Due to the recent happenings at Manchester United I felt this article, which was first published on November 17, 2018, will be appropriate at this time
“The buck stops here” is a phrase that was popularised by US President Harry S. Truman, who kept a sign with that phrase on his desk in the Oval Office. The phrase refers to the notion that the President has to make the decisions and accept the ultimate responsibility for those decisions.
I am kicking off this piece with a statement by the man who was the 33rd president of the world’s strongest nation from 1945–1953; because sadly this is not a notion being embraced by the current manager of Manchester United football club, José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix.
A lot has been said and written about the once dominate force of English football since the arrival of the 55-year-old, Setubal, Portugal-born coach in 2016.
Undoubtedly, one of the most highly rated managers of the modern area, with a lot of trophies to show off as his achievements, it is, however, clear that this is one of the biggest challenges he is facing in his 18-year managerial career.
Of course having won titles in Portugal, Spain, Italy and England, it appeared like a coup when the powers that be at the Theatre of Dreams announced his arrival – especially as their “noisy neighbours”, Manchester City, had equally landed another highly sort after coach in the person of Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala!
The city, split in the traditional blue and red colours of its most famous teams, thus became the new Mecca of football with the arrival of the two handlers, who were expected to make Manchester the dominant force of the “beautiful game” in England; and their derbies games of the season.
However, events last Sunday clearly showed how vastly different the fortunes of both clubs have gone under their different managers in the two seasons that they have been in charge.
Of course the build up to the 177th clash between the two Manchester clubs generated its usual hype with writers, columnists and pundits all weighing in.
Last year’s stunning come-from-behind win by the team from the red half of the city only further helped to embellish the build-up – especially because of another impressive come-from-behind mid-week UEFA Champions League win over hitherto unbeaten Juventus in Turin.
Earlier wins over Newcastle and Bournemouth in the league in like manner had further helped to patch over the cracks in the Red Devils which had been leaking goals like a sieve.
On match day, it was never really a contest as the champions were in total control of the game and although an error from goalkeeper Ederson allowed United get on the score sheet – the 44 passes which culminated into City’s third goal only further highlighted the gulf in class between the two Manchester teams!
And in sticking with his character all season, rather than acknowledging that he was outdone by a vastly superior side, Mourinho tried to deflect from his shortcomings by insisting that City had an “easier” preparation for the derby then his side had!
The United manager blamed the mistakes that led to City’s goals on mental and physical fatigue brought about by two taxing away matches to Bournemouth and Juventus and also decried the loss of Paul Pogba to injury on the eve of the game.
“It was a week where Manchester City played at home three matches, and we play three matches away,” said Mourinho, who sarcastically declared that United were “not going to be relegated” after it was pointed out United are closer to 18th placed Cardiff than Pep Guardiola’s side in the table.
“A week where they enjoy 6-0, 6-1 victories, relaxed, no pressure, no mental effort, everything nice and easy, and we played two matches away, difficult ones, where the second one [against Juventus] was like a final for us against one of the best teams in Europe, a game that demanded from us everything we had to give, not just physically but also mentally.”
However, what is clearly galling is the fact that under Mourinho, the Red Devils have totally lost their playing identity. In fact, we cannot say with any confidence this is the pattern of play of the 20-time English champions!
Sadly, even the clubs “struggling” at the other end of the table have discerning ways that they play that is pleasing to the eye even though it might not be fetching them the results they want on the field of play.
The same cannot be said of the much more expensively assembled Manchester United, which often cannot string together a consistent number of passes in any game.
He often complains of not being backed by the United board in buying players, but his record of purchases and the over £380million spent since his arrival has not in any way impacted on improved performances from his team.
Tellingly of the 11 players he has brought in only two of them (Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof) were good enough for him to use against City!
Yes Pep has also had his fair share of transfer duds – Claudio Bravo and Nolito stand out from his first summer, but he has ultimately gotten his team playing the way United fans can only dream about, even though he has committed over £521million towards the project.
For a team that finished second last season, albeit 19 points behind the winners, now to be languishing in mid table already 12 points behind the leaders after 12 games, is a further indictment on Mourinho.
This season, Pep only added one player, Riyad Mahrez to his side, while Mourinho brought in three, which included a £61million outlay on Brazilian international, Fred and yet the former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder hardly features for United.
When compared with the influence goalkeeper Alisson has had at Liverpool or Jorginho at Chelsea, the move for Fred and his failure to have any major impact is another indictment on Mourinho’s transfer dealings.
Before Fred, he had also spent heavily last season on defenders, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof and yet neither has really lived up to expectations.
Even players that shine for their respective national teams, like Paul Pogba, who helped France win the World Cup, and Romelu Lukaku, who was instrumental in getting Belgium to a third-place finish in Russia, have struggled to reproduce same for Mourinho.
And from all indications, so long as the Portuguese manager remains in charge, the future does not look like getting better because it is clear that he is not ready to jettison his style of play, which would get them playing more attractive football, or his management of the players, which should make them willing to go the extra mile for him.
It is because of this that their most prized asset, David de Gea, is unwilling to sign a new contract. At 28, he does not want to spend the prime of his career in a club which mid table now seems like the height of their ambition.
I strongly believe that Mourinho needs to end his blame game and come up with how to fix his broken team or he will soon be tagged “ex-United manager”.
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