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Since Mourinho’s arrival to the Premier League, he has embraced the role of the villain through his cockiness and his divisiveness. He was the most hated football manager throughout the Alex Ferguson era and to a lesser extent into the Wenger final years, and today he still holds that ignoble title. His critics hate him out of jealousy, because he came into the league with his cockiness and then backed it up by winning titles and they hate him because he causes divisions and is very quick to throw his players, his club and everybody else under the bus when things start to go wrong. However, despite his many despicable character flaws, there is one constant and undeniable positive fact about him, Mourinho knows how to win titles. Give him the money, the time and the freedom to control things, then he will build a team that will win the club titles. That was the reason he was brought to Manchester United.
Now, it goes without saying that a club of Manchester United’s history, size and financial clout should not only be winning domestic titles and trophies, but should also be considered a serious annual threat for the UEFA Champions League trophy, competing with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Sadly, today, we are not, and have not been in that position since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Everyday I am in a constant debate with my fellow Empire fans and also with the critics, the haters and the simpletons like X because I defend Mourinho. One of my biggest opponent is a fellow fan who makes the valid point that Mourinho is responsible for how the team plays on the field. However I may think I understand Mourinho’s reasoning for his tactics, I have to concede to that argument. My debates get heated because for me, I am looking beyond the team’s weekly poor performances and towards the general improvement of the team and how much closer are we towards winning major trophies. Everybody here knows that I lay the blame of our current malaise at the feet of our Executive Vice-Chairman, Ed Woodward for his many missteps since taking over the position and mainly for abandoning Mourinho in the last transfer window this past summer. Some are saying that Mourinho should have gotten rid of the fringe players and gotten more players in this summer. However, that is supporting my exact argument. Mourinho gave Ed Woodward his list of preferred transfer targets from around February. A sensible coach cannot get rid of players unless he’s getting replacement players. Duh!!! Imagine if he had let Darmian go in the summer given the state of our current list of injured defenders. Right now we basically have Ashley Young, Phil Calamity Jones and Eric Bailley who are not on the injured list - 3 fit defenders on the roster out of 10 .
My main line of defense of Mourinho has to do with the quality of the squad that he inherited and how it compared with the other top teams around him. He came to the club in the summer of 2016, the same time as Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte. The managers took over with each respective clubs finishing the season in 5th, 4th and 10th positions. Since 2016, the EPL champions have been Chelsea and Manchester City. So how did the three squads compare in the summer of 2016 and what did the 3 managers do going into the new season?
Mourinho inherited a squad of 39 players. He cut that down to 33 by either selling or loaning out 16 players while bringing in 4. He also promoted 7 youth players to the first team squad. The team finished the season in 6th position but won the Europa Cup to automatically qualify for the following year Champions League competition.
Antonio Conte inherited a squad of 30 players that were there during Mourinho’s time at the club. He cut the squad down to 24 players by buying 5 players and selling (mostly loaned out players) or loaning out 9 players. Of the 5 players that he bought, 4 of them had an impact on the existing core of players. Chelsea won the league and N’Golo Kante was named their Player of The Season.
Pep Guardiola inherited a squad of 34 players. He cut the number to 28. Players were either sold, loaned out or their contracts were terminated. Pep sold 2 players and loaned out 2. To start that season, Pep bought 9 players for £180m. Of those 9 players, only 3 have been a hit at a cost of £132m. Pep’s fabled reputation of developing youth players and giving them a chance has not materialized since arriving at Manchester City. Mourinho has played more youth and has given three times more playing time to these players than Pep. To date, Pep has won two trophies since his arrival, and his team is playing the most attractive football maybe in Europe, and looks to be on its way to reclaiming their title.
Chelsea has changed 3 managers since Mourinho left and has won one major trophy using a team of Mourinho’s players and today still has 7 in their first team. Pep to date has bought 22 players and sold 21 which, by all indications, means that he changed out his squad in the space of 2 years spending about £600m. To date, Mourinho has bought 10 players while selling a whopping…. 10 players. He has so far spent approximately £450m on his purchases.
