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When the Special One took charge of one of the biggest clubs in the world, there was an air of hope surrounding the Theatre of Dreams. Before signing for Manchester United, Jose won the Premier League with Chelsea. At the time, United was struggling to get a foothold in the Premier League, as both Moyes and Van Gaal could not do much to turn the fortunes of the club.
Mourinho's first season was a mixed bag. The Portuguese won two trophies, but finished 6th in the league. The season after that (where he generally wins the big ones) went trophyless, as United finished second in the league behind Manchester City, and lost the FA Cup final against his former side, Chelsea.
However, the defeat against Sevilla in the Champions League proved to be the start of his downfall, as Mourinho questioned the club's heritage after getting knocked out in the round of 16.
Before the beginning of the current campaign, the disagreement with the board regarding transfers made his exit inevitable. Finally, the humiliating defeat against rivals Liverpool proved to be the final nail in the coffin, as the Portuguese gaffer got sacked.
Despite all the criticism and negativity that surrounds Jose at the moment, there are still a few moments which delighted the fans. Here is a look at three such incidents for which United fans will always be thankful to their former manager.
#3 Winning the EFL Cup in his first season
Jose's first season was arguably his best at Manchester United. Without considering the Community Shield, the first silver lining of the season came in the form of the EFL Cup. United had big-name players like Pogba and Ibrahimovic in their squad who had the experience of winning silverware elsewhere.
The Red Devils faced Hull while Southampton squared off against Liverpool in the semi-finals. It was destined to be a showdown between the two arch-rivals in the final. However, The Saints pulled a rabbit out of the hat and progressed to the finals where they came up against Jose Mourinho's men.
Claude Puel's side thought they were ahead as Manolo Gabbiadini put the ball in the back of the net, only to be ruled out for offside. After that, United got two quick goals - first from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's long-range free-kick, and then Lingard's low shot past Fraser Forster.
However, two goals from Gabbiadini on either side of half-time leveled it all for the Saints. As the game progressed, it looked as though the next goal would prove to be the match winner. With the players tiring, the game was open, and towards the end, Zlatan headed the winner from five yards out.
It was United's second trophy in as many seasons, which was a moment to rejoice for the fans.
#2 Beating Manchester City and delaying their title celebrations
The build-up to this game had a bit of controversy surrounding Paul Pogba, Jose Mourinho, and Pep Guardiola. After a bright start to the season, Paul became inconsistent, and got dropped by Jose Mourinho.
It's believed that his agent, Mino Raiola, offered the Frenchman to Manchester City in January. Moreover, a win for City would have crowned them Champions at the expense of their neighbours, which in itself is an embarrassment for the 13 times Premier League Champions.
Manchester City started the game in their usual swagger, scoring two quick-fire goals through Kompany and Gundogan, but missed chances to increase their lead at halftime. The inevitable was just 45 minutes away, but Jose Mourinho had other ideas.
A second half comeback led by Paul Pogba saw United run away 2-3 winners, delaying City's title celebrations for one more week.
This victory might not have made any difference in the context of the season, but certainly saved the fans from humiliation.
#1 Qualifying for the Champions League by winning the Europa League
All of the top six clubs in the Premier League fight for those coveted Champions League spots, and unfortunately two of them have to miss out. In Jose Mourinho's first season in charge, the ultimate goal was to qualify for the UCL either through the Premier League top 4, or by winning the Europa League.
Relying on just winning the Europa League is always a risky proposition, but Jose Mourinho had no other choice in the second half of the season. The Portuguese knew that he could not finish in the top four, and so used most of his best resources in the European competition. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was the star performer for the Red Devils throughout the UEL campaign, and even scored a goal in the final against Ajax.
It was also the first time in 8 years United had won an European competition. Though its value is nowhere near the Champions League, still it meant a lot to the fans who are accustomed to seeing their team win trophies season after season.
