Jose Mourinho has always been rumored to want the Manchester United job. Now that he has it, he must deliver.
Even before his highly anticipated move to Chelsea a few seasons prior, Jose Mourinho was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United. While publicly he remained coy on his future, the rumors of his private opinions suggested that Old Trafford was his preferred destination.
The Red Devils had different plans however, selecting David Moyes who was in charge of Everton at the time. The Scotsman seemed like the perfect replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson, who had a large say in choosing his replacement.
Jose would return to Stamford Bridge where the Portuguese tactician initially exploded onto the scene in years prior, establishing himself as one of the top managers in the world.
While initially an appealing move, the two parties would cut ties much sooner than anticipated. Just a few months after bringing the Premier League trophy back to Stamford Bridge, Mourinho was sacked for a poor first half of the season.
It seemed as though Mourinho’s return to the his “throne” at Stamford Bridge would be different from his other management spells. It was widely believed that he would stick around for longer this time around.
Even Mourinho made it clear several times. In speaking to the Daily Mail, Mourinho said,
“I’m very, very happy. If somebody tells me I’m going to make ten years at Chelsea, I would say yes. I’m happy to be a part of this new Chelsea, and hopefully I can stay for many years.”
Yet, it wasn’t meant to be, with Chelsea’s revolving door management policy rearing its ugly head prematurely yet again. However, for Mourinho, it may have been a blessing in disguise.
Chelsea were never going to give him the time that he needed. They would have allowed him to build for the future, but only if he continued to deliver success along the way.
The one thing Mourinho has failed to do is establish consistency. Theres’s no questioning his managerial pedigree. He’s a born winner. And he’s proven it time and time again.
Jose is known for coming into a club, purchasing and selling the players that he feels he needs to win. And then he delivers within the first few years of his tenure. It’s from here that things tend to sour. For all his success, he’s never been able to prolong the positive feelings that come with winning.
While no manager finds adversity an easy challenge, it’s one that Mourinho has often failed to confront. During almost all of his managerial spells, the second that adversity factors into the equation, his agent is already looking for his next challenge.
The Top Flight
While this attitude may have been more palatable at Chelsea, Inter, or Real Madrid, it won’t be at Manchester United. After all, it’s the club that allowed Sir Alex to enjoy a tenure of over 25 years. It’s past, present and future are rooted in winning, but also in consistency.
They will expect Jose to turn around their fortunes, but they won’t allow it to be done in haste. Mourinho will have to win quickly, but he’ll have to do it with a sustainable future in mind. They’ll give him the support he needs, while Chelsea may not have been prepared to do so.
The Manchester United job gives Mourinho the opportunity to confront his demons. His critics will say that his long-term planning will hold him back from being immortalized in the game. This is his chance to prove the nay-sayers wrong.
If success is found in his quest for consistency, Mourinho may very well spend the next 10 years of his managerial career at United. He’ll have proven that there isn’t much within the realm of football that he can’t achieve.
However, if his attempts at long-term success are unsuccessful, then it’ll be another big name club to add to the list of Mourinho’s short-term spells. A high-profile manager who can replicate positive results, but not at the same club.
This isn’t the reputation that the Portuguese manager wants, and one that he’ll do everything in his power to avoid.
The Manchester United job finds Mourinho at a cross roads in his career. Will he deliver on both short and long-term goals? Or will the Portuguese manager be searching for his next challenge in the next few years?
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Only time will tell whether Mourinho sinks or swims. For now we can salivate that Mourinho is back and will be managing next season. Football is better with him in it and Premier League fans will have front row seats to his act. Only he can decide if he’ll be worthy of an encore.