Jose Mourinho | 2017/18 Assessments | Poll Added

[K2K]

Succinctly, but well said


Yes that's mostly true, but I'd hope that won't be the case for too long

I just hope the football does improve because I'm not looking forward to a new manager.

Think we have pressed the reset button far too many times without any massive progress.

 

[redIndianDevil]

By his own admission, he is looking to upgrade full back(s). Bailly has been regularly injured and Lindelof had been bought for a 3-man defence. Mourinho couldn't have brought a whole new team in just two years!

Every United fan knew our right back was crap even before Mourinho took over, but it has taken him 2 years to notice it? Bailly hasn't also started when he has been fit and the manager has came out with some pretty lame excuses for the same. No Lindelof wasn't bought for that specific purpose, he was bought because he was thought to be good on the ball, that's it. He has bought 8 players and that IS a new team.

 

[CG1010]

By the beginning of next season he would have bought 11/12 players, we'll see what the excuses will be if we're not playing good football

I agree. After this window, this should be his team and if its still playing disjointly then he won't have any excuse. But can't expect the team to play with attacking swagger much, unfortunately that's just not Mourinho's style. But with some luck I hope we could acquire his Chelsea - 1 team's like efficiency.

 

[CG1010]

Every United fan knew our right back was crap even before Mourinho took over, but it has taken him 2 years to notice it? Bailly hasn't also started when he has been fit and the manager has came out with some pretty lame excuses for the same. No Lindelof wasn't bought for that specific purpose, he was bought because he was thought to be good on the ball, that's it. He has bought 8 players and that IS a new team.

Well if you didn't want to buy 7-8 players in one window and had to choose between buying a striker or a RB, what would you choose? The way I see it, Mourinho has tried to make the core of the team stronger with Lukaku, Pogba, Bailly, Matic, etc. Not all his moves have been fully successful but generally the team has improved.

Anyway the original point was whether this team has greater potential and is being inhibited by the management style of Mourinho or whether it's the quality of players which is limiting the team (something that Mourinho is partly responsible for in any case). The point I was making was that I don't see this group of players achieving much more than what they are achieving, i.e., being second in the league and reaching a maximum of quarter finals of CL, etc. Because that's what they are good at.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

But why is our team with Mata, Martial, Pogba, Herrera, Rashford, Lukaku, Sanchez playing only at a fraction of our full potential? I'm afraid our main issue is not personnel, it's the cnut whistle in charge.

Because the “full potential” of that set of players is purely hypothetical. There’s a not insignificant possibility that what we’re seeing is as good as it gets.

 

[Suedesi]

Because the “full potential” of that set of players is purely hypothetical. There’s a not insignificant possibility that what we’re seeing is as good as it gets.

In the case of Mata, Pogba, Martial and Sanchez there's ample evidence to their full potential from playing for prior clubs, managers or with the national team. I think the more likely possibility is that our present manager doesn't know how to make it work.

 

[breakout67]

In the case of Mata, Pogba, Martial and Sanchez there's ample evidence to their full potential from playing for prior clubs, managers or with the national team. I think the more likely possibility is that our present manager doesn't know how to make it work.

I have no idea why Mata and Martial are even on that list. Mata has been underwhelming in his whole time here, and Martial had 1 good season where the team was built to give him service and we ended up in 5th place because we could barely score a goal a game.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

In the case of Mata, Pogba, Martial and Sanchez there's ample evidence to their full potential from playing for prior clubs, managers or with the national team. I think the more likely possibility is that our present manager doesn't know how to make it work.

Nope. Not true. Martial’s been dropped by his national team. Pogba’s been getting a lot of stick for his performances for France as well, before and after he signed for United. Sanchez has been exactly as bad for Arsenal as he has been for us and Mata’s been worse this season than he was last season under the same manager. So don’t see how his recent decline can be put down to Mourinho.

