Manchester United balls: angry Jose Mourinho demands we believe in his waning abilities
Is Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho being indulged at Old Trafford? Yesterday’s 3-1 win over Swansea eased some of the pressure on the Portuguese. But Under his guidance, his sides are averaging just 1.15 points per game. The BBC looks at Jose’s average points haul since the start of 2015-16. Let’s compared the Man United boss’s record to other managers who have taken charge of 10 or more Premier League matches in that time.
Francesco Guidolin – Swansea: 1.26 points (sacked)
Sam Allardyce – Sunderland: 1.20 (given England job)
Roberto Martinez – Everton: 1.19 (sacked)
Quique Sanchez Flores – Watford: 1.18 (sacked)
Jose Mourinho – Chelsea/ Man United: 1.15
Compare the lavish resources at those managers’ disposal and Mourinho looks a dud.
Of course, the Manchester United supremo is new to his role. But, then, look at the man who took over the failing and spent Chelsea team Jose left behind:
Antonio Conte – Chelsea: 2.27
And another new boy:
Pep Guardiola – Man City: 2.18
And if you want real value for money:
Claudio Ranieri – Leicester: 1.94
But it’s not him at fault. It never is, according to Jose. It’s them. Says Mourinho:
“There is a difference between the brave that will be there at any cost and the ones that a little pain can make a difference.
“Great football people – great sportspeople – many, many times play without being 100 per cent. For the team you have to do anything – that’s my way of saying. If one day I meet the big ones [players] of this club who have had great success – for sure, they are going to tell me that many times they put their bodies on the line even with pains everywhere.
“It’s not just the players but it’s the people that surround the players. It will take time to change [the mentality] but with the help of players like Phil Jones, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney, it will be a possible mission.”
Is abrasive Mourinho a man who guarantees success, as United hope he does? Frank Lampard, who Mourinho managed at Chelsea, says he is “creating storms to protect” his team. It’s so much about fomenting a siege mentality, imparting his own burning anger and sense of injustice in his players.
Rory Smith notes:
In his autobiography, Zlatan Ibrahimovic recounted Mourinho’s showing his Inter team videos of poor displays, suggesting the players on the screen “must be your brothers,” angering them so much they went out and played “like rabid animals” to prove him wrong.
This time Jose is talking of creating a legacy at United. But he so often leaves toxicity behind. If you believe in Jose’s way – the world is against him and thus against his loyal team – you will fight for him. When the players and fans start to question his methods, and the barbs hurt more than inspire, the anger and with it the momentum dies.
Posted: 7th, November 2016 | In: manchester united, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
