If Mourinho's authority and ideology were given more backing, would we be challenging?

[AllezLesDiables]

Had Mourinho stayed to finish out the third year this team would have finished 10-12th.

His toxicity seeps into everything and players get tired of it and of him.

The deadwood needed to be cleared out long ago and still does. It’s going to take 5 windows + to get rid of it all.

 

[dove]

We would not be challenging, no chance. However I think we are in a worse position now than we were in November/December.

 

[KekiZeki]

Mourinho is a manager for teams that haven't seen any success in ages and can bring it short term, not United manager. Even if he did deliver PL trophy we wouldn't be happy when it all falls apart in couple of years time as it always does with him. Was bad choice, short term solutions are for those on the board trying to save their skin and not for the major club that is eternally going for great things.

 

[Sky1981]

Mourinho is a manager for teams that haven't seen any success in ages and can bring it short term, not United manager. Even if he did deliver PL trophy we wouldn't be happy when it all falls apart in couple of years time as it always does with him. Was bad choice, short term solutions are for those on the board trying to save their skin and not for the major club that is eternally going for great things.

What's with this long term stuff? Are we guaranteed 10 titles in the next 15 years if we play the long game?

 

[fergiesarmy1]

We would not be challenging, no chance. However I think we are in a worse position now than we were in November/December.

We were going nowhere with Jose, now we are either going south or north. Progress

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

We would not be challenging, no chance. However I think we are in a worse position now than we were in November/December.

My optimism after the Jose sacking was at an all-time high for the club POST-SAF.

I thought Woodward had learned his lesson and we'd start to modernize the club.

How wrong was I. I feel more down than I ever have regarding the club.

 

[devilish]

Mourinho would have tried to bridge the gap between us and City by buying short term buys such as Sanchez, Perisic, Willian, Ibra and co. He might have won 1-2 other cups but eventually he would have left an old side with a huge rebuilding process at its horizon which would taken half a decade to sort.

 

[wolvored]

No. He would still have gone end of the season and we would have had a lot more deadwood 29/30 something players to shift on. We would still have been miles behind City and Liverpool.

 

[Mick1]

It is a very weird thing, isn't it?

Sure he won us 2 trophies (thanks for that) but the amount of fans he has among our supporter base is not something I quite understand. He was, of course, not wrong with everything he said about our club - in the same way LvG wasn't either. But he was still correctly fired.

I've lost count of the amount of Mourinho threads which have popped up since results in OGS' tenure started going downhill.

Because anyone who dared speak a good word about Mourinho would have been ridiculed on the forum.

We have a former Porto, Inter, Chelsea, RM who has won multiple titles, is spoken about in the same breath as saf, who comes with baggage: he falls out with teams where player power is problematic and he isn't backed by the owners.

We knew from the beginning that if Mourinho doesn't get backed, he will implode. He will not accept being 2nd best to Pep without a fighting chance

And yet he was given a new contract because he was doing a decent job. Only not to get backed by the owners.

And now we have a Molde manager whose relegation with Cardiff and subsequent sacking after nearly relegating them to the 3rd division. But he speaks the United way and believes in youth.

I love Ole, one of our best ever players.

But you don't fail as the local Tesco manager only to be given a job as google's CEO. This will end in tears

 

[UncleBob]

Only not to get backed by the owners.

 

[Zen86]

So how much does Mourinho need to spend to qualify as ‘backed’?

 

[Mick1]

So how much does Mourinho need to spend to qualify as ‘backed’?

Well spending is not as important as allowing cnuts such as Pogba to celebrate his manager getting sacked by "you messed with the wrong baller".
And then trying to reward them with new contracts.

 

[Mick1]

If you re up for a discussion all for it. If not don't spam my notification box with useless comments.

 

[Needham]

If you re up for a discussion all for it. If not don't spam my notification box with useless comments.

I guess he's saying Mourinho was backed plenty -then lost their confidence. He did spend big on players in certain positions then go back demanding new players for the same positions.

 

[Zen86]

Well spending is not as important as allowing cnuts such as Pogba to celebrate his manager getting sacked by "you messed with the wrong baller".
And then trying to reward them with new contracts.

Yeah, but, Mourinho bought the guy in the first place. He bought a squad that turned against him. He has no one to blame but himself, although he’ll still point the finger at the club.

 

[Mick1]

I guess he's saying Mourinho was backed plenty -then lost their confidence. He did spend big on players in certain positions then go back demanding new players for the same positions.

He came second with the third/ fourth best team. Our squad is in very bad shape.

Out of his signings, lindelof And Bailly proved that some signings were made for the future. Mourinho said Lindelof needed time, and more importantly an experienced head In defense that will allow others to improve.

