Dear Mr. Mourinho,
I became a football fan in the 2002 World Cup; a time when the only source of football in Pakistan was the English Premier League. I had the privilege to witness one of the greatest teams in the league at the peak of their powers. Growing up, watching Manchester United’s class of ‘92 dominate world football under the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson instantly made me a Red Devil. Their style of play and their aura as a team, which made them believe the unbelievable, resulted in a number of jaw-dropping moments. These very moments enabled an average stadium in Manchester to be hailed as the Theatre of Dreams. The title could not be more apt. The never-say-die attitude and the ability to come back stronger every time they were down made me fall in love with the team and become an Ol’ Faithful.
It was in 2004 when I heard of Jose Mourinho for the first time as his young squad achieved a feat many teams can still only dream of; the Champions League. Soon after, he was brought in to fill the Chelsea hot-seat and became a rival to be reckoned with. I remember Sir Alex Ferguson describing him as a ‘young handsome guy’ who had just come into town and started slinging at the Sheriff. Sling he did, and the sling was backed with tremendous success as he took Chelsea – an average team – towards back to back title triumphs in 2004/05 and 2005/06. The world of football by now had learnt that the ‘young handsome guy’ was here to stay.
With unorthodox tactics, but a strong belief in himself and his team, Jose soon became one of the best managers in the world. He set his greatness in stone when he guided an ageing Inter Milan team towards the pinnacle of achievement in club football; the treble. I hated that guy for the pace at which he was climbing the ladder of success but at the same time admired his sense of football, his desire for success, and his arrogance to not settle for anything less than a win – a quality that he shares with Sir Alex Ferguson.
In 2013, I was witness to the most heart-breaking news a Red Devil could hear; the retirement of the great Sir Alex Ferguson. From this point on, the turmoil for Manchester United began. Be it the panic buying by Mr. Woodward, the defensive tactics employed by Louis Van Gaal, or the incredibly questionable formation played by David Moyes, everything in the post-Ferguson era was a disaster. Ferguson’s hand-picking of Moyes is the only wrong move he made in his illustrious career. Louis Van Gaal’s army spent two and a half years searching for the philosophy he kept talking about, but it was nowhere to be found. However, when United made the decision to appoint one of its long-time foes as its new manager, I knew his arrogance and insensitivity was what the club was all about. In many ways, it was exactly what the doctor had prescribed.
No manager has ever done the Premier League double over Jose Mourinho in his seven full seasons in England.
Record still intact. pic.twitter.com/63E0HQgoFz
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 7, 2018
Because of the success United fans had become accustomed to under Sir Alex, Jose’s two years have been seen as anything but successful – despite bringing home the only trophy missing from the trophy cabinet i.e. the Europa League. We might not have competed for the title like many had hoped, but the highest point tally since 2012 and the fact that we beat all 19 teams this season shows we are moving in the right direction.
You might not have the support of all the Manchester United supporters because of the impatience that surrounds world football nowadays and because your style of play doesn’t match that of Sir Alex, but all the loyal and literate ones stand behind you and still back you to bring back the glory days we have been waiting for. This is not because you have done it in the past but because the self-assured attitude you possess is what United need in their team, and there’s hardly anyone in the world capable of doing it better than you. Some of us might not agree with your style of football and are left frustrated at times, but surely back you to transform Old Trafford into the fortress it once was.
Just because City have had an outrageous season does not mean United have had a torrid one, and I completely understand that, but there is one slight issue I do have: Why can’t we play like we did in the second-half against Manchester City all the time? That half was proof that WE can do that! YOU can do it! Maybe if we had played that way against Sevilla at Old Trafford we would’ve been in the quarters and after that who knows what could have happened. Just look at Liverpool; if they could do it, we certainly would have done it better. Another minor complaint I have is your post-match interview after the Sevilla game. I know you did not mean it the way the English media perceived it but some of those words were cruel to say at the least, and as the manager of one of the greatest club in the world, I expect you to avoid such a reputation. This is a very minor complaint in the grand scheme of things, but one I wanted to get off my chest.
De Gea = 💯
De Bruyne = 💯
Jose Mourinho's record = 💯Game of the season. 👇https://t.co/ggy5A7HzWy
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 7, 2018
This letter is not to point out the one bad game we had against Sevilla. That can happen on any day against any team, and I have no complaints regarding what United have or have not achieved this season because I know we have taken the right steps and are intended towards the right path. But, I do request you with all the respect in the world to maybe evolve a bit. Unlike many fellow supporters, I also understand the fact that our current team isn’t fully equipped to go head-to-head with teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich yet as we still need a proper ball playing centre-back alongside Bailly, a CM, and two apt full-backs. I back you to fill these holes in the best possible manner coming summer.
Although I understand all this but as a loyal Red Devil, I must admit it was painful to see the title tilt towards our arch-rivals and I expect (and believe) that to not happen next year. I do recognize the quality in their team but I expect you to match that because I know YOU can.
This letter is only to let you know that I believe in you despite all the controversies you’ve been through at your past clubs because I know you’re the right man for the job. I believe in you to prove all your haters wrong, who believe you can’t last longer than three years at a club, since you have never been to club that has had the same smugness and arrogance that matches yours. In the end, thanks for taking the club in the direction we all want but I anticipate this is just the beginning.
This letter is also for all those fellow supporters who turn against their manager after just one bad game. I invite them to open their eyes to the fact that we’re still rebuilding. We just need to stay true to the promise we made to Fergie of standing by our manager no matter what – especially now that we have a manager worthy of our club.