Manchester United chief Ed Woodward has reportedly decided to stick with Jose Mourinho despite Zinedine Zidane flirting with the Old Trafford job.
Manchester United’s sluggish start to the new season has seen talk arise that Zidane may replace Mourinho at Old Trafford. The Red Devils already sit six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, with defeats to Brighton and Tottenham denting their hopes of a first triumph since 2013.
Manchester United have publicly backed Mourinho to come good and expect him turn things around though Zidane has always been in the radar. The former Real Madrid manager is currently on a holiday after guiding Los Blancos to a third straight Champions League title back in May.
“I am sure that I will coach again before long.
“This is what I like and what I have done all my life.”
Zidane made the declaration while watching his son, Elyaz playing for one of Real Madrid’s junior teams on Sunday.
The Frenchman departed Real Madrid in the summer after winning three Champions League crowns in a row.
and has been heavily touted as a potential replacement for under-fire Jose Mourinho at Manchester United ever since
And a United source has previously said of Mourinho: “Why would we discuss Zidane when there is no job available?”
On seeing things from Mourinho’s side, it is clearly telling that Jose was disappointed by the failure to make more outfield signings during the summer transfer window beyond Brazil midfielder Fred and teenage full-back Diogo Dalot, who is injured.
He wanted additional cover in central defence and an alternative to Anthony Martial out wide. However, in both instances, the United board felt there was no worthwhile signing available and now the board feels that the decision they made hasn’t gone well.
After failing to back the manager when he craved new signings, they cannot sack him now for sure. While they do have plenty of talented players in attack, some even world-class, it is defensively that players need to be replaced which the Red Devil boss repeatedly wanted to do back when the transfer market was open.
Almost the entire back-line could change over the course of this season. Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young are in the final year of their contract while their best player David De Gea is no closer to extending his own contract beyond this season.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea star Claude Makelele thinks sacking the current Man U boss would be the most foolish thing to do.
“I think Jose [Mourinho] loves the job he does. He loves football,” he said.
“He’s one of those amazing managers, I learnt a lot with him.”
On Mourinho and his approach to his players, Claudio Makelele says,
“He’s a competitor. He wants to give love to his players all the time. He wants to progress with the players he has.”
“Sometimes everywhere is different. Football changes a lot, it’s like black and white, black and white, and he’s still there.”
Moreover that being said If Zidane were to come in and take the reins now, he will have to wait at least until next summer before he can bring in new players that can buy into his philosophy, so hardly the best thing to be doing right now.
For a man taking a break from the stressful job of managing a football club, United may not be at the top of the list of clubs he will want to manage when he makes a return. Moreover, history suggests that the board will not take the decision of sacking Mourinho now. They did not give former manager, David Moyes time but he was clearly not a fit for the club while Louis van Gaal was given until the end of his last season to prove himself.
Sacking a manager after the transfer window has closed effectively handicaps the productivity of the next manager. And sacking a manager now – especially after the club finished second last season with their best points haul since Sir Alex Ferguson’s time – is a sign of trust lost right at a time when the board should be backing him instead of plotting his succession.
If Manchester United were to sack Mourinho, the timing would be really poor simply due to the fact that we are a month into the new season and getting a new manager means starting from scratch ending all hopes of challenging for the title this season. For the next man to come in and impart his philosophy into the team effectively he would be needing a certain period of time without unjust pressure and seamless expectations bearing down on this which would be the case season.
The sacking of Mourinho will also outline a dangerous precedent for future United managers given that he will be the 3rd manager sacked since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Jose Mourinho also signed a new contract extension in January. The fact that the board offered him a new deal shows that they clearly felt he is the right man for the job. Sacking him wouldn’t make any sense from the board’s point of view bearing in mind it was reported that they will also have to pay £12 million to sack him.
Numerous Manchester United fans still believe in ‘The Special One’. Because if nothing else then atleast Mourinho has instilled the winning feeling in Red half of Manchester again and thats hard to come by. While expectedly few journalists will never let go of him and some football pundits will never be warm to him, but that’s okay cause its Jose and he has been dealing with this his whole life.
Moreover current incredible stats too favour Mourinho’s stay at Manchester United. Well, its difficult to believe but over the last two games against Spurs and Burnley, United registered 44 shots. So clearly they are creating more goal scoring chances and pressing higher up the pitch than the last two seasons.
In the game against Spurs, United started well, and they should have really scored in the first half. Even though Burnley were poor, United were clinical and played expansive football something the fans have been wanting to see for a long time now. The result against Burnley brought back smiles to the faces of many Manchester United fans also their manager. But there are still numerous problems at United which need to be sorted out at the earliest. And, as always the expectations from Manchester United and Jose Mourinho are really high.
