When we talk about Jose Mourinho one thing is for sure, there will be drama. It was when he took over Madrid, it was when he returned to England to the ‘club where he is loved’ and it was in his potentially final exit from Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho’s return was also a close decision taken by the board with three in favour of the Portuguese and two against. Those two votes would surely have been short of words when the Special One picked up the title in the grand fashion that he did, silencing one and all. But the curse of the third year plagued Mourinho this time around too and saw him plummeting down the table in such a rapid astonishing fashion that Chelsea stared a potential relegation spot in the face. Ultimately the patience of the board and of Mourinho too had run out and we saw the champion man leave the Blues on ‘mutual consent’. But for all that went on at the Chelsea camp this season, it cannot be just blamed on Jose. And letting go of the Portuguese does not reflect well on the antics of Chelsea as the appointment of Hiddink makes him the 12th manager in 11 years. This makes you think as to what glory is Chelsea running after?
The availability of Mourinho has brought light to the dark days of Manchester United fans. The Red Devils are plagued with playing a brand of football that lacks any flavour. A certain Dutchman is said to have taken the fun out of football and replaced it with methodical playing that does not allow the players to show their individuality. Ofcourse the fans wouldn’t want to be a party to such a boring show but its the love for the club that drags them back to the stadium match day after match day. If one thinks about it, Van Gaal was never such a great fan of defending so deep. And maybe his current tactics wouldn’t have been under the scanner if they brought about results. No wins in the last 6 games and to top it all a Champions League expulsion does not bode well for the Dutchman. With hoaxes of a sacking and tensions mounting from the pressure from the fans it will a test to see how LVG takes on the next few games because the games against Stoke and Chelsea would decide his future at the club and if he fails to deliver who better to replace the ex Barcelona man than his understudy!
Surely you would say that Mourinho and Manchester United are not a great fit but I am here to point out that such a marriage wouldn’t actually be that bad. You have to be patient and hear me out! Firstly being a Manchester United fan what do you want to see? For the love of god you would surely want to see them attack again! Well Mourinho specialises in that kind of football. Mourinho lives by the philosophy that offense is the best defense. The roots of his philosophy reflect in Chelsea’s summer signing of Costa (the fact that it didn’t work out is a story for another time).
If you know Jose Mourinho you now that the man is obsessed with winning trophies and he has done so in his past also. We will come to his short stints at different clubs later, but even in those short stints he delivers top notch results; Champions League titles with Porto and Inter Milan, 100 league points with Real Madrid, back to back league titles at Porto, Milan and Chelsea. The man has done it all! And Manchester United could do with a maniacal mindset like his that can get them glories adding to their already glorious past. Coming to his short stints; yes Mourinho’s career is marked with short spells at many clubs but the this time around the Special One wanted to stay at Chelsea for a longer time and create a legacy of his own. As I have pointed out earlier, the Portuguese has many laurels under his belt and now at this age he would like to build a legacy. And isn’t that what Manchester United looks for in their managerial candidates- longevity?
Lastly you would say that Mourinho is a character and he thinks that he is bigger than the club and that is not what the Red Devils are about. But Eric Cantona is a Manchester United legend and we all know what a character he was! Becks was a United star and what about the immense baggage f popularity and stardom he carried that overshadowed the biggest club in the world? George Best, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand; the Red Devils have a list of superstars who were difficult and big characters on and off the field. But their antics at the club made great memories and left behind a legacy and who is to say Mourinho cannot do the same!