Going through that list of players, one by one, there’s more evidence that their poor performances this season are a problem for Mourinho as manager, than there is any evidence that he’s the cause of their poor performances.

 

[fellaini's barber]

Nope. Not true. Martial’s been dropped by his national team. Pogba’s been getting a lot of stick for his performances for France as well, before and after he signed for United. Sanchez has been exactly as bad for Arsenal as he has been for us and Mata’s been worse this season than he was last season under the same manager. So don’t see how his recent decline can be put down to Mourinho.

Going through that list of players, one by one, there’s more evidence that their poor performances this season are a problem for Mourinho as manager, than there is any evidence that he’s the cause of their poor performances.

So if most of the players he inherited and bought are all regressing what the feck are we going to do? Let him ship them all out and hope the next batch he brings in don't end up in the same fate?

 

[Suedesi]

Result-wise this team is playing upto its potential in the league I feel. What do you think the potential of this team is? I suppose they could have got a maximum of 6-8 points more perhaps but no chance of a title. Even in CL we should have won against Sevilla, and that's certainly down to the manager, but we are miles behind Real Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona, etc. in terms of quality.

In terms of playing style, we still have technically limited players like Young, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Fellaini regularly in the team. Which other big team in the world can say this?

Results-wise, we beat every team in the league - so potentially we should have challenged for the league. The fact amongst those results, we also lost to all the newly promoted side shows we clearly didn't realize our potential. Whether is application, tactics, personnel, motivation that's a complex question that certainly needs to be analyzed further.

You mention RM, Bayern, Barcelona - but out of those teams one made it to the CL final, the rest fell away. Are we miles off Liverpool? Roma? Sevilla?

Personnel-wise you mention limited players like Young, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Fellaini - which I agree with - but I don't see Mourinho rectifying the problem. He's bought Bailly and Lindelof to play as CB's yet he still persists with Smalling and Jones. Mourinho is the one insisting on Young and Valencia, and he's also the one clamoring for Fellaini to be given a new contract. So you can't point at deadwood and absolve the manager, when he's the one insisting on said deadwood.

 

[CG1010]

Results-wise, we beat every team in the league - so potentially we should have challenged for the league. The fact amongst those results, we also lost to all the newly promoted side shows we clearly didn't realize our potential. Whether is application, tactics, personnel, motivation that's a complex question that certainly needs to be analyzed further.

It doesn't work that way. In theory, our teams in 2007-08 and 2008-09 should have got to 100 points goven they were so much better than others. Do you honestly see this team to have been able to challenge a City team with the kind of performance it showed. Honestly I didn't with the set of players we had. But I expect Mourinho and United to rise to the challenge next season.

You mention RM, Bayern, Barcelona - but out of those teams one made it to the CL final, the rest fell away. Are we miles off Liverpool? Roma? Sevilla?

I already said Sevilla was a set back. But Liverpool reaching the final was a freak result which happens in the cup games. Clearly they are an inferior side to Bayern, Juve et al.

Personnel-wise you mention limited players like Young, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Fellaini - which I agree with - but I don't see Mourinho rectifying the problem. He's bought Bailly and Lindelof to play as CB's yet he still persists with Smalling and Jones. Mourinho is the one insisting on Young and Valencia, and he's also the one clamoring for Fellaini to be given a new contract. So you can't point at deadwood and absolve the manager, when he's the one insisting on said deadwood.

He has replaced Rooney with Lukaku, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger with Pogba and Matic, got players like Sanchez, Bailly. You cannot expect him to upgrade the whole team in one go. Clearly he is focusing on getting new full backs, CB and a CM this window. He wants Fellaini to sign a new contract but only as a squad option for certain games, and not as a first team player in LVGs season.

This season would be a pivotal one for him as he should be aggressive and plug all remaining gaps in the team.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

So if most of the players he inherited and bought are all regressing what the feck are we going to do? Let him ship them all out and hope the next batch he brings in don't end up in the same fate?

