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What's the rumor?
In the wake of Manchester United's abysmal loss to Brighton, the rumor circulating suggests that the top hierarchy, including United CEO Ed Woodward, have lost faith in Mourinho's abilities and are beginning to doubt if he is the right manager for the club.
In case you didn't know...
Jose Mourinho was appointed Red Devils' manager three years ago after Louis Van Gaal's sacking.
Many supporters and influential people, including legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, opposed this appointment because of the Portuguese manager's history of attracting publicity for the wrong reasons. This recruitment was thought to project a bad image for the club.
Ferguson was rumored to have been interested in bringing Pep Guardiola to the club, however, Ed Woodward was a strong fan of Mourinho's managerial skills and advocated strongly for his appointment.
The heart of the matter
After Man United's recent loss to Brighton, several journalists have suggested that Jose is no longer viewed favorably at the club. It is also suggested that Ed Woodward, the Portuguese's biggest supporter, is finally beginning to lose hope in him as well.
Several Man United fans have also been contemplating the dismissal of Mourinho and have turned to Twitter to vent their frustrations.
To Mou's relief, Neil Custis of The Sun tweeted that despite Man United's uninspired performances under their current boss, there is simply no better managerial option available right now.
Mourinho's performance analysis
A comprehensive look at Mou's record reveals that his performance as a Manchester United manager has not been as appalling as many people make it seem.
Mourinho has spent a total of 818 days at Old Trafford and has managed a total of 122 matches. Out of those matches, he has won 75, drawn 25 and lost on only 22 occasions. He has a win percentage of 61.47% and, under him, the Red Devils have an average of scoring 1.72 goals per game and conceding an average of 0.72 goals per game.
The former Chelsea manager's records show that he is the best manager United has appointed since Alex Fergurson's departure. He has a better record than David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, who won just 50.98% and 52.42% of their encounters respectively.
Moyes and van Gaal won only one trophy each, the FA Community Shield and the FA Cup in respective order. On the other hand, Mourinho has won three trophies in two seasons, including the Europa League, FA Community Shield, and League Cup.
What's next?
Sacking Jose Mourinho at this early stage sounds both ludicrous and implausible from a footballing and financial perspective. The veteran manager's contract runs until 2020 and to sack him now would also mean paying a hefty compensation package.
Also, replacing a manager, after just two matches into the new season, could bring about an unimaginable amount of chaos to the dressing room.
Should Man United decide to sack their manager, there are a couple of interesting candidates available in Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte, who are rumored to be interested in the Old Trafford job.
