What’s the story?
Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, who once labelled himself as the ‘Special One’, is known for his relentless approach when it comes to ensuring that his team wins at any cost. In that bid, the former Real Madrid manager has played an intriguing card as he axed the ball boys at the Old Trafford and drafted in the under-16 youth players to do the job, according to reports from the Daily Mirror.
This change comes following United’s 2-0 win at home in the EFL Cup against West Ham United as the under-16 boys were seen taking the charge touchline matters in the club’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool.
A club insider told PeopleSport, “The manager wasn’t happy with what was on offer before from the ball boys and girls. He wanted a much slicker operation — especially when United are on the attack or time is running out.”
In case you didn’t know…
It seems as though the Portuguese doesn’t deem tactical player changes enough as he has now increased the area of his influence by sacking the previous batch of ball boys. The majority of the previous batches were kids provided by the Manchester United foundation
The heart of the matter
However, the former Chelsea boss wasn’t pleased with the timing of the delivery of the older batch, as he deemed them too slow. He wanted a quicker mode of operation and, hence, decided to employ the youth teamers for the job. The youngsters were instructed on how to pass the ball back to the players when it goes out of play and how to do it quicker when United are attacking.
The insider further stated that Mourinho felt by bringing in lads from the Academy teams — boys who understand the nuances of the game and the urgency of certain occasions, it would help speed up play at crucial moments.
What’s next?
According to Mirror, a United official also attested to the report but claimed that he doesn't know if this tactic will be employed in the future. However, it does seem like an interesting concept given that the youth teamers also get a chance to watch their idols closely.
Sportskeeda’s take…
As Manchester United are still struggling to dominate, this feels like a desperate attempt to make things work by the former Porto tactician. As his players are failing to follow his tactical guidelines, one can only wonder if the little kids are just a pawn in an elaborate background plan.
