Is Jose 'special' enough for United?
Wednesday night’s El Clasico had even the biggest football fans groaning with phrases like “I’d rather watch the Royal Wedding”.
Well it was this game which ultimately ended Jose Mourinho’s chances of becoming the next manager of Manchester United, or so most sections of the media would have you believe.
First I begin with the so called “negative” tactics. For me it was clear to see that Mourinho’s first and foremost aim in the semi final first leg was to come out with a positive result, a 0-0 draw at home would have done him perfectly! Going to the Nou Camp without having given an away goal to Barcelona would have given Mourinho’s Madrid a great chance of progressing to the final if they got an away goal in the return leg at the Nou Camp. Would it be wise to go all out and match Barcelona? To offer a mass of space for them to exploit? Simple answer is no.
People would have you believe that Barcelona is the greatest footballing side ever to exist. They are good yes. But because of the way that Real Madrid had set themselves out meant that until the wrongful sending off of Pepe, Barcelona really did fail to threaten. I can only really think of Pedro’s header wide as their only really clear cut chance. What does this tell me? It tells me that until the sending off, Real Madrid cancelled Barcelona out. That is the only simple way of putting it.
For me it is not about the amount of possession that a team has, it is about what they do with it. Lionel Messi for the first 61 minutes was about as anonymous as his team was. Pique to Mascherano and back about a 100 times over (exaggeration) would not win the match for Barcelona and it seemed this was the only pass that was open for the Barcelona team to play and this stifled them.
They were far from potent in attack. His “negative” tactic worked for a good 61 minutes and it was this kind of genius that allowed his Inter Milan side of last year to progress to the Champions League final. In fact I genuinely enjoyed the way that Inter Milan played last year against Barcelona. It was similar to how Real Madrid were set up except the Inter Milan side is much more willing, hard working and potent on the counter attack. My verdict is that he was spot on with the tactics. It was only a wrongful sending off that derailed Madrid in this semi final. In fact, in addition to stifling the way that Barcelona played, Madrid’s setup also bought out the worst in them.
They stooped as low as simulation to gain unfair advantages in the form of set plays, they tried to get the opposition sent off and they hounded the referee. In fact the referee had many more followers in the shape of the Barcelona team than I have on twitter. It was Madrid making Barcelona do such things due to the way they played that made this “great footballing side” ineffectual in attack (admittedly when it was 11v11 still).
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Mourinho is a definite choice for the next boss, but I really hope we don’t get him.
Just look at this season – apparently we’re “not playing well”…under Mourinho, we’d be even less entertaining.
Plus, he’s all about the first team. United are a club, from the roots to the guys on £150,000 a week. That’s the United ethic and it differs from Mourinho’s style.
I really like the guy, but he’s not for me. Guardiola, the man who’s been at Barca for so long and knows the traditions of CLUB football would be my number 1 choice.
Mourinho is definately the man for the job, Fergie has a great relationship with Jose and we all know he can’t wait to come back to England, he isnt much liked by the media in Italy or Spain and think if he comes back to England it would be for a very long time! Good news for united fans I think, we want our next manager to put in a long stint, developing squads that will secure our future as the biggest club in the world for many years. I know Mourinho has a history of jumping ship, but now hes pretty much conquered everything maybe he will settle down? And yes he did splash a lot of cash at chelsea and madrid, but thats because those clubs demanded big names and instant success. I think United heritage will give the man a chance to prove his true worth. United’s board have never demanded big players, the club has built itself on the decision of the manager. Also its well reported that chelsea’s youth academy has produced little or no good footballers, Mourninho im sure recognised that and went spending money – something im sure abramovich probably forced him to do. Moyes is a good manager but I think its similar to the roy hodgson/liverpool saga, Moyes is more effective at smaller clubs. Martin O’Neill always gets a mention when the United job is questioned but again i’m not sure if he has it in him to deliver 3 trophies a season. (I know he did it in the SPL with Celtic but thats a completely different game). Cant see Guardiola ever coming to England, has done wonders with Barca but at the end of the day he pretty much inherited that team and will be interesting to see what happenes when the likes of xavi, iniesta, puyol and messi all hang up their boots, a long time away for some of the players ill admit. Dont forget KING ERIC says he always wanted to manage united and bring his style of football back to old trafford, although he did say he would never manage the club as long as the glazers are there. Could King Eric be uniteds King Kenny? God knows, but amagin the OT roar if Eric led a team out onto the hallowed turf again! Still for me its fingers crossed for Mourinho, I think fergie will retire when he matches or beats Shanklys/Liverpools record. If Fergie has breath in him id rather see him at united for the next ten years over any other manager in the world tho, IN FERGIE WE TRUST.