I think the whole Mourinho debacle has been Woody s biggest feck up so far.

 

[Johan07]

If you re up for a discussion all for it. If not don't spam my notification box with useless comments.

Its because your post that Mourinho was not "backed" by the owners is factually incorrect and close to ridiculous. Mourinho surpassed Manchester City in wages in 2018 and then cried for more money during the summer when he did not think that Lindelof and Sanchez, who he bought himself, were working out.

 

[Mick1]

Yeah, but, Mourinho bought the guy in the first place. He bought a squad that turned against him. He has no one to blame but himself, although he’ll still point the finger at the club.

I wouldn't give that much importance to a loss of confidence tbh.
Mourinho didn't get Pogba, pretty sure Ed did.

But in any case, this is football and the manager is more important than the player, always. Pep offloads Eto, brings Zlatan, Zlatan didn't fit his system and got rid after 1 year. The board supported him. Ferguson fell out with a ton of players, many of whom were better players for United than Pogba could/ would. When the manager is supported, he changes things up when a change needs to be made.

Mourinho is a proven winner and in the same tier as the managers discussed above. But looking at his previous jobs, public falling out with players and not receiving the support of the board is a common theme. One im pretty sure Mourinho joined United for that reason. At real, he wanted Casillas out, Casillas was not out, squad tensions rise and Mourinho gets the sack.
At Chelsea he was not backed in the market after winning the league. Falls out with the players who know he wants them replaced. Tensions rise, results drop, Mourinho gets the sack.

Real and Chelsea tbf are cnut clubs with player power issues, shyte fans and crazy owners. Pretty sure Mourinho came to united with a view that things will be different. Pretty sure it was very surprising. One player was enough to turn the country against him. And a Very overrated one at that

 

[Chipper]

Challenging as in challenging for the title with close to 100 points? Can't see that.

With the way the season panned out for everyone else I reckon we'd have been 3rd.

 

[The Nani]

Because anyone who dared speak a good word about Mourinho would have been ridiculed on the forum.

We have a former Porto, Inter, Chelsea, RM who has won multiple titles, is spoken about in the same breath as saf, who comes with baggage: he falls out with teams where player power is problematic and he isn't backed by the owners.

We knew from the beginning that if Mourinho doesn't get backed, he will implode. He will not accept being 2nd best to Pep without a fighting chance

And yet he was given a new contract because he was doing a decent job. Only not to get backed by the owners.

And now we have a Molde manager whose relegation with Cardiff and subsequent sacking after nearly relegating them to the 3rd division. But he speaks the United way and believes in youth.

I love Ole, one of our best ever players.

But you don't fail as the local Tesco manager only to be given a job as google's CEO. This will end in tears

I honestly wonder if some posters here are actually United fans or just poser fanboys who only joined to defend The Toxic One’s honor.

 

[Keefy18]

What's with this long term stuff? Are we guaranteed 10 titles in the next 15 years if we play the long game?

Common sense dictates a club is better off building from the ground up and investing in talented youth players and building a team over a number of years. Fergie done it time and time again, the one time he didn't and worked with an ageing set up has left us in ruins since.

Man City have one of the youngest age averages in the league I believe? Liverpool and Spurs aren't too far from it either.

 

[Mick1]

Its because your post that Mourinho was not "backed" by the owners is factually incorrect and close to ridiculous. Mourinho surpassed Manchester City in wages in 2018 and then cried for more money during the summer when he did not think that Lindelof and Sanchez, who he bought himself, were working out.

Lindelof was one for the future, something Mr Mourinho said himself.
Someone to be blooded into a functioning back 5. Which is why Mourinho was desperate for a defender, the same one we re desperate for now, to add quality and allow the back line to improve, including other players.
Sanchez is a misery, and hindsight is wonderful. Mourinho thought he got himself Van persie, the player to push this team with star power/ winning mentality.
His decline was immediate, and in many ways unforeseeable. Some signings just don't work out. You offload and get better. Plus idk how much of the Sanchez saga is opportunistic Woody.

 

[Mick1]

I honestly wonder if some posters here are actually United fans or just poser fanboys who only joined to defend The Toxic One’s honor.

Yes, believing the most decorated manager in recent history is not as much as a hack as he was made out to be on a forum that had the current Molde manager as favorite for the job ahead of pretty much anyone with a CV that includes anything beyond nearly 2 relegations in 2 years.

You don't like Mourinho, I get it. Made clear by " the toxic one", very clever might I add. Nearly as clever as calling, again, people who do not think the most decorated manager in world football is a horrible horrible manager poser fan boys.

