The Season So Far.
The season started so brightly for Mourinho's United. Three games. Three Wins. Ten Goals Scored, none conceded. I was grinning despite being a Spurs supporter. Why? Because I had predicted it. It would be the year of Manchester. United would win the Premier League with Mourinho taking his standard second-season title and Pep's City would run him close with a project, in my mind, too far from completion looking at last season's performances.
So a four goal draw to end that run against a less than impressive Stoke shorn of one of their best attacking creatives in Arnautovic should have been a flashing red light. Especially to someone like me who refuses to be mollified with talk of "bogey teams", something my Man United loving friends were quick to point out Stoke were. Besides, three more wins scoring nine and conceding none showed: just a blip.
But more blips showed up and a pattern started to emerge. An away loss to Huddersfield. Run close at home to Brighton. As Manchester City pulled out a lead with a magnificent unbeaten first half to the season anyone watching Manchester United would likely reach the same conclusion: The Manchester United Players did not believe. They did not see themselves as winners.
A win at home against Manchester City might have made them feel it, given them that spark. To do that Jose would have to throw his standard strategy out the window. The special/happy (grumpy?) one has been well known for his determination, at all costs, not to lose to his nearest rivals. All focus is on not losing. If you can snatch a win, fantastic. But don't lose. Sadly for Reds fans there is only one genuine weakness to Manchester City and that is their defence. Almost no-one has had the opportunity to find out because teams are terrified (quite correctly) of that midfield and that attack. Jose Could not find it in his DNA to aggressively attack and the United team fell two goals to one.
Since that match Manchester United have picked up nine points out of a possible fifteen so that by the end of the twentieth Game of the season Manchester City has a lead of fourteen points over them. Only an unlikey repeat of the heroics of 95/96 could give the Reds hope of the title.
So What Went Awry?
Reservations over Lukaku: I was quite suprised at the signing of Lukaku for a Jose Mourinho team. Successful Jose sides have a DNA that, although defensive in nature, centre around a certain type of striker. Didier Drogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Diego Costa are that type. All have physical presence and are excellent in the air. All have great footballing brains. All have phenomenal technique. They are Jose Mourinho strikers. They can find a way through a packed defence when playing lesser sides and can terrorise the world's best defenders when up against equal or better sides. Romelu Lukaku does have the physical presence and is okay in the air but he has neither the footballing brain nor the technique that Jose traditionally wins with. His pace does not make up for those deficiencies.
Too many youngsters: Manchester United's model looks to bring youngsters through. Either bought young or through the academy. Then you supplement that with buying the occasional best player in the world. For 25 years this Ferguson model was burnt into the structure of the club. First, buy or blood hard Workers who know their jobs and know they were lucky to be at Manchester United. The kind of players who would give their last drop of blood on the field like Johnny Evans, Steven Fletcher, Alan Smith and Tom Cleverly. Second, buy or blood game changers like Carlos Tevez, David Beckham and Christiano Ronaldo. Stars surrounded by workers. Jose is not known for developing youngsters. He prefers to buy off the shelf and do a little light tailoring. He wants to give instruction and have it carried out. Not to teach.
Mental Strength: Along with youth comes a certain amount of mental and emotional frailty. Increasing mental and emotional strength over time is like climbing a mountain in a fog. You only know how far you have come, never how far you still have to go. Young players feel mentally strong but are not. Only the older them will ever understand that properly so younger players need guidance and help- a lot more than they think they need it. That takes a certain type of manager. Both Arsene Wenger and Pochettino fit this mould. Jose does not.
A clash of Styles? Jose is trying to give Manchester United fans what they want, attacking football, and failing say the media. A myth has grown up about the style and flair United teams played with under Alex Ferguson which is making life difficult for the managers who follow him. The truth is that Alex Ferguson put on a show when he could afford to and was completly pragmatic when necessary. The good news is you remember the show and forget the agricutral football, such is the happy genius of memory. Anyone who has followed Jose's career knows he is a pragmatist. Jose has proved when the opportunity arises that he will put on a show. When I look at Manchester United I see no clash of styles between past and present, only a clash between myth and reality.
So what Are You Saying?
Manchester United need to give the manager the backing he needs to build his own side his own way and replace mistake buys like Lukaku with upgrades. Then the fans need to get behind that side even when it isn't the most exciting football. But only if they want to win. They can have fancy attacking football and finish 4th if they prefer. Or hire Pep and give him a billion dollars to redevelop and finish top with attacking football- like he will do this year with Manchester City.
Next Match: Everton vs United 01/01/2018
This is not the time to come up against Sam Allardyce, manager at Everton. Few managers match his ability to exploit weakness in an opposition team and he really gets under Mourinho's skin. Fortunately for United Big Sam doesn't have a striker he trusts right now. Sam has played a 4-6-0 counter formation before, don't be surprised to see it again.
midnightjester