Or, you know, be more patient than that?

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Because the “full potential” of that set of players is purely hypothetical. There’s a not insignificant possibility that what we’re seeing is as good as it gets.

We’ve seen them all play to a higher standard here and at other teams so as a collective group it might be hypothetical but we know that can all do much better. The question is why aren’t they playing to the standards they’ve shown previously and what is the common factor.

 

[Igor Drefljak]

The signing of Fabinho does make me feel a bit uneasy.
I know it's early doors, but if Fabinho and Keita come in and perform, they've massively upgraded their midfield. I think the performances in goal will also be addressed.
Klopp has come in and for the most part, made things work. Salah, Firminho and Mane up top has worked. Keita and Fabinho are both potentially good signings. Defence has been an issue for them, but I do think a lot of it is also down to how attacking they are.

Now, when I say uneasy, what I mean is, the difference is, we've signed some great players, yet we've not really got out of them what we expected.
Pogba came here billed as a big player with even more potential, yet we've not really seen it yet.
Sanchez, albeit a 6 month career so far, has looked lost on the pitch, yet would be considered a top player for most clubs
Lukaku still has mixed feelings, as some consider him a focal point with no technique

I think this summer is a big one for us. We really need to address the full backs as well as add some quality in midfield.

I worry about Liverpool, because for the most part, I think Klopp has them punching above their weight, and is adding better players, whereas I feel we, with our brand of football, hold back our better players, who could offer a lot more if given the trust of the manager to do so

 

[Oneunited26]

Results-wise, we beat every team in the league - so potentially we should have challenged for the league. The fact amongst those results, we also lost to all the newly promoted side shows we clearly didn't realize our potential. Whether is application, tactics, personnel, motivation that's a complex question that certainly needs to be analyzed further.

You mention RM, Bayern, Barcelona - but out of those teams one made it to the CL final, the rest fell away. Are we miles off Liverpool? Roma? Sevilla?

Personnel-wise you mention limited players like Young, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Fellaini - which I agree with - but I don't see Mourinho rectifying the problem. He's bought Bailly and Lindelof to play as CB's yet he still persists with Smalling and Jones. Mourinho is the one insisting on Young and Valencia, and he's also the one clamoring for Fellaini to be given a new contract. So you can't point at deadwood and absolve the manager, when he's the one insisting on said deadwood.

It’s this bolded part I added is why I am not convinced with mourinho, or his style of football. But we talk about deadwood but I don’t see the manager moving on and replacing Valencia, Jones, smalling, young, fellaini, but he’s embracing these players. But these problems this also makes the whole era stagnating and regressing, when these players have been here since the tail end of the Ferguson era and the entire moyes and VG era. The few years Jose I has been here, Valencia, Jones, smalling, young and Fellaini have not been replaced, that’s poor squad building on his part. I think because of these decisions, we are behind on the squad building because of these decisions.

 

[SteveJ]

Mourinho: "I am not close to leaving Manchester United"

When asked if he is getting tired and considering the Portugal job, Mourinho told GQ: “No. No! I am not close at all.

“I think being the coach of a club is my job. Because I need to play matches every week and train every day.

“I would say I am even further away from being tired now than I was a few years ago.”

 

[Garethw]

I like Mourinho but have hated the football he has had us playing this season. He needs a total tactical rethink for 90% of our games.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

His win ratio at United is 0.3% behind his win ratio at Inter after 2 seasons at both clubs.

67 wins, 26 draws, 15 losses at Inter; 74 wins, 25 draws, 21 losses at United.

It's not that he has regressed as a manager, it's just the game is becoming much more competitive. Only the elite succeed from this point.

 

[Rajma]

His win ratio at United is 0.3% behind his win ratio at Inter after 2 seasons at both clubs.

67 wins, 26 draws, 15 losses at Inter; 74 wins, 25 draws, 21 losses at United.

