4 big mistakes Jose Mourinho made at Manchester United

Jose Mourinho is currently enduring one of the worst moments of his managerial career. The Portuguese arrived at Manchester United with so much hope but has so far failed to make any meaningful impact at Old Trafford.

The former Porto and Real Madrid boss may have won the Europa League and the EFL Cup in his debut season with the Red Devils, but results have since been poor and it now looks like it’s just a matter of time before he is axed from the post.

Also, despite United finishing 2nd in the Premier League last season, the club’s round of 16 exit at the hands of Sevilla was particularly unacceptable for both fans and the board. Mourinho is a great manager – and his achievements speak for him – but the fact is that he has refused to move with the changing trend.

He keeps on doing the same old things, and he will definitely keep on getting the same results. Saturday’s 3-1 loss to West Ham was the Red Devils’s third of the season, leaving the club already eight points adrift of the top after just seven games in the Premier League.

There are certain mistakes that the Portuguese has continuously repeated in his over three-year period as manager of Manchester United, and until he rectifies them, the Red Devils do not look like they will come good anytime soon.

Below are four of Mourinho’s biggest mistakes at United:

#4 Signing Sanchez when Martial was on form

Sanchez has so far failed to shine since arriving at Old Traff

Jose Mourinho is noted for often confusing personal matters with that of professional. And the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January was one of such cases. He simply wanted to make a statement. Manchester United already had Anthony Martial in the form of his life at the time, and all the Frenchman needed was a consistent run in the first team to get better.

However, the signing of Sanchez stalled Martial’s development and till date, he has never been himself. That the former Monaco star is now a pale shadow of himself is the fault of Mourinho who tried to fix what was never broken.

The Portuguese tactician may never admit that he erred in bringing the Chilean to Old Trafford, but deep down, anytime that Alexis underperforms he would know that that was never a shrewd business he did.

Should Mourinho leave United today, he would definitely know that one of his biggest mistakes was buying a player just because he wanted to get one over his eternal rival Pep Guardiola, rather than improve his own team.

#3 Failing to change his defensive mind-set

The Portuguese manager has stuck to his defensive style

Another unpardonable mistake of Mourinho since he joined United has been his reluctance to change his style of play. The Portuguese is famed for his ragged and defensive approach to games, but many thought that he would alter his game when he moved to Old Trafford.

Mourinho, though, has so far stuck to his guns despite the call for attacking football from fans and pundits alike. It is a mistake he will soon regret, especially with the Old Trafford faithful increasingly growing tired of the unattractive football on display.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United was ruthless and normally took games to their opponents. However, Mourinho’s team is at complete variance to what the legendary scot built. Despite having an attacking worth of talent at his disposal, Mourinho’s United continues to play dull and uninspiring football.

Some may argue that that is his style, but times are changing and those who refuse to change get left behind, just like Mourinho is finding out now.

#2 Laying blame on his players

Mourinho's public criticism of his players is not a good thing

Man-management is a key aspect of coaching and at this moment Mourinho seems not to have it in his locker. The Portuguese previously used to lay into the media and shield his lieutenants, but in recent times he seems to rather take refuge in laying the blame on his players when things go wrong.

There is a reason why players like Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Terry and Wesley Sneijder always wanted to die on the pitch for Mourinho. These players knew that he would be there to defend them when things got tough. But can we say same about Mourinho now?

He seems to have totally lost it and instead of taking the blame when things go wrong, he rather pushes it to others. In his over two years stay at United, Mourinho has publicly criticised the likes of Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Eric Bailly.

Putting blame on players can only create disaffection for a manager and it is a mistake that Mourinho is currently paying for, as it is evident most of his players are unwilling to die for him on the pitch.

#1 Falling out with his players

Mourinho has reportedly fallen out with as many as four United players

Aside putting blame on his players, another big mistake that Jose Mourinho is committing at Manchester United is his tendency to fall out with his charges. The recent training ground bust-up with Paul Pogba may have been the most visible, but the fact is that all is not well at Old Trafford.

Pogba is not the only Manchester United player not on good terms with his manager. Anthony Martial and Eric Bailly are also reportedly not on the best of terms with the Portuguese. Once a manager begins falling out with his players, then it means he is losing the dressing room.

And once factions are created in the dressing room, as is the case at United currently, there is no doubt that the manager in charge is gradually nearing his end. No player would give off his best for an out-of-favour manager. Every smart coach would try to avoid such a scenario.

But fallouts have become synonymous with Mourinho at almost every club he manages. He paid for this mistake at Real Madrid and Chelsea, and he is very likely to pay for it again at United.