Three trophies in a single season described the influence of Jose Mourinho as the manager of Manchester United. The Portuguese took an oath to bring back the glory days for the Red Devils and at the end of the season when we are looking at the trophy cabinet he somehow has succeeded in turning United as one of the mightiest clubs in the European circuit.
Mourinho’s first season at United included a lot of pains and gains. The Portuguese has been severely criticised for his ‘park the bus’ strategy but he has shown the world how to win matches without being involved with the ball most of the times. Despite enduring a frustrating campaign, United finished the season with three trophies at the end of this season which speaks volumes about his mindset.
All the summer arrivals contributed vigorously to this campaign as United notched their first Europa League trophy in their history. Predominantly, it was a season that Zlatan Ibrahimovic won’t forget as the Swede became United’s highest scorer this campaign. Eric Bailly stood strong in the defence and Henrikh Mkhitaryan brought an x-factor to the United attack which has been missing from the game.
Stars
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The Swede had taken the goal scoring responsibility up front for United this season. Given his current age when he was signed, nobody would have imagined that the lanky forward could be a hit at the Old Trafford. The 35-year-old also has an ever presence in the United dressing room as youngsters like Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard has been heavily benefitted under his guidance.
Ander Herrera
The Spaniard has been one of the most underrated midfielders in the Premier League. The Spaniard’s emergence this season has helped Mourinho a lot as Herrera embraced the opportunity that came to him. The pass master has successfully distributed 1614 passes for United which is very encouraging. Although he is not the typical playmaker that we used to see but his creative influences also have been huge. He dictated the play, won balls in the middle of the park and stretched the play.
Eric Bailly
In a campaign where injuries have been a long association with United, Eric Bailly stood tall in the defence to give United positive vibes. His aerial ability and physicality assembled the United backline into a very solid setup
Duds
Wayne Rooney
The United captain has virtually lost all his attributes this season and has subsequently taken the role of a bench warmer. He never looked that player who would press for a place in the first team lineup and is expected to depart in this summer.
Luke Shaw
The left back had a very disappointing outing this term as he failed to gain the trust of Mourinho. The gaffer was so furious with his performance that he publicly rebuked the defender for a couple of times.
Juan Mata
The Spaniard midfielder had a very energetic start but he somehow failed to take his form to the later part of the season. United has been struggling creatively and Mata’s form and subsequent injury had to be the main reasons.
