Manchester United: The outlier

As pragmatic as Mourinho can be, he’s always been quite predictable in his managerial tenures. First season is all about building the squad and securing top 4. Second season is all about winning the league and signing star players. Third season is when it all comes to crashing down. However, Mourinho’s tenure at Manchester United has been different. In the first season, despite finishing 6th, Manchester United managed to win the Carabao Cup and the UEFA Europa League, securing Champions League qualification. The second season didn’t go to plan after all, if past jobs were any indication, Mourinho should have already won the Premier League by now. Despite finishing 2nd, United finish 18 points behind league leaders and noisy neighbours Manchester City. They lost in the FA Cup final against Chelsea, against a manager who had won a cup final. And in arguably their most important match of the season, they caved in and produced a cowardice display against Sevilla.

The same has happened this season. In arguably their biggest game of the season so far, they were utterly outplayed by Manchester City, where a midfield comprised of players who could play in the NBA being outclassed by small technical dribblers. Perhaps that too is another telling story, how size doesn’t really matter that much in football anymore, and it’s all about what players can do with the feet.

Unlike other clubs where he has managed, there is a standard of football to be played at Manchester United. The very reason United got rid of Louis Van Gaal is ironically the same reason why Manchester United fans want to get rid of Mourinho. Instead of getting the best out of his players and players proving their undying loyalties (as players from other clubs in the past have), they have let him down.

Mourinho in the past had John Terry, Frank Lampard, Sergio Ramos, Javier Zanetti, all players who were leaders, big characters, and always stepped up. He doesn’t have that at Manchester United. At times when his team didn’t need to concede, his centre backs let him down. At times when his team needed to score, his attackers let him down. At times when his team needed to attack and take the game to the opposition, he has let the club and fans down.

The fact that he hasn’t conformed to the fan’s demand show that he is incorrigible. And perhaps much can be said about his tactics. A man so fixated and obsessed on winning and results that he forgets to see the bigger picture. The frame that was once based on defensive discipline is now being moved and displaced, as he simply has not changed for modern football’s tactics.