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The third season syndrome is real. Jose Mourinho tried to dispel the notion when asked about it at the beginning of the season, pointing out facts and figures, & literally calling the question 'stupid'. However, the curse of the third season has caught up with Jose Mourinho.
Real Madrid, Chelsea, and now at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho was unable to see out a third season at any of these clubs. It has been coming. Even the most die hard of Manchester United fans will confess that they saw a sack in his future. At the back of the dismal humbling at Anfield, it was a matter of when it would be announced
From pre-season to the start of the season, and now very close to Christmas. The former United boss has been living on the edge all this while. He has been in the top three bookmakers favourites to get sacked all season.
His agent, Jorge Mendes, issued a statement concerning Mourinho's future on December 7 2018, saying;
"There have been more rumours of Jose Mourinho leaving Manchester United. It’s totally untrue. Jose is very happy at the club and the club is very happy with him. He has a long-term contract with Manchester United and is fully committed to the club in building a solid winning project."
In the end, Jose Mourinho did not choose to leave Manchester United. The club chose to cut their losses and let the controversy loving Portuguese boss go.
Here's a look at 3 reasons why Jose Mourinho lost his job at Manchester United.
#1 Results were going against him
Mourinho's termination is yet another proof that football is a results business. No matter the manager's profile, if the results go against him, he is fighting a losing battle. Carlo Ancelloti's ill fated spell at Bayern Munich is another testament to the fact.
This season the results of the Manchester based club has been horrendous. 5 defeats in the Premier league to West Ham, Tottenham, Brighton, Manchester City, and Liverpool has left the team just 2 defeats shy of their total number of losses last season (7).
The draws against Southampton, Crystal palace, Wolves, Chelsea, and Arsenal have not also helped Mourinho's cause. The elimination at the hands of Frank Lampard's Derby County means that they were out of the Carabao Cup before it even became serious.
United progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League, but poor performances against Young Boys at home, Valencia home & away, and Juventus at home, meant that their Champions League progression was overlooked in the grand scheme of things.
Ultimately, 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool, and 11 points behind the top four became too much to bear for the decision makers at Old Trafford.
#2 Poor relationship with the players
Jose Mourinho has never been one to fondle and cuddle his players. He has always adopted a tough love approach in dealing with players. In the past, this approach yielded dividends in players like Drogba, Terry, Zanetti, Lampard, Carvalho, and others.
However, in recent years this approach has resulted in Jose's poor relationship with his players. Cristiano Ronaldo, Ozil, Sergio Ramos, Casillas and more recently, Martial and Pogba have had a tumultuous relationship with the Portuguese boss.
At Manchester United, Jose Mourinho has taken a swipe at almost all his players in his two and half year reign. This has not gone down well at board level.
Pogba has been the most recent recipient of the Mourinho treatment. Jose Mourinho left the French international out of the last 3 PL games, and Pogba did not even get off the bench in the defeat at Anfield.
Other players like Bailly, Rashford, Jones, Martial, Lukaku, and Luke Shaw have at one time or another been hung out to dry by Mourinho.
#3 Long running war with Ed Woodward
Ed Woodward and Jose Mourinho have been in a running battle all season. From the pre-season to the start of the season, the ex Manchester United boss has aimed so many swipes at his boss.
Mourinho reportedly submitted a three man transfer shortlist to Ed Woodward in the summer, and none of the players on the shortlist were eventually acquired by United.
Woodward is reported to have vetoed the signing of Toby Alderweireld and Jerome Boateng because they were old players and have no sell on value.
Mourinho also wanted Martial gone according to various reports in the summer. Ed Woodward and the board did not want a repeat of the Pogba situation, and asked the manager to settle it with his French star.
Jose Mourinho has finally eaten more than he can chew, and the board has decided that a change of manager is best for the Red Devils moving forward. In the end, what Jose feared finally caught up with him.
The third season syndrome is real.
