Someone call a plumber because Old Trafford is very leaky at the moment.
Since the transfer window closed two weeks ago, several reports on the situation at Manchester United have emerged. Jose Mourinho is unhappy that the club failed to sign more players during the window. Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, is said to have felt Mourinho’s targets didn’t represent value for money.
Mourinho desperately sought for a new central defender to arrive. United already have five senior central defenders and seemingly felt the manager should make the most of the players at his disposal. Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, who struggled in the defeat to Brighton on Sunday, were both signed by Mourinho.
Worrying claim emerges about Jose Mourinho’s pre-match team talks
The United manager also sought for the club to sign a winger, but again, his bosses wouldn’t back him. However, reports claimed that there was money available for a marquee signing, such as Gareth Bale.
Then there is the situation with Paul Pogba. The French midfielder is reportedly unhappy with Mourinho. Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, criticised Paul Scholes on Twitter, suggesting that the former United midfielder could “advise Woodward to sell Pogba.” Raiola could possibly be using Barcelona’s interest in Pogba to engineer a new deal for his client or even an escape route from Old Trafford.
Paul Scholes should become sports director and advise Woodward to sell Pogba. Would be sleepless nights to find Pogba a new club @paulpogba
— RAIOLA (@MinoRaiola) August 21, 2018
There is also unrest from elements of the United fanbase. A group of supporters have reportedly paid for a plane to fly over Old Trafford next week and display a banner calling for Woodward to step down. While other sections of the support feel that Mourinho’s style of football won’t deliver sustained success or close the gap on Manchester City.
United are already three points behind the champions after they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Brighton last Sunday when they put in a bizarrely meek display.
In short, it’s a mess at Old Trafford at the moment. A couple of positive results, starting with the game against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Monday night, will change the mood. But it appears that the tension between the different factions at the club won’t disappear anytime soon.
Manchester United fans to fly banner over Old Trafford in protest against Ed Woodward
Earlier this week, a report claimed that Mourinho retains the support of the decision makers at the club and that there are no plans to replace him.
On Thursday, another report emerged and this time it appears that the source is someone close to the United manager.
According to Paul Hirst, writing in The Times, Mourinho is “unhappy” but will not quit his role despite having several grievances with how the club has been run.
According to the report:
- Mourinho has “no intention” of resigning. His contract runs until the end of the 2019/2020 season.
- He does, however, have differences with Woodward on several matters.
- He is still “disappointed” with the club’s summer transfer business and with Woodward’s “failure” to sign more players.
- In addition to his transfer frustrations, Mourinho is said to have “raised objections” about how United operate their scouting and commercial departments. He reportedly feels his concerns have not been adequately addressed.
- Mourinho is still speaking to Woodward, but the report claims that their relationship is now “extremely strained.”
- The mood of the United manager has “darkened” since losing to Brighton and he “barely spoke” to his players following the defeat.
- He has frequently taken public shots at his players – especially Pogba, Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial – and this is said to have caused an issue with some at the club. However, Mourinho has “vowed to curb criticism of his players in public.”
The report makes for interesting reading, especially when one considers that very few people were seriously suggesting that Mourinho should quit, or that the club would sack him after just two games of the season. He has plenty of time to improve the team’s results. The club wouldn’t want to change manager in August, and his contract runs for another two years. It would cost United a fortune to pay Mourinho off if they were to sack him now.
However, it could be argued that we have seen this from Mourinho before. In his final season as Chelsea manager, two months before he was eventually sacked, the then-Premier League champions lost 3-1 at home to Southampton. Following the match, Mourinho said he wouldn’t quit his post and that it was up to the club to sack him if they wanted a change in the role.
“I want to make it clear. One, I don’t run away,” Mourinho said in October 2015.
“Two, if the club want to sack me they have to sack me because I am not running away from my responsibilities or my team.”
At that point, few people were seriously suggesting Chelsea should sack their manager just five months after he helped them win the league title. The situation deteriorated and Chelsea dismissed him in December.
It’s possible that something similar could occur at United this season, and Mourinho is effectively seeking for the club to back him or sack him.
