It seemed like a match made in heaven. When Manchester United announced in May 2016 that Jose Mourinho was going to take over as manager, the general opinion was that he would be the answer to United’s troubles.
He got off to a promising start as well. A win at Wembley in the Community Shield against Leicester City was followed by three wins out of three at the start of the new Premier League season. With marquee signings like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba added to the squad, all signs pointed to the self-proclaimed “Special One” leading United back to their glory days.
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However, the international break in September started a slump in their fine early form. Three consecutive defeats in all competitions preceded a run of eight games with only one win in the Premier League. Wins in Europe and the Capital One Cup gave fans hope only to see their team produce another frustrating display and drop points in the next match.
With indifferent home form and big name signings misfiring, the fans began to grow increasingly upset with Mourinho’s performance as United manager. Comparisons were made to his predecessors Louis van Gaal and David Moyes. People criticised his style of player management, and stories of unrest within the United camp seemed to crop up daily. It seemed like the problems that had caused his sacking at Chelsea had followed him to Manchester, and his job prospects did not look healthy coming to the end of the year.
In December, however, Mourinho’s United have had a bit of a resurgence. The Portuguese had asked for time to prove himself and his footballing philosophy during United’s tough period, and it finally seems to be paying off.
He had claimed that the first few months would be spent totally changing the system from the previous managerial regime, and putting into place his own style of play. With the transition seemingly complete, United seem to have turned a corner in recent times and it seems like Mourinho is, after all, the solution to United’s problems. Here is a list of things he has done right in order to turn it around:
United look like a TEAM again
- Ever since Mourinho took over at United, he has brought back a certain fluidity and cohesion to the team which they were missing these last few years. Even with results not going their way, few could argue against the fact that the side seemed to play like a unit again, with only the final product in front of goal lacking.
- Laboured, disjointed, unimaginative, and boring were some of the words used to describe United’s performances after Sir Alex left. It seemed like no one was quite sure of their roles on the pitch, and there was little-attacking intent to be seen. Possession seemed to be the priority rather than attack, which was what made United such a feared opponent over the years.
Under Mourinho, however, United have recaptured a bit of that old attacking spark. Despite their poor form, fans were assured attractive, flowing football with lots of chances (even if United were failing to put those chances away).
That is why most of the fans (and the footballing community in general) backed Mourinho to be a success despite not getting the results, because it was evident that he was leading United in the right direction and getting them to play the right type of football.
Settled lineup
After much chopping and changing at the start of the season, Mourinho finally seems to have identified his best formation and key players around whom he can implement his preferred system. Having a large squad of quality players to choose from, it took a few months for him to finally get it right.
Players were dropped and switched around regularly, as the pieces began to come together, and the current first team in the current formation seem to be exactly what is needed.
New signings finally doing well
Arriving at Manchester United as a new signing is a daunting task for any player. Big name signings were brought in this season as United aimed to send a message and reclaim its position as one of the top clubs in Europe and England. Players like Ibrahimovic, Pogba, and Mkhitaryan had been voted Best Player in their respective domestic leagues for the previous season, so they came to United with a lot of expectations on their shoulders.
Settling in was not easy for these superstars. Pogba struggled to find his feet in the middle of the park, and was unable to run the midfield as he did for Juventus. After a promising start to the season with a handful of goals, even Ibrahimovic faded away as the goals dried up for him. As for Mkhitaryan, injuries and limited opportunities signalled a rocky start to his United career.
However, slowly but surely, they have all grown accustomed to the English game. Commanding performances in midfield from Pogba, a return to goal scoring form for Zlatan and back to back man of the match performances from Mkhitaryan, which saw him bag his first goals for United, have seen them put together a run of four straight wins and ten games unbeaten in all competitions.
Special mention must go to Eric Bailly, who has hardly put a foot wrong since joining from Villarreal. The Ivorian’s arrival was overshadowed by the star names that followed him to United, but his speed and strength in defence helped him adapt to the English game much quicker than the more illustrious new signings and he has been one of United’s star performers this season.
Stability
One of the reasons for van Gaal’s unsuccessful tenure as United manager was the lack of stability. No player seemed to know exactly what their role was, and they were routinely played out of position. Who can forget Phil Jones taking United’s corners, or Daley Blind on set piece duty despite playing as center back, or Wayne Rooney starting in holding midfield?
Under Jose, every player seems to be well aware of their role in the team. Mourinho seems to have identified the best position for each player where they can make their best contribution to the team. This stability within the ranks brings a clarity to the team and improves overall gameplay.
Support of the fans
Mourinho arrived at United as a multiple Premier league winner, as well as a winner in every country he managed in. The fans knew that he had what it took to instil the winning mentality into United again.
This is why the vast majority of the fans stood behind Mourinho during the tough times, unlike with Moyes and van Gaal, because his credentials spoke for themselves. Also, they could see that what was happening on the pitch was a step in the right direction, and only a bit of fine-tuning was required to convert the undeniable potential into results.
There is no denying Jose Mourinho is a winner. He has proved it time and time again, with different clubs and in different countries. In Manchester United, he faces perhaps his biggest challenge yet, considering the state of the club he took over.
Five months into the start of the new season, he has already seen several ups and downs. But finally, his grand plan seems to be coming together. The star quality looks to be back, and the team looks to be rediscovering its attacking instinct. It seems that Jose Mourinho is, in fact, the solution to United’s problems and he will be the one to make United a force to be reckoned with again.
