Tottenham defeat may bring Jose Mourinho to Manchester United
Jose Mourinho might be one step closer to Manchester United after their loss to Tottenham
Manchester United’s first 45 minutes at White Hart Lane yesterday went rather well. Louis van Gaal’s squad went into the break even with Spurs and had controlled the action for the first 15 minutes of the match.
Then the second half began which saw United completely capitulate and give Tottenham a 3-0 home victory. That poor Red Devil half might hasten Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Old Trafford.
After all, United fans aren’t used to losing at White Hart Lane. It’d been over a decade since it’d happened in the Premier League. The loss is only going to increase the volume of van Gaal detractors at arguably England’s most historic club.
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Van Gaal’s curious second half substitution isn’t going to do him any favors either. He opted to pull starlet Marcus Rashford off the pitch in favor of a returning Ashley Young. While Rashford hadn’t made much of an impact in the match’s first half, he at least kept Tottenham’s back four honest. Young, on the other hand, ran around the pitch much like a chicken with his head cut off.
It’s the type of switch that Jose Mourinho simply wouldn’t make if he were in charge of United. He thrives on pragmatism whereas van Gaal seems to yearn for bizarre solutions to his club’s problems. Other than the size of their egos, the two men don’t have much at all in common.
You have to wonder whether the defeat at Spurs will cause the higher-ups at United to finally pull the trigger on bringing The Special One to Old Trafford. Reports as of late have centered on van Gaal staying in power, but Premier League decisions can turn on a dime. Soon the tenor at United may center around Mourinho coming in and turning the roster upside down as opposed to who van Gaal might target in the summer transfer window.
While I have serious doubts as to how Mourinho would fit in at such a conservative club, it’s clear that van Gaal isn’t going to work. United have fallen significantly off the pace of the top of the Premier League and need to make drastic changes this offseason. Those changes will have to be more than just an aggressive roster makeover.
United’s troubles are deeper than just the 11 players who happen to be on the pitch at a given time. Van Gaal simply doesn’t inspire confidence in anyone at the club. Given the talent at the club, landing in the top four should be the minimal expectation as opposed to the ultimate goal. Under van Gaal, United may not even be able to achieve minimal success this season.
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Tottenham’s second half massacre of Manchester United may bring seismic changes to Old Trafford. Perhaps the arrival of Jose Mourinho might be the largest repercussion of United’s capitulation at White Hart lane.