4 reasons why Manchester United should fire Jose Mourinho

In 2016, Manchester United replaced Louis van Gaal with Jose Mourinho rather unceremoniously. The 'Special One' had arrived at Manchester United under the expectation of improving Manchester United from its 5th place finish in the Premier League that season. Two years later, here we are. Manchester United have certainly improved on the 5th place finish, finishing 2nd in the 2017-18 season.

However, for a Manchester United manager, a 2nd place finish is not really enough, especially after 2 years at the helm. So, the question is, has Jose Mourinho done enough to earn another season at the helm? While that is for the Manchester United Board to decide, here are 4 arguments that call for Manchester United to part ways with Mourinho this season.

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#1 Lack of major Silverware

The Community Shield

Manchester United have not won a major trophy since the 2013 Premier League under Sir Alex himself. Under Jose Mourinho, in his two years in the head office, Manchester United have won the League Cup, the Community Shield and the Europa League.

While they are they are definitely indicative of some success, Manchester United are a club that used to winning Premier Leagues and Champions League trophies. Whats more, this situation does not seem to be improving, with reigning champions Manchester City and European finalists Liverpool strengthening up considerable this summer, while Manchester United have been dormant since the signings of Fred and Diogo Dalot.

#2 Habit of alienating certain players

Mourinho vs Luke Shaw

While at Manchester United, Mourinho has certainly had his fair share of dispute and strife. Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba, Andreas Pereira and most recently, Anthony Martial are just a few players who managed to get into Mourinho's bad books. Mourinho has publicly criticized Shaw multiple times for his apparent lack of effort while there have been plenty of rumours pitting Pogba against him due to his inconsistent form.

Andreas Pereira came under fire for choosing to go out of loan instead of staying and fighting for a first-team place last season and Martial has been criticized for cutting short his preseason to attend the birth of his second child.

This is a major problem not only because players like Pogba and Martial are capable of becoming world class players, but also because by singling out players one by one, Mourinho runs the risk of alienating key players and lose the support of the squad which, come midseason could wreak havoc.

#3 Lack of attacking flair in the Team's style of play

Manchester United under Mourinho

Yes, here it is, Mourinho's Manchester United is boring. While it may well have become a cliche by now, there is certainly some truth to this. Mourinho's teams have a tendency to search for the winning goal and, once scored, sit back and look to defend that lead.

With a strong defence, this tactic can certainly be successful. But a strong defence is something that United do not have. Arguably, the best defender is Eric Bailly and even he was benched repeatedly last season, apparently because he wasn't going to play in the World Cup. So, yes, that tactic does not work and even when it does, it is a marked deviation from the free-flowing, attacking playing style Manchester United has long been associated with.

#4 Lack of focus on youth development

Once just another Mourinho youth reject

Again, another oft-repeated accusation, Mourinho doesn't nurture youth players. One only needs to look at the level former Mourinho rejects De Bruyne, Lukaku and even Bonucci are at to see the truth in that accusation. While Mourinho can point to players like McTominay who has gotten a significant amount of playing time under him, they rather feel like the exceptions that prove the rule.

Even this preseason, Mourinho was reluctant to play Manchester United Academy products choosing instead to bemoan his lack of first-team players and overworking the few first-team players who did make it. He even went as far as to criticize the youth products publicly for not being at the same level as the first team regulars. This attitude could lead to talented youth players rejecting Manchester United for their development.