It's not that he has regressed as a manager, it's just the game is becoming much more competitive. Only the elite succeed from this point.

I re-watched some of the Inter games under his tenure and they played - believe it or not the very same slow and laborious type of football in a way we do, there's wasn't much competition domestically to challenge them though. However, then I remember the monstrous Chelsea side of his and holding on to the hope he may do something similar with us but then that side had Drogba.

 

[The Mitcher]

I re-watched some of the Inter games under his tenure and they played - believe it or not the very same slow and laborious type of football in a way we do, there's wasn't much competition domestically to challenge them though. However, then I remember the monstrous Chelsea side of his and holding on to the hope he may do something similar with us but then that side had Drogba.

TBH, that Inter team was also much older than ours and it is Italy where the style of play is much slower in general. I think the transfers of this summer and spring show we are stepping away from that, hell, we didn't play like that at the start of last season.

 

[Jonno]

His win ratio at United is 0.3% behind his win ratio at Inter after 2 seasons at both clubs.

67 wins, 26 draws, 15 losses at Inter; 74 wins, 25 draws, 21 losses at United.

It's not that he has regressed as a manager, it's just the game is becoming much more competitive. Only the elite succeed from this point.

Or the size of the task he inherited at United was the toughest.

He took over a pretty good Inter team who would be expected to finish top 2.

At United, he took over a side that was lucky to finish 5th with LVG, which had a p!ss poor squad that looked broken from 3 managerial tenures. If you took his win ratio from this season, 1 year after re-building the squad it would be a much higher win ratio than at Inter.

 

[Jonno]

Mourinho: "I am not close to leaving Manchester United"

Funny that, because some posters have argued with me until they're blue in the face that Mourinho "is going to have a 3rd season syndrome", "is going to implode", "doesn't like to stay at clubs long term, etc, etc, etc.

Despite their reasoning for these arguments being because of his times at:

Chelsea (incredibly difficult club to stay at longer than 2-3 years, ask Conte, Hiddink, Ancelotti, Di Matteo, Ranieri)

Real Madrid (incredibly difficult club to stay at longer than 2-3 years, ask Zidane, Benitez, Ancelotti, Pellegrini, Ramos, Schuster, Capello)

Porto (obviously climbing the managerial pyramid and it was obvious and expected that he would leave for a bigger club)

Inter (obviously wasn't going to turn down his one chance of managing Real Madrid, went out on a high after winning the league and CL).

What these posters don't understand is, he is loved by the board, the players and the majority of supporters. He finally has the chance to have a project as big as Porto.

 

[Silas]

Mourinho: "I am not close to leaving Manchester United"

I'm nitpicking, but he doesn't actually say that. All he says is that he isn't close to considering moving on from the club manager role.

 

[gron84]

442 for me Fast tempo, get the crosses in quick, make sure there’s body’s in the box. Call me old fashion but it worked for us for over 20 years!!

 

[Womp]

Has no more excuses this upcoming season. With the budget we have available, he should be able to improve the remaining areas of the squad. If we neglect the LB position in favour of yet another expensive CB, or an attacker and it doesn't work out, it's on him.

 

[Kostov]

In a situation where our attack lacked a RW, we went and bought Alexis just to play him on the left. That way losing our best attacking spark and unsettling our best winger in Martial.

Now we look like we still don’t have a RW, but we also are loosing Martial, while we pray to God Alexis comes back a different player from what he showed this half season. I’m not sure about what the cafe thinks, but it sounds bonkers to me. Utterly fecking pathetic planning.

I have very little faith in Mourinho delivering the title next year.

 

[LeftyBlaster]

In a situation where our attack lacked a RW, we went and bought Alexis just to play him on the left. That way losing our best attacking spark and unsettling our best winger in Martial.

Now we look like we still don’t have a RW, but we also are loosing Martial, while we pray to God Alexis comes back a different player from what he showed this half season. I’m not sure about what the cafe thinks, but it sounds bonkers to me. Utterly fecking pathetic planning.