The season is almost halfway through with Manchester United sitting in 6th position, 8 points off 4th place and through to the next round of the Champions League. Mourinho delivers titles.
Jangle
Now, it goes without saying that a club of Manchester United’s history, size and financial clout should not only be winning domestic titles and trophies, but should also be considered a serious annual threat for the UEFA Champions League trophy, competing with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Sadly, today, we are not, and have not been in that position since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Everyday I am in a constant debate with my fellow Empire fans and also with the critics, the haters and the simpletons like X because I defend Mourinho. One of my biggest opponent is a fellow fan who makes the valid point that Mourinho is responsible for how the team plays on the field. However I may think I understand Mourinho’s reasoning for his tactics, I have to concede to that argument. My debates get heated because for me, I am looking beyond the team’s weekly poor performances and towards the general improvement of the team and how much closer are we towards winning major trophies. Everybody here knows that I lay the blame of our current malaise at the feet of our Executive Vice-Chairman, Ed Woodward for his many missteps since taking over the position and mainly for abandoning Mourinho in the last transfer window this past summer. Some are saying that Mourinho should have gotten rid of the fringe players and gotten more players in this summer. However, that is supporting my exact argument. Mourinho gave Ed Woodward his list of preferred transfer targets from around February. A sensible coach cannot get rid of players unless he’s getting replacement players. Duh!!! Imagine if he had let Darmian go in the summer given the state of our current list of injured defenders. Right now we basically have Ashley Young, Phil Calamity Jones and Eric Bailley who are not on the injured list - 3 fit defenders on the roster out of 10 .
My main line of defense of Mourinho has to do with the quality of the squad that he inherited and how it compared with the other top teams around him. He came to the club in the summer of 2016, the same time as Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte. The managers took over with each respective clubs finishing the season in 5th, 4th and 10th positions. Since 2016, the EPL champions have been Chelsea and Manchester City. So how did the three squads compare in the summer of 2016 and what did the 3 managers do going into the new season?
Mourinho inherited a squad of 39 players. He cut that down to 33 by either selling or loaning out 16 players while bringing in 4. He also promoted 7 youth players to the first team squad. The team finished the season in 6th position but won the Europa Cup to automatically qualify for the following year Champions League competition.
Antonio Conte inherited a squad of 30 players that were there during Mourinho’s time at the club. He cut the squad down to 24 players by buying 5 players and selling (mostly loaned out players) or loaning out 9 players. Of the 5 players that he bought, 4 of them had an impact on the existing core of players. Chelsea won the league and N’Golo Kante was named their Player of The Season.
Pep Guardiola inherited a squad of 34 players. He cut the number to 28. Players were either sold, loaned out or their contracts were terminated. Pep sold 2 players and loaned out 2. To start that season, Pep bought 9 players for £180m. Of those 9 players, only 3 have been a hit at a cost of £132m. Pep’s fabled reputation of developing youth players and giving them a chance has not materialized since arriving at Manchester City. Mourinho has played more youth and has given three times more playing time to these players than Pep. To date, Pep has won two trophies since his arrival, and his team is playing the most attractive football maybe in Europe, and looks to be on its way to reclaiming their title.
Chelsea has changed 3 managers since Mourinho left and has won one major trophy using a team of Mourinho’s players and today still has 7 in their first team. Pep to date has bought 22 players and sold 21 which, by all indications, means that he changed out his squad in the space of 2 years spending about £600m. To date, Mourinho has bought 10 players while selling a whopping…. 10 players. He has so far spent approximately £450m on his purchases.
The season is almost halfway through with Manchester United sitting in 6th position, 8 points off 4th place and through to the next round of the Champions League. Mourinho delivers titles.
Jangle
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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