By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Manchester United is yet to wake up from the slumber they went into after Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. They brought in David Moyes, a Briton and he was a catastrophe of a manger. Two seasons down the line they are set to sack their second manager, Louis van Gaal, also known as LvG.
If they decide to do so the job will be up for grabs and even though the list of potential replacements will be long, two men will be on top: Jose Mourinho and Ryan Giggs.
It is almost certain that Louis Van Gaal (LVG) will not be in charge of Manchester United next season. His ‘philosophy’ has not taken the club in the right direction. United is playing the most boring style of football in a very long time. LVG himself has hinted sometimes this season that he might quit the post anyway. The air of animosity around the club towards him is so strong.
The Red Devils have played 26 league games this season and have only won 11, less than half of the games played. They couldn’t progress to the round of 16 in the Champions League and they are even set to lose out on a spot for next year’s competition. The story is bad, so you could understand this hasty conclusion about his future.
Just over a week ago, across town neighbors, Manchester City, announced that Pep Guardiola would be in charge next season. This was just not an announcement, it was more than that. It was a strong statement.
Manchester United were also interested in the Spaniard but they couldn’t risk a public managerial war with City, because City would have eventually won and that would be huge public relations nightmare for United.
Next season, United must respond by bringing their own big-name-coach. That’s the expectation from most of their fans. But most of the big name coaches around are all engaged. Carlo Ancelotti is heading to Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola is heading down to Manchester City, Antonio Conte is in Italy and a host of others are attached.
The only two big names one could think of are Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho. But Rafa Benitez is not in contention for the United job. He is surely out of it. This narrows the list of candidates to one candidate, Jose Mourinho.
Opinions
Opinions are varied so far on his appointment. Talks are still ongoing between his agents and Manchester United. Many believe he is set to land the Old Trafford job next summer but the question still stands: is he the right person to solve the problems of the club?
“Manchester United desperately need a lift, a spark from somewhere, and Jose Mourinho would certainly liven the place up,” says Harry Redknapp, a former manager of Tottenham Football Club.This is an opinion of a former manager in the Premier League. His comment echoes the level of respect Mourinho has among his colleagues.
Jamie Redknapp is a former football player and a pundit on Sky Sport, the son of Harry Redknapp. He also supports his dad’s comment about the Special One, as he was fondly called while at Chelsea FC.
“Jose brings a lot of coverage to your club, both good and bad, but he is still box office and I see him at United next season, unless Louis van Gaal can go and win something," Jamie says.
Like these two, many people believe that there is a certain charm about Jose that will help lift the players and the club to the level it was.
But Jamie Carragher does not share the sentiments of the Redknapps. He feels appointing Jose goes against everything the club has been trying to build for decades.
"They’re that desperate to get back to winning trophies they’re forgetting the principles that have made the club what it is over the past 50 years.”That is how strong his opinion and,Isupposed, a number of other people.
Jose conjures controversies and uses that to take the pressure off his team for the big clashes. He is a genius in these tactics. But United is more than just a football club. It is a brand that has been carefully crafted over the decades on the basis of gentility. Controversy may just smear its carefully crafted image.
The question of whether Jose should be the next manager of Manchester United is not really based on doubts about his abilities to manage a team like United but it is about his attitude of going about it.
Let’s meet the man
Jose Mourinho once said about God: “He must think I’m a great guy. He must think that, because otherwise he would not have given me so much … he must have a very high opinion of me.” This is how cocky he can get.
Sir Bobby Charlton spoke about José after that famous touchline burst out between him and Tito Valinavo in a La Liga match. Charlton said: “He pontificates too much for my liking.” The English former player is a legend of Manchester United and a club Director and Ambassador. His opinion is very important in deciding whether Jose gets the United job or not.
There are insiders who feel the job should be given to Ryan Giggs. He is a true United breed. He knows the philosophy of the club and will certainly know where to take them. The only real danger is that he has no significant first team coaching experience. He is still a student of the coaching profession and giving him a job as big as Manchester United might be too soon.
But recent happenings in Europe are encouraging. Just over two months ago ZinedineZidane was appointed manager of Real Madrid. Although it is too early to judge him, but with Zidane as an example, one cannot rule out Ryan Giggs’ chance to take Unitedforward. At the end of their first seasons (Zidane and Giggs) we might seat and asses these decisions when taken -whether it was bravery or stupidity.
Jose Mourinho is a fixer. WhenChelsea wanted to establish itself as a genuine force in Europe, he was hired. Although he did not win the Champions League, he took the club very close to winning it. Inter Milan hired him and he won the Champion’s League for them and when Real Madrid needed a manger to combat one of the greatest, Barcelona side, in modern era, they came looking for him.
Since 2002 the Portuguese has won eight league titles and three Champions Leagues with four different clubs. He brings a sense of danger to every game. When he arrives at teams he can push the players pass their breaking points. His tactics have been to feed his team with conspiracy theories against the group and this helps in uniting them to fight harder.
His record of trophies is outstanding, but this success comes at a price. In all four teams, he has never spent a fourth season. This shows that he does not settle for the long term.
What the Devils really need?
Manchester United need more than quick fixing. They need to rediscover their identity in a post-Ferguson era and this is a long term project. That was why even though David Moyes was not the biggest of names in world football, they still went ahead to commit him to a six year deal. We all know how the Moyes episode ended but it shows how serious the club is about the future. It is difficult to see Jose settling down anywhere for long term.
United is a club that has relied on the transition of young players from the academy to the first team. Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and the Neville brothers all came through that system. This is like a tradition in the club and it was built on the model of sustainability. On the contrary, Jose is renowned for selling his promising young players to fund big money moves. Players like Andre Schurle, RomeluLukaku and Kevin De Bruyne were all thrown away in his first year at Chelsea. His coming might end the rise of young players like Jesse Lindgaard and Borthwick-Jackson.
Very few will want the job to be given to Giggs. ‘Is Giggs ready?’ That’s the question most people will ask. The answer might not be known until he is tested. Jose might come and might win trophies but for how long will it continue? You just have to turn and look an example of his handiwork, a work as recent as Chelsea.
(C) Politico 23/02/16