I have very little faith in Mourinho delivering the title next year.

You're being very lenient there. I have zero faith he will. We have no team identity and have showed no signs of even working towards one.

 

[Adisa]

Waiting to see how the summer takes shape.

 

[Isotope]

Keep spending 200m+ a year, even Giggs could keep this team in Top 4. I don't know why being in Top 4 next season is the baseline for some here.

 

[Hawks2008]

Keep spending 200m+ a year, even Giggs could keep this team in Top 4. I don't know why being in Top 4 next season is the baseline for some here.

Yeah, there are no more excuses this year. If he fails to deliver the PL or CL then he should go.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Nope. Not true. Martial’s been dropped by his national team. Pogba’s been getting a lot of stick for his performances for France as well, before and after he signed for United. Sanchez has been exactly as bad for Arsenal as he has been for us and Mata’s been worse this season than he was last season under the same manager. So don’t see how his recent decline can be put down to Mourinho.

Going through that list of players, one by one, there’s more evidence that their poor performances this season are a problem for Mourinho as manager, than there is any evidence that he’s the cause of their poor performances.

That's not entirely true. Mata and Sanchez definitely saw their form dip before Mourinho got paws on them (although he did sign Sanchez after lull/wane). However Martial was brilliant (for a 20 year old) for us before he came under Jose's leadership, and Pogba was outstanding (in general) for Juventus before he came under Mourinho's leadership.

If I'm not mistaken even Rashford was better prior to Mourinho despite playing more under him.

 

[K2K]

Funny that, because some posters have argued with me until they're blue in the face that Mourinho "is going to have a 3rd season syndrome", "is going to implode", "doesn't like to stay at clubs long term, etc, etc, etc.

Despite their reasoning for these arguments being because of his times at:

Chelsea (incredibly difficult club to stay at longer than 2-3 years, ask Conte, Hiddink, Ancelotti, Di Matteo, Ranieri)

Real Madrid (incredibly difficult club to stay at longer than 2-3 years, ask Zidane, Benitez, Ancelotti, Pellegrini, Ramos, Schuster, Capello)

Porto (obviously climbing the managerial pyramid and it was obvious and expected that he would leave for a bigger club)

Inter (obviously wasn't going to turn down his one chance of managing Real Madrid, went out on a high after winning the league and CL).

What these posters don't understand is, he is loved by the board, the players and the majority of supporters. He finally has the chance to have a project as big as Porto.

I like Mourinho but something definitely happened at Madrid.

He generally left most of his clubs amicably before that. Materazzi was even in tears when he left Inter .

But then Real happened and Jose fell out with almost half his team. Casillas (and the whole Antonio Adan saga), Pepe, Ramos and even Ronaldo. It was toxic .

Thought that was once off and then he returned to his beloved Chelsea and the same thing happened again. Probably to an even worse scale. The whole squad except maybe Willian stopped playing for him.

He's fallen out with a number of players at United already. Thrown a few under the bus. And seems paranoid for some reason. Especially when it comes to criticism. Which he is always willing to deflect even if it means blaming the players in public. It's eerily similar of his second Chelsea spell.


I don't know what kind of season we will have next year but I do expect this sort of behaviour to continue. It's how the players will react that's the issue .

 

[Jonno]

I like Mourinho but something definitely happened at Madrid.

He generally left most of his clubs amicably before that. Materazzi was even in tears when he left Inter .

But then Real happened and Jose fell out with almost half his team. Casillas (and the whole Antonio Adan saga), Pepe, Ramos and even Ronaldo. It was toxic .

Thought that was once off and then he returned to his beloved Chelsea and the same thing happened again. Probably to an even worse scale. The whole squad except maybe Willian stopped playing for him.