The absolute state of some posts here. Have a word

 

[Keefy18]

I wouldn't give that much importance to a loss of confidence tbh.
Mourinho didn't get Pogba, pretty sure Ed did.

But in any case, this is football and the manager is more important than the player, always. Pep offloads Eto, brings Zlatan, Zlatan didn't fit his system and got rid after 1 year. The board supported him. Ferguson fell out with a ton of players, many of whom were better players for United than Pogba could/ would. When the manager is supported, he changes things up when a change needs to be made.

Mourinho is a proven winner and in the same tier as the managers discussed above. But looking at his previous jobs, public falling out with players and not receiving the support of the board is a common theme. One im pretty sure Mourinho joined United for that reason. At real, he wanted Casillas out, Casillas was not out, squad tensions rise and Mourinho gets the sack.
At Chelsea he was not backed in the market after winning the league. Falls out with the players who know he wants them replaced. Tensions rise, results drop, Mourinho gets the sack.

Real and Chelsea tbf are cnut clubs with player power issues, shyte fans and crazy owners. Pretty sure Mourinho came to united with a view that things will be different. Pretty sure it was very surprising. One player was enough to turn the country against him. And a Very overrated one at that

Jose wanted Pogba...BADLY!! He demanded Pogba and talked up his abilities for months.
https://www.skysports.com/football/...ourinho-taunts-rivals-over-paul-pogba-signing

Jose said after the 1st window he got all 4 players he personally wanted, its out there. Feel free to dig out the quotes.
Jose said after the 2nd window he got 3 out of 4 of his targets, the one that got away was Perisic in place of Martial. Was he likely to kick us on to win a title? Hardly!

He wasn't supported in his chase of CB choices, so what?! Fergie missed out on tonnes of players over the years. Didn't get Shearer, Gazza, Le Tissier, Batistuta, Hazard, Lucas Moura, Kompany...still won titles.

Folks keep spinning this narrative that Jose was over ruled on selling players, no he wasn't. He demanded that Fellaini be rewarded with a new deal. So much so, Fellaini went public himself in mocking the club and stating, "Jose made it easy for me getting my new deal". What about keeping Darmian tied to the club when Darmian and his agent both stated they want a return to Italy?

How is it, that LVG can sell whomever he likes from RVP, Evans, Chicca etc etc...But the sales come to a sudden halt when Jose arrives? Ed didn't stop LVG from selling, doubtful he stopped Jose. It was the latter managers choice to basically not raise funds needed to invest in new players just like Pep done at City.

Jose was acting out and engineering his pay off long before fall outs over Center halves anyway.

• What about the Sevilla shit show? His post match press conference where he ridiculed the clubs history and praised his former glories?
• What about public admittance that he couldn't motivate the players 2-3 games on the bounce?
• What about starting the US tour by telling supporters to not attend games?
• What about selling off our best performing Center back in Blind then demanding a new one?

The man is pure poison to football.It's common knowledge Jose caused a lot of friction at those clubs.

He won't get a top job again in the game, a middle of the table club at best I reckon. He thought he would get the Real job I bet and now is stuck doing punditry work.

 

[Kag]

We’d be challenging for a top half finish, yes.

We’d also be trying to shift the likes of Willian and Perisic, in similar vein to the way many of you now want to shift Matic and Sanchez. Lukaku, one of his most significant purchases, is one of the most unpopular players amongst the support. The current management (some of whom worked under Ferguson) don’t think he’s too great either either. With time, rational thinkers will look back and celebrate the fact that our executives didn’t try and buy the likes of Jerome Boateng for £40 million last summer, adding to the malaise.

It can’t be underestimated just how horrific a job of managing United Mourinho did. He poisoned just about everything good about the club, giving those responsible for fixing the football side of things a massive job to rectify.

 

[Sky1981]

Common sense dictates a club is better off building from the ground up and investing in talented youth players and building a team over a number of years. Fergie done it time and time again, the one time he didn't and worked with an ageing set up has left us in ruins since.

Man City have one of the youngest age averages in the league I believe? Liverpool and Spurs aren't too far from it either.

They simply bought the best player at the given time. Not buying the player they think will come good in 5 years.

 

[UncleBob]

If you re up for a discussion all for it. If not don't spam my notification box with useless comments.

It's just piss funny to see the lengths that some will go in order to defend a person they like. Claiming that Mourinho wasn't backed, claiming that the likes of Pogba and Sanchez were players Woodward brought in, christ ...What's there to even debate, it's all bullshit...Bizarre.

 

[Zen86]

I wouldn't give that much importance to a loss of confidence tbh.
Mourinho didn't get Pogba, pretty sure Ed did.

