Jose Mourinhos future as Manchester United manager is back in the spotlight after he complained about his players and a lack of new signings during the clubs pre-season tour of the United States, but in my view his problems lie closer to home.
Think back to Leicesters incredible Premier League triumph in 2016: what was at the heart of that? It was ingredients such as passion, togetherness, spirit and belief. I dont see any of those at United currently and the responsibility for that lies with Mourinho.
United could bring in more players to increase competition for places but if the foundations arent right itll just cause chaos. They already have quality and numbers anyway. Spending money wont make much difference if a squad is uninspired. It isnt dealing with the main issue.
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The second problem is Joses mood: just why is he so miserable? Perhaps its because his perception of his situation has changed. Is it that the club isnt big enough for him, or he wants to be bigger than the club? Either way, the manager shouldnt be the star.
Or maybe he is beating his chest because hes having a spell of self-doubt. We talk about players losing confidence and, while thats not something youd expect from Mourinho, it could be that he has lost a little bit of belief in what hes doing because it isnt working.
Remember his first spell at Chelsea? Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, John Terry – all the players absolutely loved him. Find me a current United player who feels the same. This, for me, is the fundamental element disrupting Uniteds progress.
Anthony Martial is a case in point. Young players need more man-management and Mourinho has not been able to bring the best out of the Frenchman, who may just need an arm around the shoulder. Its ridiculous and points to failings in Mourinhos approach.
Martial has not thrived under Mourinho's stewardship of United (Source: Getty)
When he first arrived at United two years ago, the Portuguese coach was very humble. But as his methodology has produced underwhelming results and led to some grumbling among fans, he has become more entrenched and unwilling to change his ways.
Ideally, he would eat a large slice of humble pie and get the squad back on side. That seems unlikely, though, and in any case he may have gone too far down the road for the players to believe him.
Its not irretrievable yet, though. Having seemingly failed to settle well after his January move, Alexis Sanchez has looked really good in pre-season, so thats a big plus. On top of that, theyve managed to hold onto David de Gea.
For now, players will be focused on the excitement of a new season, and if United make a good start – or even just a lucky one – then Mourinho and the squad could all fall in love with each other again. If not, I fear it could all turn ugly quite quickly.
But lets be clear: United finished second in the league last year – they have the players to challenge for the title, 100 per cent. What they do appear to be lacking is a better relationship between the squad and their manager.
Jose Mourinhos future as Manchester United manager is back in the spotlight after he complained about his players and a lack of new signings during the clubs pre-season tour of the United States, but in my view his problems lie closer to home.
Think back to Leicesters incredible Premier League triumph in 2016: what was at the heart of that? It was ingredients such as passion, togetherness, spirit and belief. I dont see any of those at United currently and the responsibility for that lies with Mourinho.
United could bring in more players to increase competition for places but if the foundations arent right itll just cause chaos. They already have quality and numbers anyway. Spending money wont make much difference if a squad is uninspired. It isnt dealing with the main issue.
Read more: The Premier League clubs racking up the most air miles
The second problem is Joses mood: just why is he so miserable? Perhaps its because his perception of his situation has changed. Is it that the club isnt big enough for him, or he wants to be bigger than the club? Either way, the manager shouldnt be the star.
Or maybe he is beating his chest because hes having a spell of self-doubt. We talk about players losing confidence and, while thats not something youd expect from Mourinho, it could be that he has lost a little bit of belief in what hes doing because it isnt working.
Remember his first spell at Chelsea? Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, John Terry – all the players absolutely loved him. Find me a current United player who feels the same. This, for me, is the fundamental element disrupting Uniteds progress.
Anthony Martial is a case in point. Young players need more man-management and Mourinho has not been able to bring the best out of the Frenchman, who may just need an arm around the shoulder. Its ridiculous and points to failings in Mourinhos approach.
Martial has not thrived under Mourinho's stewardship of United (Source: Getty)
When he first arrived at United two years ago, the Portuguese coach was very humble. But as his methodology has produced underwhelming results and led to some grumbling among fans, he has become more entrenched and unwilling to change his ways.
Ideally, he would eat a large slice of humble pie and get the squad back on side. That seems unlikely, though, and in any case he may have gone too far down the road for the players to believe him.
Its not irretrievable yet, though. Having seemingly failed to settle well after his January move, Alexis Sanchez has looked really good in pre-season, so thats a big plus. On top of that, theyve managed to hold onto David de Gea.
For now, players will be focused on the excitement of a new season, and if United make a good start – or even just a lucky one – then Mourinho and the squad could all fall in love with each other again. If not, I fear it could all turn ugly quite quickly.
But lets be clear: United finished second in the league last year – they have the players to challenge for the title, 100 per cent. What they do appear to be lacking is a better relationship between the squad and their manager.