He's fallen out with a number of players at United already. Thrown a few under the bus. And seems paranoid for some reason. Especially when it comes to criticism. Which he is always willing to deflect even if it means blaming the players in public. It's eerily similar of his second Chelsea spell.


I don't know what kind of season we will have next year but I do expect this sort of behaviour to continue. It's how the players will react that's the issue .

True that something happened at Madrid, but this is Madrid, they take their national team coach just days before a World Cup, they run their club in a certain way and have an unbelievable arrogance about them. They also have a very specific transfer policy, certain tactics you must adhere to, the players also run the dressing room, he was basically hired as a head coach and a motivator at Madrid and he didn't like it. Clash of egos, clash of styles maybe?

Similar at Chelsea, they were declining on their spending, the players are there longer than the managers so they feel they own the dressing room. He has a certain style of management but it wins things, and the squad basically ousted him when they'd had enough.

But knowing how our club Manchester United is run, I know that he's been hired as the complete manager, he gets exactly what he wants, he gets his own transfer policy, freedom of speech, his own style of play, the power to clear an entire squad if they don't want to play his way, he has a world-class Chief Executive in Ed Woodward, he has professional hands off owners in the Glazers, and for that reason I think he is the happiest he's ever been at a club and at the perfect stage of his career, too.

What happened at Chelsea is already failing to happen at United. The unhappy players can leave, rather than oust the manager.

 

[Jonno]

Keep spending 200m+ a year, even Giggs could keep this team in Top 4. I don't know why being in Top 4 next season is the baseline for some here.

We were comfortably the 2nd best team in the entire division, only to a team that smashed every record written in the Premier League.

A team that has completely outspent us

A team that has at least 2 world class players in every single position. This has taken about 5-6 years of good spending. United have only had a clear transfer policy and been wise in the market since Jose arrived, 2 years ago. Previous to that we were messing around with random agent offerings like Falcao, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, Darmian, Blind, Fellaini, Depay, Schneiderlain, Rojo, etc etc etc - so when you consider City were heavily investing in world class stars at that same time, preparing for this period with Pep, you will realise that we are still 3-4 years behind City in terms of constructing a complete squad and yet what, you demand more points than City?

Literally, no manager in the history of the PL has constructed a team that can reach over 100 points in a season apart from Pep.

But continue to moan that this seasons results of a 3rd cup final in 2 seasons and a 2nd place finish, scoring over 80 points, weren't good enough.

 

[Jonno]

You're being very lenient there. I have zero faith he will. We have no team identity and have showed no signs of even working towards one.

Liverpool have tremendous identity under Klopp, as to Spurs under Poch, but they don't and won't come close to winning the league.

United comfortably finished above them both this season, as well as beating them head on in games, yet get absolutely no recognition from some of our own fans.

 

[walkinhop]

Liverpool have tremendous identity under Klopp, as to Spurs under Poch, but they don't and won't come close to winning the league.

United comfortably finished above them both this season, as well as beating them head on in games, yet get absolutely no recognition from some of our own fans.

Yeah, Liverpool the feeder club who sell their best players every couple of seasons and Tottenham with Levy and the new stadium. We really showed those 2 teams how it's done.

 

[Isotope]

We were comfortably the 2nd best team in the entire division, only to a team that smashed every record written in the Premier League.

A team that has completely outspent us

A team that has at least 2 world class players in every single position. This has taken about 5-6 years of good spending. United have only had a clear transfer policy and been wise in the market since Jose arrived, 2 years ago. Previous to that we were messing around with random agent offerings like Falcao, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, Darmian, Blind, Fellaini, Depay, Schneiderlain, Rojo, etc etc etc - so when you consider City were heavily investing in world class stars at that same time, preparing for this period with Pep, you will realise that we are still 3-4 years behind City in terms of constructing a complete squad and yet what, you demand more points than City?

Literally, no manager in the history of the PL has constructed a team that can reach over 100 points in a season apart from Pep.