But in any case, this is football and the manager is more important than the player, always. Pep offloads Eto, brings Zlatan, Zlatan didn't fit his system and got rid after 1 year. The board supported him. Ferguson fell out with a ton of players, many of whom were better players for United than Pogba could/ would. When the manager is supported, he changes things up when a change needs to be made.

Mourinho is a proven winner and in the same tier as the managers discussed above. But looking at his previous jobs, public falling out with players and not receiving the support of the board is a common theme. One im pretty sure Mourinho joined United for that reason. At real, he wanted Casillas out, Casillas was not out, squad tensions rise and Mourinho gets the sack.
At Chelsea he was not backed in the market after winning the league. Falls out with the players who know he wants them replaced. Tensions rise, results drop, Mourinho gets the sack.

Real and Chelsea tbf are cnut clubs with player power issues, shyte fans and crazy owners. Pretty sure Mourinho came to united with a view that things will be different. Pretty sure it was very surprising. One player was enough to turn the country against him. And a Very overrated one at that

I don’t really understand your sympathy for Mourinho.

He came in, spent a ton of money, built a team, alienated that team, fell out with management, never looked like realistically challenging for the title (2nd place isn’t quite telling the whole story for that season), and played terrible football.

Face it, the man was a failure. This defence of him is pure revisionism.

 

[Kag]

I don’t really understand your sympathy for Mourinho.

He came in, spent a ton of money, built a team, alienated that team, fell out with management, never looked like realistically challenging for the title (2nd place isn’t quite telling the whole story for that season), and played terrible football.

Face it, the man was a failure. This defence of him is pure revisionism.

De Gea
Dalot Bailly Lindelof Shaw
Matic
Fred Pogba
Mkhitaryan Lukaku Sanchez

Nine of that eleven were bought by Mourinho. By the time he left, Mkhitaryan had been sold, Sanchez and Pogba had been dropped, he was still playing Ashley Young out of choice (he’ll play fifty games next season) and Fred and Bailly were struggling to get into the team.

So the only players he didn’t replace were De Gea, who has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and Shaw, who has just been voted our player of the season.

It’s unfathomable just how bad a job he did here. If the executives didn’t put their feet down over the likes of Willian, Perisic and Boateng, feck knows how much finished dross we’d be trying to shift.

 

[JPRouve]

De Gea
Dalot Bailly Lindelof Shaw
Matic
Fred Pogba
Mkhitaryan Lukaku Sanchez

Nine of that eleven were bought by Mourinho. By the time he left, Mkhitaryan had been sold, Sanchez and Pogba had been dropped, he was still playing Ashley Young out of choice (he’ll play fifty games next season) and Fred and Bailly were struggling to get into the team.

So the only players he didn’t replace were De Gea, who has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and Shaw, who has just been voted our player of the season.

It’s unfathomable just how bad a job he did here. If the executives didn’t put their feet down over the likes of Willian, Perisic and Boateng, feck knows how much finished dross we’d be trying to shift.

Which they didn't Perisic and Boateng were both actively pursued and rejected us.

 

[Kag]

Which they didn't Perisic and Boateng were both actively pursued and rejected us.

They were both pursued to a point. Quite rightly, price seemed to be a sticking point, particularly in the case of Perisic two summers ago.

 

[JPRouve]

They were both pursued to a point. Quite rightly, price seemed to be a sticking point, particularly in the case of Perisic two summers ago.

No, Perisic clearly said that he had an offer on the table and rejected it.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

His underdog mentality doesn’t look so great when he spends half a billion on players. Top manager though, I love his thought process at times and his ability to be ruthless.

Spear heading the Qatari Newcastle project would be a great move for him. Son of Sir Bobby to Newcastle and what not.

 

[Kag]

No, Perisic clearly said that he had an offer on the table and rejected it.

And many (quite reliable) reporters suggested that Inter were unwilling to do a deal below £40 million.

I’d put less stock in what a footballer says than a journalist, oddly enough. Particularly one that remains at the initial club. I’m not entirely sure what this has to do with anything, though.

 

[ValenciaRocks]

It’s a great question...but I feel we have all been susceptible to a dose of Stockholm syndrome.

Mourinho is definitely a great manager, his trophy cabinet speaks for itself.

However, how can one back somebody that has shown that he wasn’t fully committed to this club. His stay in a hotel was enough to suggest he wasn’t fully behind the plan from the start.

Perhaps he could have us challenging for a champions league spot if he was given enough time and resources. But I firmly believe that his philosophies were too short sighted. Too many clubs with the dosh now to obtain a marquee team that can dominate.

