After widespread and consistent reports about bust-ups in training with Paul Pogba about his position in the team, his form and maybe even his demeanor, reports are now emerging about a bust-up with Alexis Sánchez.
If true, it is likely that this would also be about position in the team as top players nowadays seem to think they need to tell the manager where to play them.
What is it with Mourinho and his “star” players? (more…)
Louis van Gaal – The only United manager as boring as Dave Sexton and Frank O’Farrell, although Moyes came close!
When José Mourinho breezed into Manchester it was, for all but the most cynical of United fans, like a breath of fresh air.
The days of David Moyes promising that the team would try to be as good as City and making Liverpool favourites to win a league game at Old Trafford were a distant memory.
The days of Louis van Gaal sitting rigidly in his seat rather than encouraging his team from the sidelines while they sent the crowd to sleep with mind-numbingly boring football were also consigned to the history books.
Mourinho was here! The “Special One” was now the Manchester United manager having been anything but special in his final season at Stamford Bridge, from where he had been sacked with Chelsea in 16th position in the league. (more…)
Sergio Agüero – Involved with the crowd
Judging by the scenes at the end of the FA Cup game between Wigan and Manchester City at the DW Stadium, Pep Guardiola, some of his team and some of the City fans don’t appear to be very gentlemanly in defeat.
Supporters threw seats and anything else they could get their hands on, the players stomped and sulked and Guardiola wandered round like a child whose favourite toy had been taken from him.
At the end of the day they had lost a football match, nothing more. They had been beaten because they failed to take any of their numerous chances whereas Wigan, who had two, scored from one of them. (more…)
In Ed Woodward’s short and largely unsuccessful reign as whatever additional title he now holds regarding his control of the transfer policy at Manchester United, he has already had to deal with three managers.
David Moyes was the easy one. Ed was brand new to the position as was Moyes so they muddled through the first transfer window together like two kids meeting for the first time when starting school on the same day.
Ed made a mess of things that time back in 2013 and United ended up with Juan Mata, thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, and Marouane Fellaini thanks to Woodward who missed the deadline for a decent discount on the deal and ended up paying £4 million more than he needed to. Still, easy come easy go, as they say. (more…)
What is the real reason why José Mourinho has never spent more than three seasons at any particular club?
Is it because of the wanderlust? Does he get itchy feet THAT easily? Does he just like moving around Europe? Or does he reach his sell-by date at clubs reasonably quickly?
Today’s top football managers, with one or two exceptions, tend not to stay at one club very long. This, at present and for the last few years, has suited José Mourinho.
His style of management since leaving Porto has been to look for quick fixes which have usually involved spending lots of money. He is not usually very successful in his first season but he has, until now, always won the title in his second season. (more…)
Firstly, we have to decide if there is any blame to be attached for anything. Manchester United are currently drawing games they would normally be expected to win but this could be described as just a blip.
Every team, at some stage, goes through a downturn in form and the trick is to make sure it lasts for as short a time possible.
It is also true to say that, in most other seasons of the Premier League era, United’s points tally would be enough to see them top the table, albeit narrowly.
Their ignominious exit from the Carabao Cup was the only real black mark on an otherwise relatively impressive season. (more…)
The ‘Special One’ is no longer special. Very good, maybe, but special? No longer.
Whilst winning all of his titles and trophies with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea again and now, Manchester United, he created a history deserving of his title.
In 17 seasons of club management, Mourinho led his club to win its domestic league eight times, the UEFA Champions League twice and the UEFA Cup/Europa League twice. Between 2003 and 2012, Mourinho did not go a single calendar year without winning at least one trophy.
So he was, without doubt, special. He now needs to prove that he still is, or still can be. (more…)
Eleven points behind Manchester City, beaten at Huddersfield and knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a Championship team. What is the reason for these poor results? Well, according to José Mourinho it’s “bad luck”, certainly with the last one.
One of Mourinho’s biggest failings is his inability to admit that anything is ever wrong. He will happily discuss what other managers do/did wrong, particularly those who preceded him at Old Trafford, going on to tell us who he wouldn’t have sold and who wouldn’t have gone out on loan.
He will then regale us with tales of what a wonderful manager he is and remind us, incessantly, of how many trophies he has won. (more…)
Pep Guardiola is, possibly, going to achieve his short-term targets at Manchester City this season. If he can win the Premier League which, in actual fact, is now his to lose, and win the Champion’s League, then it will be job done.
Will he then still be motivated to try and repeat the feat whilst adding maybe the Super Cup and an FA Cup or two over the next couple of seasons? Maybe, maybe not.
At Barcelona, once he felt he had taken the team as far as he could he became bored. He wanted a fresh challenge and went to Bayern Münich where, compared with the previous manager who had won the treble, he actually failed. (more…)
Apart from all of the money which is thrown at him on a regular basis, is José Mourinho really getting the recognition he deserves for his achievements?
Leaving aside all his trophies, both domestic and in Europe, with his previous clubs. Leaving aside his transforming of struggling clubs such as Chelsea and Inter Milan, both of which he turned into title winners and leaving aside his record of being only the fifth manager to have won the title in four different countries, we sometimes wonder what he has to do to please some people. (more…)
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 