But continue to moan that this seasons results of a 3rd cup final in 2 seasons and a 2nd place finish, scoring over 80 points, weren't good enough.

Liverpool was Salah away to maybe get their hands on CL.

City will spend more and more. So why bother then if you use them spending more as excuse?

And did you watch our biggest game last season against a deprived Chelsea? Just mindlessly foreplay around the middle of the pitch, but no penetration in the final third.

And if we go with his transfer policy preference, United would be full of 29-35 y/o high-wages players, with no thinking about the future. All his younger players purchase, have failed to live up to their potential.

 

[iluvoursolskjær]

After Sevilla and Brighton (when the gaffer berated our players for performing poorly after he jad spent 2 whole days training attacking play) last season, I had my mind made up that it's much more important on the whole that we work on being a better footballing side - even if it meant finishing 3rd as opposed to 2nd (who gives a feck now let's be real??). I felt at the time that that show of intent would create a much more positive vibe around the club, one of optimism and now with hindsight I'd say I was right.

Sure we got a few decent results against rivals but on the whole the football was still shit as was that abomination that was the F.A cup final. Now, 5 transfer windows and going in to the 3rd season it's make or break with Jose for me. He either wins a major title or his time here has been a failure.

I'd personally go as far as to say even if he does win anything, we should thank him for his services, shake hands and go our ways because that would without doubt be the peak of it. (It's not going to happen btw, I'm sorry but it just isnt).

 

[K2K]

True that something happened at Madrid, but this is Madrid, they take their national team coach just days before a World Cup, they run their club in a certain way and have an unbelievable arrogance about them. They also have a very specific transfer policy, certain tactics you must adhere to, the players also run the dressing room, he was basically hired as a head coach and a motivator at Madrid and he didn't like it. Clash of egos, clash of styles maybe?

Similar at Chelsea, they were declining on their spending, the players are there longer than the managers so they feel they own the dressing room. He has a certain style of management but it wins things, and the squad basically ousted him when they'd had enough.

But knowing how our club Manchester United is run, I know that he's been hired as the complete manager, he gets exactly what he wants, he gets his own transfer policy, freedom of speech, his own style of play, the power to clear an entire squad if they don't want to play his way, he has a world-class Chief Executive in Ed Woodward, he has professional hands off owners in the Glazers, and for that reason I think he is the happiest he's ever been at a club and at the perfect stage of his career, too.

What happened at Chelsea is already failing to happen at United. The unhappy players can leave, rather than oust the manager.

Ed Woodward started speaking to both Van Gaal and Mourinho while their predecessors when in the job. Make no mistake about it . Woodward isn't afraid to get rid of underperforming managers. And Jose will be a goner if results are poor. I doubt he has freedom to clear the entire squad either. Woodward has mentioned a few years ago that our Summers of complete overhauls where over. It's easier to get rid of one manager than an entire squad .

I have no doubt that the players may not have made it easy for him at Real and Chelsea but Mourinho wasn't exactly blameless either.

He chose to get involved with public spats with most of his players. At Real, that was never going to endear him to anyone. And it wasn't just the players either. He had problems with Valdano too when he arrived . He used to create a sense of us vs them mentality with most of his team's before this job. But at Madrid something changed with him and it became a case of us vs us.

If he falls out with most of our squad too and results tank. He will be gone. The fact that he doesn't have a long term contract makes that easy for the club to get rid . Sadly he doesn't seem to have moved on from his tendencies to engage in public spats with players .

 

[LeftyBlaster]

Liverpool have tremendous identity under Klopp, as to Spurs under Poch, but they don't and won't come close to winning the league.

United comfortably finished above them both this season, as well as beating them head on in games, yet get absolutely no recognition from some of our own fans.

Less comfortable than you make it out to be. The point difference was my much. And by that same argument, City finished VERY comfortably above us too. It’s very clear that our deficiencies in playstyle prevented us from closing that gap.