O Jose, Where Art Thou When Manchester United Needs You?

Manchester United did not win the Premier League title last season; which means that it was the first time in his career that Jose Mourinho had failed to win a league title after two seasons at a club.

Some optimistic fans will argue that it’s not a disaster. Second place isn’t bad. They can do better next season. Besides, Manchester City under Pep Guardiola was virtually untouchable last season. They were a class apart.

These fans are not entirely wrong but they somehow fail to understand that coming second is not what Manchester United does. And the argument that they can do better next season brings to memory the familiar words of Liverpool supporters, words which have lost their meaning with the passage of time.

The words: “Next year will be our year!”

Manchester United is not Liverpool. It is a club that wins. Mourinho did win the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season but his record in the Champions League with United is not what people expected.

No league title in his first two years enhance the feelings of anxiety, restlessness, and fear which United supporters have felt since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.

In addition to the inability of getting results on the big stage with United, the one thing for which Jose has been hugely criticized, especially by ardent United fans is his park-the-bus strategy and overly defensive tactics.

Mourinho fails to realise that what the majority of United fans loved about their club under Sir Alex was the freedom that the players had and the attacking brand of football which they played - football that is beautiful and easy on the eye.

The kind of football which resulted in Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a breath-taking 31 league goals in a season. The brand of football in which Robin van Persie could score goals for fun and someone like Wayne Rooney could put everyone in Old Trafford at the edge of their seats with his magic.

Football which brings joy with every passing second, in which every cross could lead to a goal, every run could tear defences and every time the team is losing, a comeback was always expected even if a bit of ‘Fergie Time’ was required.

Anyone who follows Mourinho knows what he achieved with Real Madrid in the 2011/12 season. Real won the title with a total of 100 points and 32 wins, 16 of which were away wins, scoring an astonishing 121 goals and a goal difference of +89.

To this Mourinho, who can win with flair and style and dominance and total control, do the current United faithful ask: “O Jose, Where Art Thou?”