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The warning signs had been there since last season and now things are beginning to look ominous for the continued relationship between Manchester United and its manager; Jose Mourinho.
The coming of the "Special One" in the 2016/2017 season had been hailed by Red Devil fans following the atrophy and stagnation of the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal eras.
Mourinho was seen as the perfect man to help the team compete against city rival Manchester City who had previously announced the arrival of Pep Guardiola.
The first season had gone well with a League Cup and Europa League papering over the cracks of a disappointing league campaign where the team finished 6th.
Cracks began to appear last season as, despite a considerable outlay on transfers, United were blown away by Pep and his Cityzens who won the league with ease.
It was expected that United would reinforce in the just-concluded transfer window but the arrivals turned out to be too small for Mourinho's liking.
All through the summer, he had sulked and moaned about the refusal of the board (read Ed Woodward) to get his targets. This rift between manager and administrator has been exacerbated by stories of unrest in the team, stories which Mourinho's public moaning has made worse.
The shambolic loss to Brighton over the weekend has cranked up the level of noise surrounding both team and manager and it seems only a matter of time before the relationship reaches a rather premature end.
Here is a look at 5 tacticians that could be in the frame to replace Mourinho if he leaves Old Trafford or is fired:
#5 Leonardo Jardim
Another Portuguese coach, Jardim has continued to win admiring glances across Europe due to his exploits with Sporting Club and AS Monaco. He will be a popular choice for Manchester United fans who have been starved of the fluid, attacking football the team was noted for during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
One of his major strengths has been his ability to improve players he met at the clubs he has coached instead of demanding for new transfers. To be put into proper perspective, he has not coached at a club that has the resources that Man United can command.
However, his ability to improve players and make them better is one that would appeal to the powers-that-be at Old Trafford. This is because the seeming retrogression of certain players under Mourinho’s management (Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw amongst others0 is not one that has gone down well with certain members of the board.
An avid lover of the 4-4-2 formation, his love of offensive football (his Monaco side score for fun), ability to develop young players (Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho are just a few examples) as well as his willingness to work with a director of football make him the perfect replacement for the high-strung Mourinho.
#4 Laurent Blanc
The suave, soft-spoken Frenchman had been linked to the United job during the last days of the Van Gaal era when it became clear that the Dutchman could not deliver what the United hierarchy wanted in terms of trophies and a pleasing style of play.
The former Bordeaux, PSG and France national team manager had a brief stint playing for United as a replacement for Dutch defender Jaap Stam. Given how it ended for him at the Parisian giants, the Red Devils will be getting a man who is desperate to prove himself on the big stages.
He has shown that given the right kind of support, he can get a team to play the vibrant, attacking style of play United fans are desperate to see returning to their storied club.
While he was let go by PSG following his perceived failure to win the UEFA Champions League, he was able to deliver 10 titles including 3 Ligue 1 trophies in his 3 years at the club. Already used to managing big egos, Blanc will be able to easily manage the United dressing room that currently seems to be rebelling against Mourinho.
His favoured 4-3-3 formation could help get the best out of players like Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial and like Jardim, he won’t have issues working with the proposed director of football which the club is said to be targeting.
#3 Marcelino Garcia Toral
Taking over the basket case that is Valencia is a challenge that would have scared even the hardiest of coaches but it is a challenge that Marcelino embraced.
He joined the club at a time when Los Che was in utter shambles. Under his firm but fair leadership, the club has been reborn as the playing squad has been transformed the team into a rugged, cohesive unit that plays brilliant attacking football while remaining solid at the back.
His sterling work was also evident at Villarreal. Taking over a team that had been relegated and forced to sell its best assets, he led the team back to La Liga and three consecutive top-six finishes including a Europa League semi-final.
At each of his most recent jobs, he has clearly shown his ability to work wonders even with restrictions and his ability to blood academy players is one that fits in with United’s ethos.
While his attacking philosophy is apparent wherever he has gone, he is very meticulous with his team’s defensive work and is a coach who is always seeking to improve upon what he has and find solutions from within.
This would be a sea change from the mood-dampening football that the team has been playing under Mourinho. While he may not be the big name most fans would be hoping for, his penchant for improving youth players and playing attacking football is sure to win them over if he is signed.
#2 Antonio Conte
Another high-strung, high-maintenance coach, Conte’s availability following his sack by Chelsea and his pedigree make him an ideal candidate to take over the Manchester United job if Mourinho were to leave.
A serial winner of league and cup competitions, his intensity, passion, and desire for perfection could be the tonic to lift a team of players that have looked lost and bereft of ideas in recent times under the “Special One”.
Bringing in a manager like the former Juventus tactician would be beneficial to the team in its current iteration as he will be able to give the team’s underperforming centrebacks the security of playing with 3 men at the back.
In his favoured 3-4-3 formation, Manchester United could get better balance than in the current 4-3-2-1 that Jose favours. With this formation, Pogba would be free of his defensive duties and affect the game more in an attacking sense.
Having Conte who has had issues at two previous clubs; Juventus and Chelsea due to transfers would force the United hierarchy to back him extensively in getting the players he wants which would make the team stronger.
His unwillingness to play young players and his overtly passionate nature will count against him but if United were to go the way of getting another experienced, world-class manager, he could be a perfect choice.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
The number one choice among bookmakers and fans, there would be a great uplift in positivity if the French legend were to be appointed in Mourinho’s stead.
Zidane’s playing career was a storied one as the elegant playmaker won everything there was to win as a player while wow-ing fans with his dazzling skills.
This brilliance is one that has followed him into his managerial career. Appointed as Real Madrid’s manager in the aftermath of Rafa Benitez’s sack in the 2015-2016 season, nobody foresaw what was to follow.
The job of managing Real Madrid is perhaps the most demanding job in football as it involves dealing with some very demanding fans, a volatile president in Florentino Perez and some of the biggest egos in world football in the dressing room.
Zidane handled all that perfectly and won 9 trophies in his two and the half seasons at the club including a record-breaking three consecutive UCL titles.
The arrival of Zidane with his glittering array of titles as a player and manager as well as his larger-than-life reputation would command the instant respect of all the players. Coupled with his exceptional man management skills, he would restore harmony to the team and the club.