Exactly Steve its “all about first team”Mourhino is allegedly earning currently £10 million per annum.Can you possibly see the Glazer sanctioning this sort of wage demand.They have recently implied that wage costs need controlled, having risen from 42% to near 50%?.As you know they are experts at cost control.
Would just like to add, Arsenal have been playing entertaining football for the last few years and have won nothing… entertaining football is not the be all and end all, United haven’t been playing the best football all season, yet we’re landing the premier league, ill happily see a scrappy goal at the death 4 times a season if it means we win the league…
Does Sir Bobby Charlton have a great relationship with Mourhino.You ask ” do we want our next manager to put in a long stint” Where is the proven history Mourhino will bring this to United?
Chelsea have no history of developing youth, never have.Gaurdiola “pretty much inherited that side” Did he?Was he not the reserve team manager with most of the players you are now witnessing at Barcelona?My point exactly, I have been trying to highlight mate, through the youth ranks!
I think I may have been mis interpreted slightly, im just saying as a red I really don’t think guardiola could commit to a club other than his beloved barcelona, like Bobby, we need a true red, and from what I can see Mourinho probably has the most respect for united out of every “big” manager out there. I did question in my statement whether mourinho would be prepared to put in a long stint, yes, i QUESTIONED it. Kenny Dalglish recently said he feels its important a club has local youths coming through the ranks which I feel is very important, once a club becomes so international it loses its identity I think. At this point im as much pro mourinho as against, as someone said theres no questioning his credentials, time could only tell if he can deliver the kind of service reds demand and deserve. Its been said that Fergie will choose his successor, who that will be is anybodies guess. All I know is that Mourinho has one of the best records in the game, yes I admit his loyalty is non existent at the minute, but I think if he came back to England it would be for the long game. Dont think he will ever want to return to Spain or Italy. My worst nightmare is a United side who defends in an away Champions League semi final, but then again Id rather united were in the final as opposed to a side of attacking semi final losers. Its a difficult one, im struggling to think of anyone else who is suited to the job.
i have no comment on how the referees and barca. after the unfair sending off of v.Persie and now pepe. but to jose as our next manager, i say NO
make that a HELL NO!!
even with the guarantied success that he will bring i will never welcome him, purely because it might be at the expense of our tradition! so with that reason i agree with redscott, jim, ezra and all other united faithful who would rather do with out the ‘special one’. I’d rather and prefer D. Moyes any day.
Why on earth would Mourinho build a team when he has money to spend and boards at Chelsea, Inter and Madrid wanted immediately success?
At Chelsea he’s played some very attractive football with Robben and Duff on the wings.
He’s not able to do that at Inter because you can’t change more then 100 yrs old defensive italian mentality.
At Madrid he’s already done good job and they will be better next year.
If some of you think he used wrong tactic against Barca – just remember our CL final against them and 80 minutes of humiliation.
I don’t know if he would become United manager – but generally, I’m not against that idea.
Thank you so much for your football sense. Remember that night in a CL game some years back when Chelsea beat Barca 4-2 to progress to a semi-final and with Inter again winning 3-1? Attack or defend, let Mourinho decide for the team. He is trying to beat Barca for there is no one else capable of doing it as of now. When the going gets tough, Barca gets rolling and moaning. Barca stops crying when playing 11 to 10 against a Mou side. Pathetic for a so-called world-class team.
