MOURINHO REGAINING MANCHESTER UNITED’S TRUST IN HIM
Another weekend of Premier League action heading our way. Meaning another for Manchester United fans to watch the beloved Manchester United team take center stage and attempt to grab another three vital points in an attempt to keep themselves within touching distance of the top four spots: within touching the place of the clubs main target of becoming Premier League Champions and Champions League champions.
A victory over next weekends very difficult opponent, Chelsea FC, might just prove to be the turning point to Manchester United’s season but news coming out of Carrington suggests that this weekend is set to end with the cruelest of Ironies possible. Ed Woodward and the board members residing at Carrington have been suspected of preparing to part ways with Jose Mourinho after three seasons of empty trophy cabinets once again. Seriously! Even Jose Mourinho himself cannot deny that for the past two weeks, he did not sense that the end of his career as Manchester United manager was only moments away from ending.
Back to back to back top four Premier League table finishes. Clinching a birthplace and a return to Champions League on more than one occasions, not to mention the signing and resigning of a decent number of star names ie, David DE Dea, Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Alex Sanchez to name a few. Give credit where credit is due. Yes, Jose Mourinho was egocentric at crucial points of his managerial career at Manchester United? Definitely! (clearly seen from his choices before matches and during matches). But, despite Mourinho obvious flaws as Manchester United manager, credits have to be given where credit is due for Jose Mourinho. He helped Manchester United regain top four spots in the Premier League table, led Manchester United to a successful UEFA Champions League return.
However, time and time again the issue of integrity and history of Manchester United will always fuel Manchester United's hunger to settle for nothing but the best each and every season. As far as Manchester United is concerned, being the best means being recognized, if not as Champions in some of Europe's top competitions, then being recognized as one of the giant clubs in English Football which hold a spot in the top four spots in the Barclays Premier League table followed closely by being called the team which secured the Premier League Trophy shortly after.
The mentality of winning trophies and playing quality, entertaining football is simply a major partner embedded deep in the culture at Old Trafford. No manager- no matter what resume or the fame the new manager carries along with him or her- will ever be bigger than the culture Old Trafford. If the new manager cannot dance to the tune, the manager gets shown the gate. It really is as simple as that and Jose Mourinho must be aware of this idea from this point on if Jose Mourinho wants to remain the commander leading Manchester United from this point on.
Where has this high spirited, passionate, attack-minded, quality filled football been for the past two seasons? Where has this will to win been? How come Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial can all play together at the same time and produce absolute, majestic football of the highest order even though, up until the weekend of Saturday October 6, 2018, the trio had barely been used by manager Mourinho to start a match all at the same time ? Last weekends come back victory against Newcastle United served as a huge wake-up call to remind, not just the Manchester United manager but, the entire Manchester United team as a whole the level of expectation which comes with wearing the Red Shirt of Manchester United.
Moving forward from this point on, there will be little doubt that Manchester United fans will expect the Manchester United team to operate on nothing less than the same level of top-class performance shown by Manchester United this past weekend against Newcastle. Simply breathtaking! The joy over the victory had over Newcastle at Old Trafford last weekend is sure to still remain fresh as a daisy in the minds of everyone affiliated with Manchester United.
Although the fine football played last week by the Red Devils certainly was enjoyable to watch, the performance left a few unanswered questions rattling in the heads of most audiences. Questions such as: why did Jose Mourinho refuse to use this type of strategy up until this point? Was the quality football played by Manchester United a short-lived strategy used by Jose Mourinho for the sole purpose of rescuing his career as Manchester United manager?
Just what exactly is stopping Jose Mourinho and the Manchester United squad from playing consistent, quality football? These type of questions and more must have been rooted somewhere in the minds of people, as a large number of spectators turned in to Saturday evenings post-match press conference to hear what Jose Mourinho had to say coming off one the most, critical, diffucult week the portuguese manager has possibly ever had to face.
The Manchester United managers deminor during the press conference was certinly befetting of the occassion. Absolutely proffesional and straight forward. “ I’m happy for the fans and for the players” when asked what Jose Mourinho said to the players to get such an amazing response in the second half after going two goals down?” the Manchester United manager responded: “I think if you want to know, you will know!“ you know everything. You know what is true what is not true. So i’m pretty sure, if you want to know, you will make some calls and you will know!”. (Jose Mourinho, Manchester United. October 6, 2018). Truth be told, Mourinho did not nessessarily provide anyone with any clear answers a number of the questions the fans crave to be answered. The fans will have to wait till next week and rest of the season to see what faith has in store for the club.
Overall, last weekend was filled with a lot of highs coming in the way of the club. Manchester United pressumably regaining the wonderful form of football which has made the club so famous through out history must have ranked high on importance. last weekend match started off described as an easy match played against struggling Newcastle. However, has the epic victory over a ``pedestrian`` Newcastle side kept Jose Mourinho on the job and in so doing reignited the season and increased the quality of football to be played by Manchester United from this point on? That is the best case scenario Manchester United fans will be expecting moving forward into the current season.
Truth be told, does not matter who the next Manchester United manager will be or if Mourinho remains the clubs manager after the current season comes to an end. Manchester United performance is a priority and hopefully, that logic might be one of the reasons why the Manchester United board decided to stick with Jose Mourinho in hopes that the manager might just be turning the sittuation at Manchester United around.
Inotherwords, Manchester United chief executive officer Ed Woodward might still believe Manchester United can win a trophy under Jose Mourinho. At the moment, Manchester United fans might be left with little choice but to surpport the boards decision, back the manager and look forward to the best possible scenario at the end of the season.
