Manchester United
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Manchester United: Mou out, Ole in

Mustafa Ismail·
Manchester United
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Manchester United have finally announced the inevitable as they released a statement confirming the sacking of manager José Mourinho just before the festive season…

The third season syndrome continues for José Mourinho as yet again, he’s lost his job midway into his third season managing a football club. Things were going horribly wrong for the club with plenty of concern over the results, the style of play and the overall attitude. Apart from a few wins here and there, Mourinho has very little to show for his time at the club. With the sub-par quality of football his side have produced, it was even tougher for viewers to enjoy Manchester United.

After two decent seasons, this was Mourinho’s time to shine and win a major trophy – but as was the case with his previous clubs, he started to complain about the transfer policy, the board and the players. If he wanted solid defenders, he should’ve bought them with the money he had in his first two seasons instead of buying flamboyant midfielders and average defenders. The player’s attitude has been terrible as well. As professionals, you have to give it your all but when a manager derails you in public then you lose the motivation needed to perform.

United have a definite problem with signing the right players and the board, especially Ed Woodward, is to blame as this has been a recurring trend post the Alex Ferguson era. Woodward is a great businessman but his knowledge of players and their appropriateness for a position is limited. However, José Mourinho should’ve handled it better. One can look at his counterpart Mauricio Pochettino as an example, with the Spaniard also granted limited funds in the last transfer window.

Instead of whining, Poch got his act together and got quality performances out of his team. Tottenham are ahead of United in the Premier League and pushed through a tough Champions League group with a thinner squad than Mourinho’s. Even though it would be unfair to attribute the blame to just one person for the events unfolding at Old Trafford, The Special One was one of the main culprits and the decision to sack him was ultimately the right one.

Manchester United now have a mountain to climb. Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season and the first thing he needs to do is get the players on his side to make sure they play to the best of their ability. This United squad does possess plenty of talent and although it’s high unlikely they’ll achieve anything this season, Solskjær needs to improve the quality of football and results as much as he can.

Mauricio Pochettino is the frontrunner right now for the United job but much will depend on the price Tottenham demand for him and whether he himself has the desire to manage Manchester United starting next season. Taking everything into consideration, Pochettino is probably the best fit for the job right now. Zidane has great credentials but he might not be able to handle the club’s current situation and the language barrier could also prove to be a hindrance. When Zidane stepped into the Real Madrid dugout, the club was better off than United are right now and the job might just prove too strenuous.

For now, United will be hoping for a top-four finish. It looks rather difficult as things stand and the priority should be to start playing proper football again and bring the intensity and passion back to Old Trafford. Paul Pogba will be in the limelight as his tussle with Mourinho has been obvious to the public. Now that Ole has entered the fray, Pogba will have to step up if he wants to stay at the club and justify his hefty price-tag as well.