NYAS
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- Dec 25, 2012
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Because he isn't as good as Guardiola is, pretty much. I really don't like Mourinho as United's manager (but oddly still kind of like the guy, as I used to like him at Chelsea and all that... just not at United), but he is still a top manager. Not the very best, but that's not the problem. The problem is he isn't suited to this club. My issue with the line of thinking of "win the league or bust" is that it's a very harsh mentality. IMO, as long as there are plenty of encouraging signs, then the manager should stay. General points like these:
Then for certain clubs, there are other points that really need to be fulfilled (and I thought United was one of these clubs):
- A progression in quality of performances (whether that's defensive play or offensive, it gives you hope that he's doing the right thing).
- Improvement in players already at the club (no brainer, but also gives you hope that with even better players they can make a further step up as a club.
- Consistency in style of play (a manager changing his tactics for every single game makes me think he doesn't know what he's doing and he's just trying anything. Not changing formation or making the odd exception, but general play style and tactics).
- Good results (because it's nice to have everything else, but at the end of the day, you do need at least your base objectives like get top 4)
Things like this is more United specific. I would never say trophies are a necessity in one specific season, as luck can just really not go your way and you end up runners up in everything. Would be dumb to sack somebody if they finished runners up in the league but had huge progression in overall play style, improved everyone at the club, and so on.
- Entertaining football
- Giving youth a chance
- Never giving up/being defeatist in your comments as the manager, no matter what you actually believe
- Building a side with the aim to be the best (any side with the financial strength of United, City, PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich really should be striving for this, always building a side to try and outplay any other side. Teams like Atletico are more those who can't compete financially so build a side to nullify and compete like that. That's a big problem with Mourinho. Even at one of the 5 wealthiest clubs, he's dream is to build a side to nullify and not dominate)
The problem with Mourinho is that for me, he doesn't tick most of these points. Our quality of performance if anything deteriorates as the season goes on. The players at the club already have if anything, gone backwards for the most part. There is no consistency in style of play (or there is, if you consider how Mourinho goes to defend/kill the momentum of a game the second we play a decent side). He doesn't play entertaining football. He's always been one who alienates the promising young attacking players, and it's the case again (there's a difference with giving them appearances, and really nurturing them). Then obviously the last point, as Mourinho with all the money and players in the world, would still just build a side who could just nullify a dream Pep side, rather then dominate anyone.
The only thing he usually has going for him is results and getting trophies. He achieved the bare minimum with his results, because we failed in every cup competition, and if anything way over-achieved in our league position relative to the on field performances. So I'd be worried if I were him, because he needs to drastically change if he wants to keep his job past next season IMO.
I would agree with you if we are evaluating his first season and he achieves any of that. Or his second season.
But we’re talking about his third season next year and at a club like United, even if he hypothetically ticked every single box you mentioned in your post without actually winning the league, after 3 years, that’s a failure in my eyes. The things you alluded to would keep me going for a year or two but not forever. There has to be an end game. Just because Pep is a better manager doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect our manager to pull off a title once in a while.
On the other hand, if he didn’t achieve any of what you mentioned but still somehow won the league, I would obviously keep him. So what you say there is well and good as a means to an end, but not as a continuous acceptance so long as Pep is here.