Jose Mourinho’s angry outbursts are not helping Manchester United, and it’s looking more and more likely that the ex-Chelsea boss is set to be amongst the next to get the sack. Not only does Mourinho still seem to believe that he can get away with verbally abusing match officials, engaging in repeated ranting on the touchline and pushing official Football Association regulations to their very limit, Manchester United have not managed to win a single game since falling behind this season and barely managed to salvage a draw against West Ham.
Relic of the Past
ESPNFC’s senior football writer Mark Ogden described Mourinho as a ‘relic of a bygone age’ and that he has become the ‘once-feared’ bully who is no longer able to intimidate, however, the only person who hasn’t realised that is the United manager himself. Back in 2004 when Mourinho was just starting out at Stamford Bridge, everything was a lot different – he arrived as a young, gifted, and confident coach who had just celebrated winning the Champion’s League with FC Porto, quickly upstaging the old guard of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. However, a lot can change in a decade, and although back then Mourinho would light fires to constantly surround himself and his team with smoke, he had a team of winners, allowing him to wage war with other managers safe in the knowledge that he’d have the last laugh on the pitch.
Tattered Reputation
After overseeing one of the worst title defences in Premier League history at Stamford Bridge last season, Jose Mourinho’s reputation is no longer as shining as it once was. Just thirteen Premier League games into his new reign at Manchester United, Mourinho is already facing his third sanction from the FA during that time since the referee sent him to the stands during the draw against West Ham at Old Trafford earlier in November. According to ESPNFC, Mourinho is ‘acting like a badly behaved child on a regular basis’ and tends to project a ‘surly’ image of himself to the public, whilst seemingly believing that everybody is against him and his club. But, ESPNFC says, this has become a ‘tired old act’ and Mourinho needs to up his game if he no longer wants to simply look like yesterday’s man. Free betting sites are already increasing their odds on Mourinho leaving by the end of the season.
Emotions on the Touchline
Displays of emotions on the touchline are not uncommon between Premier League team managers, especially at crucial points in the competition. However, whilst both Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp feel no need to hide their emotions on the touchline, the difference between these and Mourinho is that both Conte and Klopp know how to use their passions in a positive way, whereas Mourinho has been incessantly negative. The same can also be said of Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who, although passionate about the game, is able to channel his emotions on the touchline positively and knows that wasting energy by ranting at game officials is an exercise that is both futile and damaging. It’s easy to see that Mourinho’s attitude isn’t doing his team any favours. Perhaps rather tellingly, there appears to be a clear sense of devotion towards managers from players at Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City; something that has been absent at Old Trafford since the season commenced.
Do you think that Jose Mourinho deserves a chance, or should he be the next to go? We’d love to hear your opinion – get in touch by dropping us a line in the comments below.
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