Will the new manager who ever he may be have the “money” to spend, that United imagine?
The last five years of “net spend” on players is exactly what?
Do we continue with the policy of youth as we are! Along with Liverpool(reverting to the boot room policy) Villa,and Arsenal all with varying degrees of success.
Its they way forward with new financial rules to come into force in 2013 and to breed your own players through the Acadamies, which is not Mourhino’s forte, never has never will be.
Mourinho is what desperate teams who want silverware at any price do – it’s Faustian as win lose or draw it smells of s***.
He soils the atmosphere before every big game such that there is no joy in it – name one enjoyable big game he has been involved in? From the 1st press conference it’s poison. This may suit many supporters who seem to only get their joy from Schadenfreude but it’s not for everyone.
The joy of his 2 CL triumphs ended before the night was over. He did not even leave on the Inter coach!
It’s no accident his one 3rd year at a club featured conceding games prior, Ambulancemen blaming (complete lie), dog smuggling, half his squad excluded and a host of other deluded nuttery.
If all you want from your team is bragging rights then go ahead. If you think it will last more than 2 years and leave behind anything but hate and delusion then history is not your guide.
Well said mate.Spot on the money!
I should really do a little article, on the dark side of Mourhino! lol
Whats wit d love affair has for mourinho? U set out to stifle d opposition at d bernabeu wit ronaldo obviously even riled at it all at 1 point in d game. Yet we have you kissing his hairy **** at every opportunity. A team of madrids class should not resort to such drab rubbish at home. And both teams were shameful with surrounding d referee and all. Didnt i c di maria dive? Or adebayor deservin a red card? And countless other ugly things dat they did. My point is that i dont want a coach dats as negative as mourinho. Y did he put pepe in midfield? I wonder… It was obvious for all to c
Pepe did a great job marking Messi so had it not been for the red card Real would have had a great chance to get a 1-1 draw in the return leg.
Jose is easily the only man that could ever fill Fergie’s shoes because he is a winner.
Yes a winner but at what price. Mourinho is too underhanded which is not our way. He had d bernabeu grass long to hinder barcas’ passin game in d 2nd classico., last season, he made sure d san siro pitch was not watered to hinder same barcelonas’ game. With countless other tricks of his. Mourinho complained of being d only ready to play football n attackin against liverpool in d 2005 champs league semis but he sets madrid up to be ultra defensive…so hypocritical of him. I dont want mourinho or moyes as man utd managers. Bein scottish guarantees u nothin. Though if a choice must be made i’d obviously go for mourinho…but then there are lots of coaches in europe just take a look at d young porto coach
Some great comments on here and well done on a well argued article.
In the past I favoured Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Sir Alex’s successor as I believed he could make the transition as Guardiola did at Barca from player to reserve team coach to manager of the first team.
Now he’s at Molde I’m not sure whether that’s still as viable as he won’t have the continuity that I thought made him a good choice.
Mourinho would be a good option as he certainly know how to win games and has had success both in the Premier League and the CL.
The only slight doubt I have comes from watching the recent ‘United’ film. Jimmy Murphy tells the board that the ‘people of Manchester work hard for 5 days a week in the factories and warehouses and it’s the team’s job to entertain them and make them proud on a Saturday’ – or words to that effect.
Sir Bobby Charlton said something similar in his recent documentary, about United playing ‘entertaining football’ as that was what the fans deserved and what Busby demanded.
Would Mourinho carry on this tradition? I’m not so sure. It may come down to a simple choice -football to be proud of or trophies?
I’ll have to admit, as Sir Alex has proven there can be both and that may nor lie with The Special One.
That’s a good point, I don’t think too many Reds would mind defensive minded football against one or two big clubs and all out attack against the lesser teams.
If we’re completely honest that’s pretty much the way United have been playing the past few seasons anyway.