Mateo Kovacic rejection reflects negative image around Manchester United

Jose Mourinho is hindering rather than helping the future of the club.

Manchester United have a storied history especially since the Premier League was formed. Sir Alex Ferguson led them through a period of unparalleled success in English football. Replacing him was always going to be hard as shown by the struggles of David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal.

Jose Mourinho has helped bring some consistency with a second consecutive season of Champions League football, although they were reliant on winning the Europa League back in 2017. He also took them to second place last season in a highly competitive top six, but city rivals Manchester City were miles ahead of the chasing pack.

The Portuguese manager is notorious for his short spells at clubs with his aim being to deliver short-term success rather than creating a long-term legacy. This has worked at every other club he has been at, but he is yet to win a major trophy aside from the Europa League with the Red Devils.

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His tactics are notorious for their negativity due to his pragmatic style. They often expense excitement for the result, with silverware at the end of the season supposedly making up for that. However, there were no trophies last season and his antagonistic approach has alienated key players.

There has been a public spat with Anthony Martial due to him being on paternity leave rather than coming back to join the club on the pre-season tour. Paul Pogba has been linked with other clubs due to previous disagreements with Mourinho.

Luke Shaw is still in the periphery of the squad after coming under scrutiny from the 55-year-old. These are just a few of the recent issues during his tenure.

All three of the players are young and represent the future for United. Pogba has the potential to be a world-beater and is starting to live up to that with his performances for France in the World Cup. Martial and Shaw represent talented long-term options for their positions, but they could all be pushed out of the club.

Mateo Kovacic is the latest piece of negative news related to the club because he doesn’t want to move to Manchester United due to the current playing style of the club after a 60 million euros bid was lodged, according to Marca.

The Croatian would have been an excellent signing for the club because of his quality and versatility. He can play as a defensive midfielder, box-to-box midfielder or an advanced play-maker.

His dribbling ability means he can break through opposition lines from deep positions, so he is an excellent tool to use against compact defences. He is also able to progress the team up the pitch through his passing and willingness to receive the ball in tight spaces.

Real Madrid have a stacked squad, so he hasn’t received nowhere near as much playing time as his talent deserves. Therefore, it’s likely that he could be tempted with a move away, and United have missed out on a major opportunity due to Mourinho.

A progressive manager with fresh exciting ideas is needed to bring the best out of the team and attract top players. There is certainly a talented squad to work with.

Mourinho could deliver major success for the club this season, as unlikely as that would be, and all would be forgiven or forgotten. However, he is notorious for his meltdowns during his third season with clubs, and the signs aren’t promising based on pre-season comments and results.

There are other issues at the club such as the lack of a sporting director which means they don’t have a coherent long-term strategy, but a managerial change is needed if they are to progress and become genuine title contenders. Kovacic’s decision should serve as a warning side for how they are perceived externally.