride their luck to victory.
But this does not change the fact that he is the only manager in history to win three Champions League titles in a row. And surely he is not the first manager to inherit a supremely talented squad. So he does deserve some credit for the job that he did in Madrid.
Most people seem to forget how out of sorts the Real Madrid side looked under his predecessor, Rafa Benitez. It seemed the Spanish boss was keen on micro managing every detail of the game, and as a result did not give his side the freedom to play to their own strengths. It is hard not to notice that the same thing might be holding back this Manchester United side under Mourinho.
There is no denying the talent that currently resides at Old Trafford. But most of the players do not seem to be enjoying being bound by the tactical shackles of the Portuguese boss. Zidane might be the perfect man to free the players from these chains, and unlock their true potential.
