Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United, in his third season at the club. He leaves the club in an awful position, currently leaving them 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool. He won the Europa League and League Cup titles, but his time at United has been seen as hugely underwhelming. Closer to the relegation zone than the top, United fans will be happy to see him go. With his departure, United fans should be excited about their club going forward and what the future has to bring.
Why Mourinho was Sacked
The legendary manager known from Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan was not present at any time during his reign at Manchester United. Constantly criticised for his defensive approach saw him go against the traditional Manchester United ideologies. Fans and even players were critical of this, as his tactics seemed outdated when compared to the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery.
Another huge issue was his relationship with record signing Paul Pogba. Both individuals publicly scathed each other as neither of them did themselves any help. Furthermore, the i £400m spent on 11 players has seen the club move backwards and Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are still starting games in the heart of defence. However, the main issue was always Mourinho and with him gone, the club can now move on into a new era.
Return To Attacking Football
Everyone knows how big a club Manchester United are and a number of managers will be queuing up for one of the biggest managerial roles in the world. However, a caretaker manager will come in until the end of the season, as the club searches for a long-term successor. In terms of a long-term successor, United are being linked with Zidane, Pochettino, Blanc, Wenger, Conte, and Ancelotti. Whoever comes in will have to obey the attacking traditions of the club. Which means for United fans, they will see a return to offensive football.
Furthermore, whoever comes in will be backed financially and should have control on selling the deadwood that currently resides there. Players such as Phil Jones, Matteo Darmian, and Ashley Young will be most likely to leave. As they can look to improve their defence, which has currently conceded more goals than Huddersfield in the premier league, a new dynamic midfield is needed to cope with the other top six rivals who have much better, more modern midfields.
How It Benefits The Players
In addition, any of the top managers who come in playing a more expansive brand football than what we have seen from Mourinho will help to get the best out of players who have been heavily criticised. Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, and Jesse Lingard will relish the chance to play in a new system. It would be a highly talented and attacking team that could cause problems to the strongest of defences.
For United fans, they should realise what they have just witnessed in the last few seasons is now over. Whoever comes in will not go to big teams and park the bus so willingly. They will also have the backing of the players and the board. A new era will begin in the summer, as the caretaker manager will only have a temporary job to do, as they search for the next big name to develop Manchester United and bring them back to the top of the league. Whatever the thoughts on Mourinho are, he has held the team the back as well as many talented players, the future is now bright for United who should feel that the air of negativity has just been lifted with Mourinho exiting the club.
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