Being a Manchester United fan over the past three-and-a-half years has been a humbling experience. No longer can we pride ourselves as the club of unrivalled stability – we welcomed our third manager in as many years in the summer. The club is deep in a long-term crisis of confidence, results and identity. Anxiety has made itself comfortably at home in the minds of United supporters, but following some good performances and results, most are hopeful that José Mourinho can make Old Trafford a theatre of dreams once again. There is plenty of room for improvement, but things seem to be slowly coming together.
Style and Swagger
As United went without a league win at Old Trafford for the best part of three months, myself and many other fans were feeling weirdly positive. Despite the results, the football on display was starting to look familiar – whisper it, but could the style and swagger of the Ferguson years be making its way back?
Watching the performance against Arsenal last month, it seemed like the lightbulb was finally flashing. The link up between Herrera and Mata for the latter’s goal was near-telepathic, and the Devils’ midfield completely dictated the play – most importantly, they did so with a creativity and unpredictability which has been missing for a long time. Since then the side’s attacking play has gone from strength to strength, as seen in the West Ham tie below.
There are positive combinations cropping up all over the field, such as Jones and Rojo, Pogba and Ibra, and Valencia with whoever happens to be playing on the right. This continuity has really helped to solidify the team’s progress over the past two months.
Yes, there are still periods of games where the side look more like eleven individuals, a sluggish hangover from seasons past. Shot conversion is also a major issue, and until recently was causing United to fall far behind their rivals in the table. I get the impression though, that unlike Van Gaal and Moyes, Mourinho is fully committed to having this bunch showcase a classically ‘Manchester United’ brand of football, and the players are generally reacting well to instructions. The last three victories have been a just reward.
“You’re not special anymore”?
A chant that is all to0 familiar with the Portuguese maestro now. Sung from the opposing stands at almost every game United play in, it is a crippling reminder of his calamitous exit from Chelsea last year.
Aside from the loss of consistent results on the field, there has been a significant shift in Mourinho’s control off it – José has undoubtedly lost his specialness as a media wizard. The events of the past 18 months have clearly taken their toll on the manager, who is now less animated in post-match interviews, and at times has looked mentally drained. Right now, successful mind-games are not on the cards, as the media becomes less playable.
This should not alarm United supporters though. After ten years of staggering success, he hit a brick wall. Just like Manchester United, this once invincible figure is having to alter his approach as the commercial footballing landscape around him also changes. Let’s remember that Mourinho is a pragmatist by nature, and that transitions are never easy – we know this all too well. Just because the manager we see on the screen is slightly different from the one we have been used to, does not mean that he won’t blossom again.
Summer Signings
All eyes were on Old Trafford in the summer, as Mourinho set his sights on four so-called ‘specialists’. Ibrahimovic’s arrival and the big bucks return of Paul Pogba had social media squirming, while Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan represented very good business – top quality additions to a solid-looking squad. How have they fared so far?
Pretty well, I’d say. Bailly impressed almost from day one – his athleticism and physicality are tailor-made for the Premier League – but he has been held back by injury and faces a battle to regain his position with the emergence of the Jones-Rojo partnership. He impressed at right-back against Crystal Palace though, which suggests he is versatile.
Whatever Mourinho’s reasons for keeping Mhkitaryan out of the first-team for so long, he has shown the mental strength to hit the ground running on his return to the starting XI. The Armenian captain was the signing I was most excited about during the close season, as he holds the kind of attacking intelligence and work-rate to take the league by storm. His winning goal against Spurs was a case in point – direct, powerful, no-nonsense – while his link-up play in recent Europa League games has been impeccable, winning him consecutive man-of-the-match accolades and fan-favourite status!
And as for the Hollywood acquisitions? Zlatan Ibrahimovic brings his obvious brand of showmanship, a cockiness Old Trafford has been crying out for. He seems to be a hit in the dressing room as well, and should be of benefit to the youngsters in the long-run. A barren spell of goals raised eyebrows, and it remains to be seen whether Mourinho is capable of benching him if his form drops. Right now though, he is scoring for fun, and his movement off the ball is a big asset.
Meanwhile, Paul Pogba is enjoying himself more and more with each game. His ridiculous price tag was always going to bring pressure and critics, but he has improved as the environment around him becomes more settled. With Carrick controlling the tempo behind, and Herrera harrying the opposition all around, he is enjoying more freedom to roam and create. The manager seems decided on this highly functional midfield three now.
There have been casualties though: Morgan Schneiderlin’s talents continue to go unappreciated, and he looks certain to go in January along with Memphis Depay. The Schweinsteiger situation has been a farce, and both Martial and Rashford look less confident, although I wouldn’t worry about them so much at this stage.
The Rooney Rule
With Ibrahimovic and Pogba’s arrival in the summer, there was always going to be the question of where the captain would fit in. Following a career-low performance against Watford in September, even Rooney’s most stringent supporters were beginning to lose patience – how could this side possibly still be looking to this man as its main source of attacking inspiration? And, more importantly, how can he be dropped without causing atomic fallout?
This has been Mourinho’s understated masterstroke. Rooney was dropped to the bench almost immediately, and with little to no fuss. So far, he has confirmed what most of us have been thinking – that he remains very important to the club, but is far more effective in smaller doses.
Being dropped has increased his hunger and focus, and he has been among our best performers in recent weeks. He also looks pretty comfy cutting in from the left of a three-pronged attack – as he did in the days of Ronaldo and Tevez – and has come close to equalling Charlton’s record with some fantastic efforts recently. With Martial, Lingard, Mkhitaryan, Mata and Rashford all vying for these wide positions, complacency is no longer an option for the once-boy wonder.
It remains to be seen whether Rooney becomes impatient with this smaller role and seeks a move abroad, but right now he is right where we need him. Along with Carrick, Ibrahimovic and Valencia, his experience will be vital to further glue this team together.
In Conclusion
After some wobbly, ‘here we go again’ moments towards the start of the season, José is slowly living up to his promise. He has built on the foundations Van Gaal put in place, as our solid defence is complimented with some dynamic offensive play. Granted, this optimism comes after three straight wins – one of which came close to being another frustrating 1-1 – and you never quite know what’s round the corner with United these days. But, crucially, performances have been more or less consistent, and the manager has a clear direction which both players and fans are buying into. The second half of the season promises to be an entertaining one.
What do you think of Mourinho’s progress at Old Trafford so far? And how far can they go this season? Champions League places? Trophies?
Join the Discussion on Facebook and Twitter
Photos Credits:
- José Mourinho – Aleksandr Osipov copyright (flickr)
- José Mourinho (2nd + 3rd images) – Aleksandr Osipov copyright (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mata, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic – Станислав Ведмидь (Wikimedia Commons)
- Wayne Rooney – Pagina Web (Wikimedia Commons)