3 strategies Jose Mourinho can borrow from Sir Alex Ferguson to turn around Manchester United's fortunes

Manchester United are probably undergoing one of their worst spells in modern football. The team remains a 'big' club only by history and financial muscle; this season, the Red Devils have delivered awful performances and left fans with a lot to ponder.

One of the fundamental reasons why United have struggled is the manager. Portugal's Jose Mourinho is a tactician filled with pride and a huge ego. And while that may have earned him respect and titles in major European leagues, it has played a negative role in the current United setup.

Granted, Mourinho is a great manager with an unquestionable reputation in world football. But what United need right now is results, and a good brand of football that is synonymous with those results.

Mourinho has refused to evolve his preferred style of play, and United have paid the price even against relatively 'small' teams. This was perfectly voiced by veteran West Ham right back Pablo Zabaleta.

In the aftermath of the Hammers' 3-1 win over United this season, Zabaleta expressed his surprise at Manchester's overly defensive approach. He expected Anthony Martial to cause problems, but the French star kept tracking back.

Sir Alex Ferguson, United's most successful coach, had set some admirable strategies and installed certain cultures in the team that helped them fight off all kinds of adversities. Mourinho could take a few cues from Ferguson's methods in order to turn the situation around.

Here is a look at three such aspects from the Ferguson era:

#3 Player management

Mourinho has failed in handling his players effectively

Ferguson was a mentor and a father figure to a lot of his players. He would know about their personal lives and ensure that they always focused 100% on the game, free of any distractions.

This maintained discipline in the team, and no player would ever become bigger than the club. Going this extra mile ensured that the manager had the respect of his players and that he maintained unity among them.

Mourinho on the other hand has used strong arming tactics that have destabilized the team.

It is no secret that players would fight for Ferguson during matches. It was a common thing to see United fight to the end from losing positions. The players knew how important winning was to the fans, themselves and the manager.

Mourinho should take a leaf out of Ferguson's book in order to improve cohesion in the team.

#2 Criticizing the players in public

Mourinho has consistently criticized his players during press conferences

In the modern game of social media and technology, players face a lot of criticism from all corners. Analytical tools can review every player's move and statistic on the pitch, and produce a lot of material that can be used against the player.

Ferguson worked well with his players and gave each of them respect even in the event of a bad performances. If he was pressed, he would generalize his team's performance and refrain from criticizing a single player in public.

In comes Mourinho, a blunt manager who uses the media as a tool to dissect his own players. Mourinho frequently tears into an under-performing player, which can at times further affect his performance.

Many managers would rather speak to a player privately than criticize him in front of the glaring eyes of the media. The Portuguese should borrow a clue from Ferguson on how best to handle his under achieving players.

Manchester United has good attacking players.

#1 Attack! Attack!

Ferguson set his teams up to showcase a fluid and attacking mentality. This created a certain fear in the minds of the opposition teams, which often helped Manchester United.

He did not have star players all over the pitch, but knew how to rally the troops through hard work and pushing forward. Ferguson introduced a culture of pressing the opposition deep and sourcing for goals.

Mourinho on the other hand prefers a cautious approach of sitting deep.

This season, when United have got results, it has been down majorly to high pressing - especially in the games against Juventus (away) and Chelsea. These moments were a reflection of how United should ideally play.

Mourinho can make United's season turn around if he releases those defensive shackles and lets the players attack. It is a proven strategy that if nothing else, brought 13 Premier League titles in 25 seasons during the great man's tenure.