It’s essential that we build for the future now, and I for one (although many will disagree) agree that Ole is the right man to take us forward. Not so much the romance of having a legend lead the way but the fact that he will be given more time (imo) to build from the roots up.

So yeah, maybe Mourinho would be doing better than ole will/would in the short term but for the long term, Ole is the man.

 

[Denis' cuff]

I wouldn't give that much importance to a loss of confidence tbh.
Mourinho didn't get Pogba, pretty sure Ed did.

But in any case, this is football and the manager is more important than the player, always. Pep offloads Eto, brings Zlatan, Zlatan didn't fit his system and got rid after 1 year. The board supported him. Ferguson fell out with a ton of players, many of whom were better players for United than Pogba could/ would. When the manager is supported, he changes things up when a change needs to be made.

Mourinho is a proven winner and in the same tier as the managers discussed above. But looking at his previous jobs, public falling out with players and not receiving the support of the board is a common theme. One im pretty sure Mourinho joined United for that reason. At real, he wanted Casillas out, Casillas was not out, squad tensions rise and Mourinho gets the sack.
At Chelsea he was not backed in the market after winning the league. Falls out with the players who know he wants them replaced. Tensions rise, results drop, Mourinho gets the sack.

Real and Chelsea tbf are cnut clubs with player power issues, shyte fans and crazy owners. Pretty sure Mourinho came to united with a view that things will be different. Pretty sure it was very surprising. One player was enough to turn the country against him. And a Very overrated one at that

Postage.

The naivety of some on here that actually believe Mou wanted Sanchez. Or Fred. Unbelievable. Must be why he was reluctant to play them. Duh... Woodward written all over it. The same clown that wouldn’t sign Fellaini for Moyes but relented and paid ott for him after he finally relented having failed to sign Alcantara, Kroos and probably Glen Hoddle. Mou wasn’t backed. Wasn’t able to dump shit players who downed tools. Decided two can play that game. Utter shambles of a club. Moyes, LVG and Mou all experienced managers overruled by this idiot. Ole is next. We could have Pep next, but he would have to find a place in the team for Oxlade Chamberlain if that was Woodward’s whim. We’re not even Arsenal under this ownership - more like Everton but still It’s all Mourinho ‘s fault for winning three trophies and finishing 2nd with a shit team.

 

[RooneyLegend]

No one with any sense would think Jose would have done anything positive here.

 

[UncleBob]

Postage.

The naivety of some on here that actually believe Mou wanted Sanchez. Or Fred. Unbelievable. Must be why he was reluctant to play them. Duh... Woodward written all over it. The same clown that wouldn’t sign Fellaini for Moyes but relented and paid ott for him after he finally relented having failed to sign Alcantara, Kroos and probably Glen Hoddle. Mou wasn’t backed. Wasn’t able to dump shit players who downed tools. Decided two can play that game. Utter shambles of a club. Moyes, LVG and Mou all experienced managers overruled by this idiot. Ole is next. We could have Pep next, but he would have to find a place in the team for Oxlade Chamberlain if that was Woodward’s whim. We’re not even Arsenal under this ownership - more like Everton but still It’s all Mourinho ‘s fault for winning three trophies and finishing 2nd with a shit team.

Spot on, and the earth is also flat while the reptilians run the US government.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Postage.

The naivety of some on here that actually believe Mou wanted Sanchez. Or Fred. Unbelievable. Must be why he was reluctant to play them. Duh... Woodward written all over it. The same clown that wouldn’t sign Fellaini for Moyes but relented and paid ott for him after he finally relented having failed to sign Alcantara, Kroos and probably Glen Hoddle. Mou wasn’t backed. Wasn’t able to dump shit players who downed tools. Decided two can play that game. Utter shambles of a club. Moyes, LVG and Mou all experienced managers overruled by this idiot. Ole is next. We could have Pep next, but he would have to find a place in the team for Oxlade Chamberlain if that was Woodward’s whim. We’re not even Arsenal under this ownership - more like Everton but still It’s all Mourinho ‘s fault for winning three trophies and finishing 2nd with a shit team.

Wait wait wait, didn't Mou call Sanchez a big player? He did play him at the expense of Martial but figured he wasn't going to do anything useful. Everyone Mou got was a player he wanted, what didn't happen is him getting everyone he wanted which never happens at any club.

 

[MackRobinson]

And many (quite reliable) reporters suggested that Inter were unwilling to do a deal below £40 million.

I’d put less stock in what a footballer says than a journalist, oddly enough. Particularly one that remains at the initial club. I’m not entirely sure what this has to do with anything, though.

The same journalists who invent transfer rumors to get clicks?