Manchester United has never gone more than three-straight years without winning the title in the Premier League era. Jose Mourinho’s success at Chelsea was a big reason for their drought in 2003-2006, but his arrival at Old Trafford could be the main factor for the Red Devils finally ending their current barren run this season.
After the disappointing tenures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, the controversial Portuguese boss’s appointment was arguably the biggest managerial upgrade made during the offseason by any of the top contenders. This sportsbook review and odds curator site has updated EPL odds for the 2016-17 season see United as a close second behind only Manchester City to win the title. But of course, “The Special One” isn’t the sole reason for such low odds.
The club has also wasted no time trying to improve their standing with quite a few big signings. Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have already arrived, while rumors persist about the looming return of Paul Pogba. They join a squad that was already full of very good players, but wasn’t quite utilized the right way by van Gaal, particularly on offense.
Mourinho should be able to retain the team’s defensive solidity under van Gaal, and at the same time improve the team’s struggling attack. Real Madrid averaged well over 100 goals in the three years he was in charge. His title-winning Chelsea teams were also consistently among the top scorers in the league.
With weapons like Zlatan (53 goals for PSG last season), Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Wayne Rooney – who the new boss says will return to playing as a striker – all at his disposal, he’ll certainly have the firepower to rival any of United’s title challengers.
The lack of Champions League football should also be an advantage for the Reds this season. Keeping mind, Mourinho has mentioned that their current schedule may be a challenge. Given the importance of a Europa title compared to a league championship, Man U should be competitive when it counts the most. The new manager says he wants to be the best again. He has the team and he has the schedule, we’ll now see if he still has what it takes.