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It seems to be every day that we see a new story about Jose Mourinho in the press. Just over a week ago, the Mirror reported that the Portuguese manager would be sacked regardless of Manchester United’s result against Newcastle United. His side won, and he kept his job, but it may not be for too much longer.
Midway through the game against Newcastle, it seemed almost inevitable that his time was up, with his side 2-0 down at halftime. However, they performed a sterling comeback in the second half, with Alexis Sanchez netting an injury-time winner.
The result ended United’s four-game wait for a win, which also saw them knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Frank Lampard’s Derby County, and play out a drab 0-0 draw with Valencia in the Champions League.
Their poor start to the season leaves them seven points behind the leaders in the Premier League, and that could be a lot to make up given the standard of football Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are playing this season.
Pressure has been growing on Mourinho in recent months, and the recent lack of form hasn’t done him any favours. He also went trophyless last season, after winning the Carabao Cup and Europa League in his opening campaign, as well as finishing second, a massive 19 points behind champions Manchester City.
Mourinho survives for now, but here are six reasons why his win over Newcastle may have only given him a stay of execution, not redemption.
#1 His players still aren’t playing for him
You could argue that in the second half against Newcastle, we finally saw some character from these Manchester United players and a bit of fight. However, it was debatable how much of this was for their manager, and how much it was really for personal gain.
If this is the level of performance they are capable of, why didn’t they show it against West Ham, Valencia or Derby?
It looks like this United team choose when to turn it on or off, and the fact is they aren’t on it often enough. In the game against West Ham, they recorded just 59 sprints. On the same day, Chelsea took on Liverpool, and both of them recorded well over 100 sprints each.
Under Mourinho, this side is so much less than the sum of their parts, and at times, it just looks like they aren’t interested in putting the effort in for him. When this is the case, it usually means your days as a manager are numbered.
#2 His relationship with Paul Pogba is toxic
Ever since Paul Pogba made the move back to Manchester United in 2016 for a world record £89 million, there has been debate as to how he is being used by Mourinho. The Frenchman has been used in a number of different positions at Old Trafford, but none of them seems to get the best out of him. There now seems to be a feud developing between the pair, and we seem to have passed the point of no return.
Although there have been whispers before about the relationship between the midfielder and his manager, it came to a head in September after United’s draw with Wolves. In an interview after the match, Pogba said the Red Devils needed to “attack, attack, attack”.
Mourinho took issue with this, and subsequently stripped Pogba of the captaincy. The 25-year-old has cut a frustrated figure of late, and there has been talk that he is targeting a move to Barcelona. It looks likely that United will have to choose between Mourinho and Pogba, and chances are, the Frenchman is of greater value.
#3 He has fallen out with the board
Mourinho has always been a controversial manager, and wherever he has been, he has always made a couple of snide comments aimed at those above him. It has been a different story at United though, and he has constantly made his displeasure with the lack of support from the board clear to the press. One of the issues for Mourinho is that there are no ‘football men’ above him at the club. There is no Director of Football. Ed Woodward is a businessman, he may be a good businessman, but he doesn’t understand the game the way Mourinho does.
This was perhaps the biggest problem during the summer. Mourinho was desperate to bring a centre back to the club, with Harry Maguire and Toby Alderwerield among his top targets. Woodward failed to sign any of those targets, and United have been shambolic at the back all season. We saw him have a fractious relationship with his board in the final days at Chelsea, and we are seeing a repeat of that here.
#4 There are serious weaknesses in his squad
In the early years of his career, Mourinho was a master at improving players. He did it at Porto, in his first spell at Chelsea, and at Inter Milan. However, we haven’t seen too much of that since though, and it is difficult to point to a single player he has made better over the past six or seven years. This is now proving a real weakness for him at Old Trafford.
This current squad is so far short of the quality of Manchester City’s, Chelsea’s and Liverpool’s. Apart from in goal, almost every position has weaknesses. Defensively, they are increasingly vulnerable. No one has yet been able to hold down a spot in midfield, and going forward, there are times when they have looked toothless. Mourinho’s big name players- the likes of Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku- continue to let their manager down, and that is shown in their recent results.
#5 Third season syndrome
It has been said before, and it’s worth saying again, Mourinho’s record in his third season at clubs is poor. He has only won one major honour in his third season with a side, that coming with the FA Cup at Chelsea in 2007.
Since then we have seen him fall out with his players in his third year at Real Madrid, losing his job at the end of the season, and fail to even make it to Christmas in the third season of his second spell at Chelsea, getting the sack with the club 16thin the Premier League.
Manchester United’s board will have had concerns about this before the season got underway because when you employ Mourinho, you know what you’re getting. He pretty much guarantees short-term success, but very little after that. They will take this into account when deciding whether they think Mourinho can turn this around or not, and based on his record, it seems unlikely he can.
#6 Zinedine Zidane is out of a job
It may sound strange, but the sheer presence of Zinedine Zidane will be piling the pressure on Mourinho. The Frenchman is currently out of a job having left Real Madrid in the summer, and he will be a hot favourite for the top job at Old Trafford if it comes available. Had Zidane not been available, there may have been less speculation regarding Mourinho’s future because there aren’t too many managers on the market for United.
Of course, were he to get the job, it would be a massive test for Zidane. Although Rafa Benitez didn’t leave Real in a great place when he was replaced by Zidane, the team was full of world-class talent, and he had a squad capable of winning Champions League titles. He wouldn’t get that at Old Trafford, and it may be more of a rebuilding job, something he is not familiar with.
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