Once seen as a villain among the Manchester United faithful, Jose Mourinho’s name is now hailed as the man to rectify years of mismanagement at Old Trafford.
Mourinho’s first encounter with his new employers came in 2004, when his all-conquering Porto side met Sir Alex Ferguson’s giants in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. An injury time Costinha strike led to the famous dance along the touchline that provided a glimpse into the headline-grabbing personality, which would grace English shores by the summer. But to Ferguson and the fans, who had seen a Paul Scholes goal wrongly and infuriatingly given offside, it seemed like poor sportsmanship. The Scotsman would never admit it out loud, but it would become the start of a subtle rivalry between the working class Glaswegian and the flamboyant Portuguese. His introduction to Chelsea, where he infamously appointed himself the ‘Special One’, seemed like further proof of his undeserved arrogance. Who did this upstart think he was, taking on the traditional might of managers like Ferguson and Arsene Wenger?
Yet, Mourinho managed to substantiate his talk with brilliant results. Not only did he break up the decade-long Arsenal-United duopoly over the Premier League, but he comprehensively beat them both. He has only ever lost two matches against Manchester United, while Wenger is still waiting to beat him in a competition other than the pseudo-friendly Community Shield. Between 2004 and 2007, he came, he saw and he conquered two league titles, a League Cup and a FA Cup in England.
Once Mourinho left Chelsea in acrimony at the start of the 2007-08 season, Red Devils were able to take a step back and accept his genius. In a season where Ferguson led them to the European double, they could finally appreciate what Mourinho had done at Stamford Bridge. To win Chelsea’s first title in half a century, to go on a 40-game unbeaten run, and to maintain an invincible record at home were all immense achievements. When he led an unfancied Internazionale to the treble in 2010, his talent became unquestionable. Winning the Champions League with one underdog in 2004 could be explained away. Winning two, as many as Ferguson had with United over 27 years, was proof of his rightful place among the greatest European managers of all time.
When he joined Real Madrid in 2010, Mourinho’s career seemed to be moving in one direction. However, those three years in Spain would taint the Portuguese beyond anything he could have imagined. Already having a reputation as a defensive, destructive manager, but his actions in Spain only furthered the idea that he was also a defensive, self-destructive man. On the field, and despite the record-breaking success of 2011-12, his disruptive tactics in matches against Barcelona would only gain him scorn, particularly as he rarely won those encounters. Off the field, he picked fights with anything and anyone possible. His actions would effectively signal an ignominious end to the phenomenal career of Iker Casillas, as well as Mourinho’s first year without a trophy in management.
His downfall could not have come at a worse time. The one club the ‘Special One’ had always wanted to manage, Manchester United, was finally on the lookout for a manger after Ferguson’s surprise retirement in 2013. However, as he was coming off his worst season personally and professionally, Mourinho was ignored for the hand-picked David Moyes. When it started to become obvious that the former-Everton figurehead would not be able to emulate his Scottish predecessor, the ruthless media’s links between Manchester United and Mourinho shifted into overdrive, despite the latter’s return to Chelsea – before the appointment of Louis van Gaal ended any speculation. His image as both Mourinho’s first mentor and as the best coach at the 2014 World Cup had rendered him a perfect choice for the Red Devils.
In his first season, the Dutchman’s United showed signs of progress, returning to the top four and European football after an enforced absence under Moyes. Even though Mourinho had won the title at Chelsea, most United fans were satisfied that their club finally had some direction in the post-Ferguson period. But 2015-16 would prove to be a disaster for both Manchester United and the reigning Premier League champions. The Blues were languishing near the relegation spots when Mourinho was finally fired in December, while van Gaal could only lead United to fifth place while exhibiting some of the most tepid football in Europe. Going into the summer of 2016, the ‘Special One’ and the Red Devils were at their lowest points in recent history.
These events seem to have been put in the past of both the club and the new manager, now going about their business in an aggressive manner. Their first signing of the summer in Eric Bailly from Villareal for around £30 million pounds, was a smart transfer – if not a strong statement. That was to be rectified in the following days though, as Manchester United successfully signed both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While these names were undoubtedly necessary to simply inject some quality into a stale side, they were equally important as a declaration of intent. Mourinho was going to drag United back up the table, and these purchases were proof of that.
Unarguably, this policy has been effective. No longer are fans questioning Mourinho’s arrival, but rather they are debating his starting line-up for the Community Shield match against Leicester. If Mourinho can even rectify what was arguably Ferguson’s latest and greatest mistake at Old Trafford by bringing back Paul Pogba, he can save the 2016-17 season before it starts.
This piece featured on Dispensable Soccer – Football news from it’s throwaway bits.
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