Mourinho and Manchester
Ever since the announcement on 27th May 2016, the world has gone into a frenzy, discussing whether the appointment of Jose Mourinho as the new Manchester United manager is the right thing for this great club of England. For a long time throughout his illustrious career, it has looked like he has been seeking this job. His rapport with the fans of the club and his comments after matches against the club are among some of his most memorable moments. Many people will still remember his post match interview at Old Trafford in 2013, when his Real Madrid side won 2-1.
Now he is in charge of that best team and even though there may be a number of questions for him to answer, it is conceivable that this period will be the most successful for him, due to the following factors.
The first thing to look at is the criticism he has received after his disappointment in his last 5 months at Chelsea. The champions from 2015 endured a torrid start to the last season and that ultimately led to his sacking in December. Many claims were made that losing the dressing room, continuous arguments with the senior players and the so called “third season syndrome” with Mourinho were primary reasons for Chelsea’s downfall last year. While we do not know the happenings within the club during the last five months of Jose’s reign, it was quite clear that there was something wrong.
However, it is easy for people to say now that Mourinho has lost his midas touch. It is important to remember that in his 15-year career as a manager, this was the first time he had experienced failure and not success. Every manager will go through a tough time in their career. Even the great Sir Alex Ferguson experienced a difficult first three years as United manager, before winning the FA Cup in 1990, and going on a winning spree that we will likely never see in the sport again.
As they say in sport, beware of the wounded animal. Mourinho will use all of the criticism and doubts people have over him as motivation to show he is the best manager in the world.
Furthermore, this is the football country that Jose loves. Throughout his spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, it was clear that he enjoys everything about England and would manage here after spells at those two giant clubs.
His interactions with the media are part of football folklore and more importantly, he relishes the fact that there are more than two or three contenders for the title each season. Now, with Leicester City’s remarkable title victory last season, there are at least 7 competitors for the Premier League this coming season. Also, with the world class managers in the league this season such as Guardiola, Conte, Wenger and Klopp, Jose will want to prove himself at the top of the tree once again. This motivation and drive should prove to brilliant news for Manchester United fans, because the Portuguese will do everything he can to bring the club to being the premier force in England.
At certain points in his career, it would be an understatement to suggest that Jose has overstepped the mark.
Criticising referees, poking Tito Villanova in the eye and making controversial comments in the public domain. These are just some of the things the great manager has done. It would be interesting to know whether he regrets any of his actions. While no one expects him to drastically change his character, he surely must have learned from his mistakes. Such comments in the media will not have helped the players he managed in the past, and it may have been one of the reasons for his unsuccessful last 5 months at Chelsea. Now, with the overarching figures of Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton at the club, Mourinho must surely try and be on his best behaviour and promote the great principles of the club. Fans will hope he does that, before becoming the Mourinho circus show again.
