Has Jose Mourinho's appointment helped Manchester United?

When Jose Mourinho was brought in to replace Louis Van Gaal, there were mixed feelings in Old Trafford. Sure, he could win the Premiership - he had proved that at Chelsea - but could he do it the Manchester United way?

Mourinho's appointment at Real Madrid was undoubtedly one of the most interesting appointments in football. Real were used to playing a Galactic brand of football, with them acquiring at least one stellar signing each year and playing a system of all-out attack. The question was, would Mourinho be allowed to do it his way? There were many fans who would prefer a 5-4 loss to a 1-0 one, but Real Madrid had to accept the fact that they would have to adapt to Mourinho's style if they were to win the cup.

The situation was not completely similar at Old Trafford. The Premier League, which they were so used to winning, had not been won for a few years. The new manager gave them hope. They were ready. Sure Mourinho would play a brand of football completely opposite to that played under Ferguson, but they didn't care. All they wanted was the trophy, no matter how it was delivered.

The first season, although ending in a 6th place finish, could not be called an absolute disaster. Mourinho had won three cups and one of them had helped Manchester United finally get back into the Champions League. It wasn't the best of seasons, but there was a marked improvement.

The second season began with talks of Mourinho's second-season syndrome. Whichever club he had managed had always won the League in the second season. United started the season with a bang with consecutive 4-0 wins and the player they had bought for goals scored 2 in his first game.

However, everything went downhill after the Liverpool game. Mourinho set up his side so that they wouldn't lose at Anfield and they didn't, the result being a boring 0-0 draw. Mourinho was criticized for his defensive approach to the game and from then on things took a turn for the worse with a loss at Huddersfield.

In the end, Mourinho managed to carry the team to a second place finish which would have been considered good had it not been for the other side of Manchester who had an absolutely stellar season under Pep Guardiola, accumulating 100 points and scoring over 100 goals.

The manager was criticised for his defensive approach and there were also signs of the players not wanting to play for him anymore. It was the same situation the whole season where the team would start the game defensively and only come to life after they had conceded.

The only high point of the season would be their comeback against Manchester City, fighting back from 2-0 down to beat them 3-2. But that was the only time they actually played to their potential with Paul Pogba putting in a performance worthy of his price tag.

The team had no enthusiasm and watched on helplessly as Sevilla beat them at home to knock them out of the Champions League. The improvement for which Mourinho was brought in wasn't happening and he knew he would have to change or else his job would be in danger. Although Mourinho claimed the season was his biggest accomplishment ever, the fans weren't really convinced.

The new season started off on a sour note as Mourinho's grumpy attitude during press conferences during the preseason marred proceedings. Mourinho warned the fans that this season was not going to go well unless he could make the signings he wanted. It seemed Ed Woodward was reluctant after seeing no results when Mourinho was allowed to spend lavishly.

Mourinho, despite his best attempts, could not get the center back he wanted with his pursuits for Alderweireld, Maguire and Boateng all failing. He tried to prove a point by playing Herrera in the CB position and was ultimately proved right as he lost away to Brighton & Hove Albion and to Tottenham Hotspur at home, the main issue appearing to be lack of cohesion in the center backs.

But things are a bit different now. Mourinho has shown a will to play attacking football with United's real potential being demonstrated against Burnley, where for the first time in years, fans got to witness a form of attacking football. His main acquisition Fred seems to be giving the enthusiasm they lacked and another young signing Dalot has turned out to be a talented fullback with an impressive performance in his debut.

Pogba seems to finally be playing at the level he is expected to and Lukaku, even though he missed a few brilliant chances, has definitely increased his work rate, running back during the opposition's counterattacks to help out his team's defense.

Of course I can't ignore David De Gea who has turned into a messiah for the Manchester United fans. Pulling off incredible saves, game after game, he has become the world's best Goalkeeper and is now referred to as the 'Messi of Goalkeepers' due to his reflexes and his ability to pull off brilliant game-changing saves out of nowhere.

Is Jose Mourinho the right man for Manchester United?

We are all used to Mourinho showing off his accolades and trophies to reporters during press conferences as his defense but he needs to forget those and prove that he really still is the special one.

Mourinho's team seems to finally be changing for the best and despite losing a home game after a three-game winning streak, with them not having to play any tough games for a few weeks, it seems like the perfect opportunity for United to catch up with Liverpool and Chelsea.