Arguably one of the most decorated managers in the history of the game, Jose Mourinho, will be a man under serious pressure next season at Old Trafford. For a guy who has won almost everything possible in Europe, the Portuguese tactician has not been able to get the Premier League title back to Manchester United and might not be given many more shots at it.[spacer height=”30px”]
The Red Devils had a pretty exciting debut campaign under Mourinho, as they were fired home time and again by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who helped them to the Europa League title. That, along with the League Cup, covered up a season that was not too promising for the club.[spacer height=”30px”]
[spacer height=”30px”]The squad at Old Trafford failed to show any progress last season, even after the manager spent big in the transfer market, landing most of his top transfer target. United ended the last season, with a 2nd placed finish in the table being their biggest achievement. They are a club that need to start winning the title to stop tarnishing their reputation so the 2018/19 campaign will be a crucial one in their future.[spacer height=”30px”]
Jose Mourinho is far from happy on Manchester United's pre-season tour… pic.twitter.com/EvJ5makMGQ
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 23, 2018
[spacer height=”30px”]Mourinho is into his third season at the club, and it is widely recognized that he was troubled in his third campaign in his last two jobs at Stamford Bridge and Bernabeu. So it does not come as a surprise that rival fans in the Premier League are waiting for Mourinho to fail and quit Old Trafford before the end of the next season.[spacer height=”30px”]
[spacer height=”30px”]But the Manchester United board seem to be happy to let him do his thing, atleast for an entire season but should Mourinho be sacked if he completes another season without winning a trophy?[spacer height=”30px”]
The Red Devils were superb hosts to the Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson but after he quit the club, the trophy seems to be eluding them time and again. The closest they have come to the coveted prize was last season, when they were still miles behind Manchester City. However, Mourinho has not shied away from spending big, and putting more pressure on himself, ahead of the new campaign.[spacer height=”30px”]
United are sweating on the fitness of club-captain Antonio Valencia after he was substituted just seven minutes into their pre-season friendly against San Jose Earthquakes with a suspected calf injury. "He’s injured," Mourinho told MUTV. "We need to get used to it."
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) July 23, 2018
[spacer height=”30px”]The Red Devils have decent starts in their lineup but many fans believe that the negative, defensive mindset of Mourinho has troubled the best of the players at the club. The Portuguese tactician has his issues with quite a few players in his squad but what makes him a great manager is his ability to get them to play as a team, irrespective of what happens behind closed doors.[spacer height=”30px”]
[spacer height=”30px”]Ask the likes of Luka Shaw and they will tell you that Mourinho is not a man who will mend his ways. He is not going to change his style of play any time soon but that does not mean that he is not ready to deliver the league title in years to come.[spacer height=”30px”]
[spacer height=”30px”]The foundation SAF had laid at Old Trafford allowed him to win title after title and replacing his legacy was always going to be tough. But Mourinho is one of the very few managers who can replicate such authority at the highest stage.[spacer height=”30px”]
United have no real name in the transfer market that can replace Mourinho in the first team and the fact that the 55-year old still has a grip on his dressing room, shows the respect that players give him.[spacer height=”30px”]
https://twitter.com/utdxtra/status/1021180744796864513
[spacer height=”30px”]The amount of money clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City are spending recently will make it even tougher for Mourinho but what is good to see is the fact that the manager is not ready to panic and splash the cash in the transfer market. He is still patient and happy to wait for the right player, and for a manager that is so pre-planned, he deserves more than just a season at Old Trafford.[spacer height=”30px”]
[spacer height=”30px”]He has already won two trophies in his time at the club, which is more than a few clubs have won in decades. He will definitely win more silverware and the United hierarchy should not be frustrated if results do not go their way in the upcoming campaign. He has his methods and his critics but Mourinho is the perfect man to get the glory days back to the Red of Manchester and deserves a chance even if he goes trophyless for another campaign.[spacer height=”60px”]
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